Paying for college is a frequent concern for students, as tuition costs rise every year. Many schools have scholarships to offset these costs. Some schools allow you to contend for these scholarships with no additional effort; merely applying to the school is enough. Other schools have scholarships which you have to apply to separately.
These are usually prestigious merit-based scholarships. Only merit scholarships require an extra application, since they often want to see whether you deserve the scholarship money. While we won’t be able to cover all possible merit scholarships, we’ll introduce you to a number of prestigious ones in this article. Let’s get started!
A Note on the Ivy League
Ivy League schools, and several institutions of similar stature, do not grant merit scholarships. Every student who is admitted to these schools has demonstrated incredible academic and extracurricular merit; if they didn’t they would not have gotten into the school.
The Ivy League has an agreement within itself not to grant athletic scholarships, and other merit scholarships as well. While this is debated, for now, the policy stands.
The point of merit scholarships is not just to defray the costs of tuition, but to entice the brightest students to attend a particular school. The Ivy League, and schools of similar prestige, have no need for this. Their prestige alone is enough to guarantee that students will flock to them. Merit aid is thus unnecessary from their point of view.
They do provide substantial need based aid, and have much higher cutoffs for who qualifies for this aid than other schools. All of these institutions guarantee that 100% of demonstrated financial need will be met. Thus you can still receive scholarships, and very generous ones, when applying to Ivy League schools. They simply will not be merit scholarships.
See the following links for more information on the specific policies of Ivy League schools:
In addition to the Ivy League, there are a number of other institutions which simply do not award merit aid. Here is a list of top schools in this category, with links to their specific policies:
Boston College
Boston College offers the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program. This covers your full tuition, plus funding for a summer program. This scholarship is awarded based solely on merit, with no regard to financial need. All students who apply to Boston College by the November 1 scholarship deadline are considered for this award, whether they apply ED or RD. This award is also available to international students.
Up to 18 of these scholarships are awarded each year. Students are notified in January, alongside their offer of admission to Boston College. These scholarships are renewed annually so long as you maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above and remain a full time student.
Boston University
Boston University has a number of merit scholarships available, which offer varying levels of funding and have different application requirements. International students are considered for the Trustee and Presidential scholarships, but not any of the others.
The Trustee Scholarship awards full tuition, and requires submitting an additional essay on the Common App. No additional essays or application requirements exist for the other merit based awards.
Brandeis
Brandeis offers students a range of merit scholarships, including Dean, Presidential, Provost, and Justice Brandeis awards. These are for $5,000 to $24,000 annually, and are renewable. The amount of the scholarship remains the same each year, and may be renewed for up to eight semesters. All students are considered for these scholarships when they apply, with no additional application components.
In addition, they offer the Giumette Academic Achievement Award to current sophomores. This is a merit-based award handed out depending on your performance as a student at Brandeis. A GPA of 3.7 is needed to be eligible, and you must maintain a GPA above 3.25 to keep the award. Eligible students are notified by email, and must then apply online. The application requires answers to the following short answer questions (250 words each):
- What are you studying and why?
- How have you changed (personally, academically, etc.) since you arrived at Brandeis?
- What has been your most satisfying impact on the Brandeis community?
- How will you use what you have learned at Brandeis to help repair the world?
The application also requires submitting a resume and two recommendations from Brandeis faculty or staff.
Caltech
Caltech generally only offers need-based scholarships. They do, however, offer a number of named scholarships, some of which have a merit component. None of these scholarships require an additional application on your part; you are automatically considered for them when you apply to Caltech.
Carnegie Mellon University
Most of the aid offered by CMU is need-based, but there are a number of endowed scholarships which are awarded on merit. The criteria for these scholarships is decided by the person who endowed them. There are no additional application requirements; if you meet the criteria set by the donor as determined by the admissions committee, you will be offered the scholarship in your aid package.
