• Award Process
• Selection Criteria
• Scholarship Awards
• Other Sources of Financial Aid

Fall first-year admitted students who meet the minimum eligibility requirements below are reviewed for scholarships by the schools and colleges to which they have been admitted. Scholarships are offered for a total of four years provided recipients maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 or better. We will consider students who:

• Submit their application and all credentials including application fee or fee waiver request form, Self-Reported Academic Record, officially reported SAT or ACT scores with Writing by December 1, 2009, our priority application date. (As a courtesy, we will use improved test scores from tests administered no later than January 1, 2010 to determine scholarship awards).
• Submit the essay with the application
• Are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• All students seeking merit scholarships are encouraged to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15, 2010.

Scholarship notification is sent subsequent to the letter of admission between January 15 and April 15. Only students offered a scholarship are notified, and only one type of the scholarships described below will be awarded. Scholarship amounts are not negotiable.

Rutgers scholarships are competitive awards that recognize and encourage academic excellence. Criteria include academic achievement, leadership qualities, and potential for success. Other consideration may include students who are the first generation to attend college or have overcome adversity.

There is no set of “numbers” that will guarantee a scholarship or scholarship amount. Rather we look at the whole of a student’s record. Most past scholarship awardees were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, with many in the top 5%; most had A or A- high school GPA’s, and most had combined SAT’s of 1950 or higher.

Please note that each Rutgers school or college selects scholarship recipients to shape their entering class. Therefore it is possible for a student admitted to several academic units within Rutgers to receive scholarship awards in amounts that vary by school/college.

The Presidential Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship award Rutgers offers undergraduates. Awards are $21,400 per year for a maximum of $85,600 for four years, and include a $9,900 credit for on-campus housing and dining. For those who choose not to live on campus, the award will be $11,500. Admission to honors programs and guaranteed housing for four years are additional benefits.

Legacy Scholarships

Several scholarships are awarded to entering first-year students who are descendants of Rutgers graduates of the Classes of 1940, 1941, 1949, 1970 and 1980.  The amount of these scholarships varies depending on available funds.  Following admission to the university, individuals should identify themselves as eligible for one of these scholarships by forwarding a letter with the name of the Rutgers graduate, that person’s school of graduation within Rutgers, the year of graduation, and your relationship to that person to:

Scholarship Committee
Office of University Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
65 Davidson Road - Room 202
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8097

We strongly recommend that students who wish to be considered for other forms of financial aid complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).