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Alma scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$76,439per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Alma is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 8 published awards, and 3 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
2 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. First-Year Merit Grid (Presidential / Trustee / Dean's / Tartan / Alma Scholarships)$28,000-$36,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    First-Year Merit Grid (Presidential / Trustee / Dean's / Tartan / Alma Scholarships)

    $28,000-$36,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Presidential 3.80+ = $36,000/yr; Trustee 3.60-3.79 = $34,000/yr; Dean's 3.30-3.59 = $32,000/yr; Tartan 3.00-3.29 = $30,000/yr; Alma <3.00 = $28,000/yr
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for First-Year Merit Grid (Presidential / Trustee / Dean's / Tartan / Alma Scholarships)

    Who qualifies

    Available to incoming first-year and international students; merit decisions made at the time of admission with no separate application; GPA-based

    How to keep it

    Current-student section: 'Student's current awards renew based on the criteria in the documents above' (annual aid-program documents); awards continue for returning students at original levels.

    Worth knowing

    Grid explicitly labeled 'For the 2026-2027 academic year.' The identical grid applies to Winter 2026 entrants. Even students below 3.00 receive $28,000/year.

  2. Distinguished Presidential ScholarshipFull tuitionNot automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Distinguished Presidential Scholarship

    Full tuition

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for Distinguished Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Competitive: application process opened October 1, 2025; deadline for consideration December 16, 2025; selected students attend an in-person interview on campus January 31, 2026; up to 15 awarded

    Worth knowing

    Page text says the process is 'for the 2025-26 academic year' while listing 2025-2026 application dates that align with fall-2026 entry — the academic-year label looks inconsistent; flagged in Section C.

  3. Merit Transfer Scholarships (Fall 2026 / Winter 2026)$26,000-$32,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Merit Transfer Scholarships (Fall 2026 / Winter 2026)

    $26,000-$32,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    <3.00 = $26,000/yr; 3.00-3.24 = $28,000/yr; 3.25-3.49 = $30,000/yr; 3.50+ = $32,000/yr (cumulative GPA from all previous institutions)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Merit Transfer Scholarships (Fall 2026 / Winter 2026)

    Who qualifies

    Transfer students entering Fall 2026 or Winter 2026; same grid for both terms

    How to keep it

    Renew per the annual aid-program criteria for current students.

  4. Scottish Hospitality Scholarship$3,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Scottish Hospitality Scholarship

    $3,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Scottish Hospitality Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Visit campus (Mon-Fri and select Saturdays; excludes College Game Day Saturday visits); Winter 2026 entrants earn $2,000; international students may earn it via virtual visit

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to a total of $12,000 over four years.

    Worth knowing

    Multiple visits are encouraged but only one Scottish Hospitality award can be received.

  5. FAFSA Filing Scholarship$1,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    FAFSA Filing Scholarship

    $1,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for FAFSA Filing Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    File the FAFSA

    How to keep it

    Renewable for a total of up to $4,000 over four years.

  6. Performance Scholarships (performing arts)$1,500-$2,000+Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Performance Scholarships (performing arts)

    $1,500-$2,000+

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Performance Scholarships (performing arts)

    Who qualifies

    Audition required; open regardless of major; Distinguished awards at faculty discretion with a May 1 deadline — students auditioning or accepted after May 1 are eligible only for the base award

    How to keep it

    Base $1,500 renewable; Distinguished Awards $2,000+ replace standard performance awards previously offered.

    Worth knowing

    Anti-stacking within category: 'Students are only eligible to receive one scholarship per year in this category' — if offered awards from multiple departments, they must select one.

  7. Fine Arts Performance Scholarships (art & design)$1,500-$2,000+Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Fine Arts Performance Scholarships (art & design)

    $1,500-$2,000+

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Fine Arts Performance Scholarships (art & design)

    Who qualifies

    Portfolio application (single PDF with letter of intention + 12 labeled images) to the art faculty; first-year section states base requires an art & design minor and Distinguished requires a major; other sections state Distinguished requires a minor — texts conflict (see Section C). May 1 deadline for Distinguished

    How to keep it

    Base scholarships renewable for four years.

  8. International Merit Scholarships$28,000-$36,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    International Merit Scholarships

    $28,000-$36,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.80+ = $36,000/yr; 3.60-3.79 = $34,000/yr; 3.30-3.59 = $32,000/yr; 3.0-3.29 = $30,000/yr; <3.00 = $28,000/yr (GPA converted to U.S. 4.0 scale)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for International Merit Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    Decisions made at time of admission, no separate application; based on application documentation

    How to keep it

    Same structure as domestic merit awards; renew per current-student criteria.

Lights up against Alma's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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The fine print

Outside awardsNo published displacement order

Alma's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What makes Alma different

Alma publishes one of the clearest GPA-banded merit grids anywhere — every admitted first-year gets $28,000-$36,000/year by GPA band — and lets students stack a $3,000 campus-visit scholarship, a $1,000 FAFSA-filing award, $1,000 out-of-state money, and a $1,500 legacy award on top, with up to 15 full-tuition Distinguished Presidential Scholarships by competition.