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western has a number of scholarship competitions which are open to all students who apply, including international students (unless noted otherwise on a specific scholarship). Each of these scholarships must be applied to individually; you may apply to as many as you like. Each will be awarded to a single student. These scholarships range from a few thousand dollars, to covering your full tuition. Some of these scholarships are renewable, others are not. Some of these scholarships require an essay, other have other required components, such as an artistic portfolio.
Duke
The Robertson Scholarship is for students attending either Duke or UNC Chapel Hill. This is open to students regardless of nationality, and is awarded based on merit. You must apply to this scholarship program directly; applications open August 15 and are due by November 15.
You must apply to either Duke or UNC Chapel Hill in order to apply for this scholarship. Your scholarship application is separate from your application to those schools however. While you apply to one school, the scholarship exists as a partnership between the schools, and you are expected to take classes at both institutions, though you will only graduate from one of them. This scholarship provides full funding for four years of study.
Emory University
Emory offers a number of Scholar Programs, each of which comes with a merit scholarship. You must apply by November 15 to be considered for these programs. The initial review is based on your application to Emory as a whole, and requires only that you check a box on the application indicating that you wish to be reviewed for the scholar programs. 175-200 finalists are selected, these students are brought to Emory in the spring for several days, where they participate in interviews and activities to determine who will get the awards. There are the following three scholars programs available:
- Emory College Woodruff Scholars: This scholarship covers tuition, fees, room & board, and is renewable for up to 8 semesters.
- Oxford College Woodruff Scholars: This is the equivalent of the above scholarship, but for students who spend their first two years at Oxford rather than Emory.
- Goizueta Scholars Program: This award guarantees students acceptance to the BBA program at Goizueta, and provides for four years of funding. Students also receive special advising, priority registration for business courses, and special business seminars in their first two years.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech offers a single scholarship application; filling this out allows students to be considered for 850 different institutional scholarships with varying requirements. Some of these are renewable, others are one time awards. The amount of these awards also differs. Admissions officers review all applications for scholarships.
Johns Hopkins
All students who apply to Johns Hopkins are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on the strength of their application. No other components are required for consideration.
Lehigh University
All of Lehigh’s academic merit scholarships are open to all applicants, with no additional components needed. They also offer a number of artistic merit scholarships, these must be applied to separately, and are contingent on your participation in the artform in question (i.e. If you are awarded the theatre scholarship, you are required to maintain an active presence in the theatre department, regardless of your major).
These scholarships all require an online application, most of which have an audition component. See our guide for art students for advice on college auditions.
Northeastern
All students who apply to Northeastern are automatically considered for their merit scholarships. These cover a range of values, with the peak being the Dean’s scholarship for $28,000 annually. These scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters, based on academic performance.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s Scholars Program is a collection of merit aid awards available to incoming high school students. A full list of the awards administered under this program can be found here, each of which having its own eligibility and selection criteria. In general, these awards are aimed at students with superior academic achievement, who have also demonstrated traits such as leadership and commitment to their community. International students are eligible for some of these awards. All of these students then join the scholars community, where they receive additional guidance and a chance to leverage the opportunities provided to them.
NYU
NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences offers the Presidential Scholars Program. The top 10% of the incoming class are automatically invited to join this program as part of their admissions offer; other students may apply in spring of their first year. This program does not provide direct tuition assistance, but does offer financial support for study abroad and research undertaken by the student.
Purdue
Purdue offers a range of merit scholarships to incoming freshmen, with values from $1,000 to full tuition. These scholarships are decided based on a holistic review of your application materials, with no additional components required to apply for them. These scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters, depending on your continued academic performance.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer offers the Rensselaer Medal, which offers $30,000 of tuition benefits per year for four years to outstanding math and science students. You do not apply for this, instead you must be nominated by your school. If you are a very strong student in math and sciences, and are applying to RPI, bring this award to the attention of your counselors. Each school may only nominate a single student each year.
Rice
Rice automatically considers all applicants for merit scholarships based on academic achievement, community involvement, leadership, and other signs of exceptional excellence in high school. These awards are renewable.
