Scholarships for Prospective Students

Merit Scholarships

To be considered for a merit scholarship or an Honors College invitation, you must apply to Rutgers–New Brunswick by December 1. There is no separate application for merit scholarships for prospective students.

Competitive Merit Honors Scholarships

All entering Honors College students receive a competitive merit scholarship such as the Presidential, Dean’s, or Dean’s Promise scholarship. Scholarships are renewed for up to four years for students who maintain good academic standing according to their scholarship requirements. Merit-based awards are competitive and are based on the academic strength of individual applicants, the overall strength of our applicant pool, and available funding. Students should review their own scholarship eligibility and renewal criteria via ScarletHub

Harvey Schwartz Scholarship

This is an endowed scholarship established by Rutgers alumnus Harvey Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Carlyle. Each year, full-tuition scholarships are awarded to incoming students who have demonstrated academic merit and financial need, though not necessarily by federal guidelines. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years.

Need-based Scholarships

All prospective students seeking need-based scholarships must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To receive maximum consideration for need-based scholarships, you should file the FAFSA by December 1. The online form can be accessed at studentaid.gov. Submit your FAFSA online or by mail. The earlier the U.S. Department of Education's Central Processing System receives the application, the sooner the financial aid process can begin. The FAFSA becomes available October 1 of each calendar year. If you submit the FAFSA by December 1, you should receive your online planning letter in mid-January. We strongly encourage you to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to submit the correct tax information on the FAFSA.

NOTE: Considerations of scholarships and school-to-school transfers can only take place after you arrive.