Southern Methodist University
Most of the merit awards at SMU are offered to all applicants, but you must apply to the Hunt Leadership Scholars program separately to be considered. This award is for $42,000 per year for four years.
You are required to apply online. An additional essay and recorded video statement uploaded to Youtube are required as part of your application. You must be in the top 25% of your high school class to be considered. The scholarship is looking for students who have demonstrated great academic achievement and significant leadership.
Tulane
All students are considered for partial tuition merit scholarships, but Tulane also offers a number of merit scholarships which cover full tuition and which require an additional application. These are The Deans’ Honor Scholarship, The Paul Tulane Award, and the Stamps Scholarship (which you apply to by applying to either of the two preceding awards).
You can find out more about these scholarships on Tulane’s site here.
UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley offers the Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship to incoming freshmen. Eligibility for this scholarship is based on merit, with the most deserving incoming freshmen being awarded the scholarship. However, the amount of aid given depends on your financial need; the minimum aid amount is $2,500, though this can increase for students with significant need. On top of funding, the scholarship gives access to a significant faculty support system, guaranteed housing on campus, and a major alumni population to network with.
UC Davis
Almost all of the scholarships awarded by UC Davis are merit scholarships, though a small number of these have an additional need component. A minimum GPA of 3.25 is required to be considered for all UC Davis scholarships; no other application materials are needed for freshmen, since your initial application is used to determine scholarship eligibility.
Note that unlike most other colleges, UC Davis’ scholarships are not automatically renewed. Students must reapply for these scholarships each year, and are judged based on their academic achievements and the specific requirements of the scholarship. This application is available online for current students.
UC Irvine
UC Irvine offers three distinguished scholarships; these are the peak of the merit scholarships they offer. The Regent’s Scholarship and Chancellor’s Scholarship are both for California residents only, while the Directors’ Scholarship is for out-of-state domestic students. All of these scholarships only consider your application materials to UC Irvine, and are renewable if you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
Other merit scholarships at UCI may be applied to through a partnership they have with Scholarship Universe. Through this, students set up a profile which matches you with scholarships you are eligible for, both internal to UCI, and external ones the school has vetted. You may then decide which ones to apply to. There are a range of scholarships available, with a variety of funding levels and requirements. Most are renewable, though some require annual applications.
UCLA
UCLA awards a number of merit scholarships. These all require the same application, which evaluates you for eligibility and also serves as a guide for which you will receive. Scholarships are awarded within two weeks of admissions. Note that scholarships at UCLA are not automatically renewed, and you will need to apply for them again each year, while meeting certain academic standards to be eligible to continue receiving a scholarship.
UC Santa Barbara
UCSB offers the Regents Scholarship, which is decided on merit and is awarded to incoming first year students. Awardees receive $5,000 per year, are guaranteed on-campus housing in their first year, and become part of the Regents society, which offers expanded mentorship and networking opportunities. You must maintain a GPA of at least 3.2 to continue qualifying for this scholarship.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego has the Regents Scholarship, which is a $20,000 award disbursed over four years; so it provides $5,000 per year. In addition, they are guaranteed admission to their first choice college within UCSD, have priority enrollment for courses, and have an opportunity to participate in a special research program under faculty guidance. The application for the scholarship is included in your application for UCSD, with no additional components required.
UChicago
All students who apply to UChicago are considered for merit scholarships. These range in amount, but many students receive at least some merit funding. Most of the funding offered by the school is need-based. These scholarships may be renewed for up to four years of study.
UIUC
UIUC offers the Stamps Scholarship, which is its best and most exclusive scholarship. This covers the full cost of tuition, and is only awarded to seven incoming freshmen each year. Only residents of Illinois are eligible for this scholarship. There are no additional application requirements; award decisions are made based on your application alone.
University of Florida
There is a limited pool of merit scholarship funding available at UF; around 10% of incoming students each year receive a scholarship. These are awarded based off of your application; grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, with no additional application necessary. These scholarships are generally renewable for all four years, assuming you continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Scholarship awards range from $2,000 to $20,000 per year, and are available to in-state and out-of-state students.
University of Michigan
UMich offers the Joseph M. Geisinger Scholarship. This is offered to engineering students from outside of Michigan (check the page to see which states of origin qualify), and grants $20,000 per year to cover tuition costs. You must apply to this scholarship before February; you can submit the application before you hear about admissions from UMich.
The scholarship application may be done entirely online, and is separate from your application to the school. You must list and describe up to five activities, and then have 1,500 characters to describe how one of those activities has impacted you. This comes out to around 250 words, depending on how verbose you are. They then ask for a list of any awards or honors you have won. You may copy both your activities and your honors off of the Common App.
They also ask for a personal essay. Here is the prompt:
Please attach a one-page personal essay (PDF preferred; Microsoft Word also accepted) based on what you hope to accomplish with a college education in engineering. Please use your essay to help the Scholarship Selection Committee better understand your thoughts and feelings about the importance of a career in engineering.
You will have written a similar essay to this when answering one of the essay prompts UMich requires for admissions; we suggest reworking that essay to better fit this prompt. This essay should look to the future, and discuss what you hope to accomplish from a career in engineering. Like many scholarships, this one is looking for students eager to give back to the world, who will use their education to measurably improve the lives of others.
UNC Chapel Hill
Most of the scholarships offered by this school only require that you apply to the school. There is, however, a prestigious scholarship for students who wish to pursue creative writing. This is the Thomas Wolfe Scholarship. This is only awarded to a single student each year, but offers full financial support for four years.
In order to apply for this scholarship, you must apply to Chapel Hill by the early admissions deadline (October 15th), and must submit between 40-50 pages of original written material as a portfolio. This is judged on its artistic merit. This may be poetry, fiction, plays, or creative nonfiction. The material may come from multiple genres, indeed, this is encouraged.
Further, you must submit a 500 word essay entitled “Why I Write.” This should explain and explore that topic. You will also need three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must come from a teacher. These should speak to your creativity and ambition. We recommend asking the same teachers who wrote letters of recommendation for your college applications to write these letters.
Your application for this scholarship must be submitted separately from your application to the school as a whole.
University of Rochester
Rochester offers merit scholarships regardless of your ability to pay; approximately half of all admitted students last year received a merit scholarship, with an average award of $14,000. There is no additional application for these scholarships; you are evaluated for them based on your application materials. Students may only be awarded one merit scholarship from Rochester. All of these scholarships are renewed if you earn satisfactory grades and remain a full time student.
USC
USC offers a number of merit scholarships, which range from full tuition to a few thousand dollars. These have varying eligibility requirements; most are only open to domestic students, but some are available to international students as well. A full list of these scholarships, their selection criteria, and their eligibility requirements may be found here. Note that most of these scholarships only require submission of the Common Application, with no additional application components.
UT Austin
The scholarship is funded and disbursed by the Texas Exes, a group of UT Austin alumni who look back fondly on their time at the school, and who want to help the next generation of students attend. While it is not the only scholarship the group offers, it is the largest, most prestigious, and most competitive.
The scholarship is merit based, and is awarded without regard to financial need. The scholarship provides funding to fully cover tuition for four years, along with granting funding for living expenses. The goal of the scholarship is that all recipients graduate debt free, and are able to pursue academic experiences without needing to work during college.
On top of this, the scholarship program seeks to provide enrichment experiences. This includes a research stipend to help pay for study abroad experiences or summer programs, along with events for students in the program to meet with mentors and network.
High school seniors applying to UT Austin are eligible for the scholarship. Only US citizens and permanent residents are considered. International and transfer students are not eligible, but are welcome to apply for other scholarships offered by Texas Exes.
Texas Exes uses your application to UT Austin to determine who is awarded the scholarship. By submitting an application to UT Austin, you are automatically considered for the 40 Acres scholarship if you are eligible; no other work is required on your part at that time.
Students who make it to the semi-finalist stage are invited to complete an interview. This is an important part of the application process, and getting invited to an interview lets you know you were one of the most qualified students to apply.
University of Virginia
The Jefferson Scholars Foundation awards the Jefferson Scholarship. This provides funding for four years of tuition, plus offers funding for study abroad and other academic opportunities. Unlike other scholarships, you must be nominated for this scholarship by your high school.
This is something to discuss with your high school counselor if you are applying to the University of Virginia, since they are the ones who must nominate you. You should be able to demonstrate your academic skill, leadership potential and experience, and contributions to the community; nominating you isn’t something you should need to convince your counselor of.
Once you are nominated, you will need to complete two essays, and submit a scholastic report and a list of your extracurricular activities. This will mirror your Common App, but the selection committee does not have access to that.
If you are selected as a finalist, you will have to go through one or more interviews. After these finalists are invited to the school’s campus, where they undergo another interview, and participate in a written assessment. This is a very intensive process, but the goal of the committee is to locate the brightest students the world over, and takes this task quite seriously.
University of Washington
Most of UW’s scholarships have both a need and a merit component, where they evaluate both your need and your academic credentials. Pure merit scholarships exist in their honors college, which offers a number of specific scholarships solely on the basis of merit. Note that you must apply to the honors college in order to qualify for any of these scholarships; this is separate from the standard UW application.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt has three signature scholarships programs, each of which guarantees a full-tuition award for up to eight semesters at Vanderbilt, plus additional funding for a summer study abroad program. Applications must be submitted by December 1 to be considered for these scholarships. International applicants are eligible for all three of these scholarships.
There is a separate application you must complete for these scholarships; this is only available after you complete and submit the Common Application. This is required for the Vanderbilt Scholarship, and highly recommended for the other scholarships. These applications become available on September 1. Students who are awarded these scholarships are notified by mid-March.
Wake Forest
Most of Wake Forest’s merit scholarships require no additional materials, but a few do. One of these is the Presidential Scholarship, which is a renewable $16,000 award. This scholarship is awarded to up to 20 students each year. The application requires two essays, and a portfolio and letter of recommendation submitted for one of the following talent areas: dance (ballet, jazz, or modern), debate, music, theatre, or visual arts.
There is additionally a special scholarship in physics. This scholarship is for half tuition for your full four years, and there is only one recipient at a time (not per year, but in total on campus). You must intend to major in physics and submit a letter explaining how you became interested in science to qualify for this scholarship.
Washington University in St. Louis
WashU offers three Signature Scholar Programs, each of which offer full or partial merit based scholarships. There is an additional 100 word supplemental essay for each scholars program you apply to, these can be found under the essays section of the Common App. You may also submit an optional third letter of recommendation as part of this application, and they suggest completing WashU’s optional writing supplement. Otherwise, the scholarship is based entirely on your application to WashU.
William & Mary
The College of William & Mary offers the 1693 Scholars Program, which sits partway between a merit scholarship and an honors college sort of program. This program offers a full scholarship and is renewable for all four years; it is offered to approximately eight incoming students each year. All students who apply to William & Mary are considered for the program (including international students). Those who are then selected as semi-finalists must submit additional application materials. These consist of a short video submission and an additional essay statement.
A note on Honors Colleges
Finally, this article does not cover scholarships offered by honors colleges. These often have their own internal scholarships available to students, which are frequently quite generous with their funding. Honors colleges have their own additional application components, which you can get a sense of in our article on honors colleges.
Final Thoughts
Colleges know that costs have risen, and while they can’t help offset them for every student, they do offer significant scholarship opportunities to some. Few students realize these awards exist, and competition for them is often lower than that for admission. This does not make them easy to get, but knowing about them is half the battle.
If you want help applying to colleges in the first place, or want to build a college list which maximizes your chance of financial aid, schedule a free consultation with us. We have long experience helping students with every aspect of college applications, and are always happy to hear from you.