Merit tiers83 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Alma's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. The Scottish Hospitality Scholarship pays $3,000/year (renewable to $12,000 over four years) just for visiting — but College Game Day Saturday visits don't count, and you can only ever receive one such award no matter how many times you visit.

  2. Up to 15 full-tuition scholarships require an application by December 16, 2025 (process opened October 1, 2025) and an on-campus interview January 31, 2026 — the regular merit grid caps at $36,000 otherwise.

  3. Filing the FAFSA itself earns a $1,000/year scholarship (up to $4,000 over four years), separate from any need-based aid.

  4. 'Students are only eligible to receive one scholarship per year in this category'; offers from multiple departments require choosing one, and a Distinguished award replaces (does not add to) the base performance award.

  5. 'There is a May 1 deadline for all distinguished awards. Students who submit an audition or are accepted to Alma after May 1 are only eligible for the base performing arts scholarship' ($1,500 instead of $2,000+).

  6. Students must complete two Spring Term courses in four years, with added charges ($2,220 tuition plus ~$1,080 food/housing in 2027) and 'typically, no financial assistance is offered for Spring Term classes.'

  7. The on-campus cost estimate totals about $76,439 (direct $69,312 + indirect $7,127); even the top $36,000 grid award covers under half, and full-tuition Distinguished Presidential still leaves living expenses and fees.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students who want guaranteed, published merit money — even a sub-3.0 GPA earns $28,000/year. High-GPA students (3.8+) should target the full-tuition Distinguished Presidential competition (December deadline), and everyone should schedule a campus visit for the extra $3,000.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $76,439 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Alma, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Alma, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$17,162
$30,001–$48,000$18,009
$48,001–$75,000$18,076
$75,001–$110,000$18,699
$110,001+$23,618
All income levels (average)$20,694

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$49,552
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$20,694

That works out to roughly a 67% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $63,650 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
63%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
85%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$54,742
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
24%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
52%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Alma's published bonus awards (visit, FAFSA, legacy, out-of-state, performance, e-sports) are presented as additive to the merit grid, with two explicit caps: only one Scottish Hospitality award ever, and only one performance/arts award per year per category (Distinguished replaces base). No outside-scholarship displacement policy is published on the scholarships page.

Performance category: 'Students are only eligible to receive one scholarship per year in this category' and a Distinguished award 'will replace standard performance awards previously offered.' Scottish Hospitality: 'you can only be awarded one scholarship' despite multiple visits. Transfer intro frames stacking positively ('you'll be eligible for $4,000 in awards... $1,000 for completing your FAFSA and $3,000 when you visit'). Outside scholarships are encouraged with search tips; treatment/displacement unstated. The page directs students to the academic catalog for 'situations that may affect your financial aid.'

Source

Other Alma scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$1,500EligibilityParent, grandparent, or sibling attended Alma College; application required

Renewable.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityStudents residing outside Michigan (first-year section specifies entering Fall 2026)

Renewable out-of-state award.

Source

Amount$1,500EligibilityIncoming first-year and transfer students who compete on the E-sports team

Awarded upon acceptance.

Source

Amount$2,000EligibilityPTK scholars from community colleges; submit PTK certificate and be accepted

Stacks with the transfer merit grid per the transfer section's framing.

Source

Amount$1,500-$4,000 per year (totaling $6,000-$16,000 over 4 years)EligibilityCheer athletes attending a Champion overnight camp; coach referral + application by 8:00 a.m. on day 2 of camp; up to five athletes per camp session; one win per athlete ever

Announced at camp 'Final Day Fun.'

Source

AmountFinancial need met through state, federal, and institutional grants, scholarships, and work programsEligibilityFirst-year students with household income of $85,000 or less who live or attend high school in Wayne County; 3.00 cumulative GPA (sub-3.0 reviewed individually); FAFSA with Alma listed; up to 15 awarded

Income- and geography-gated full-need program, not a merit award.

Source

Amount$2,500 stipends (Currie, Kinney); varies (Posey, Venture)EligibilityEnrolled students; research/experiential programs by application

Currie includes summer room-charge waiver for on-campus work; Kinney funds Bill of Rights-related research.

Source

AmountUp to full tuitionEligibilityEligible U.S. military veterans

Source

AmountUp to $5,500 per year, up to five yearsEligibilityMichigan high school graduates (2023 or later) attending a Michigan private college

State-funded; stacks with Alma aid per the page's Michigan Scholarships section.

Source

Alma merit aid FAQ

  • What merit scholarship will I get?

    For 2026-2027 first-years: 3.80+ GPA = $36,000/yr (Presidential); 3.60-3.79 = $34,000 (Trustee); 3.30-3.59 = $32,000 (Dean's); 3.00-3.29 = $30,000 (Tartan); below 3.00 = $28,000 (Alma Scholarship). No separate application — decisions are made at admission.

  • What are the key scholarship deadlines?

    Distinguished Presidential Scholarship: application deadline December 16, 2025, with on-campus interviews January 31, 2026. Distinguished performance/fine-arts awards: May 1. Outside-scholarship searches: Alma advises starting in early November with most local deadlines in February-March.

  • What do transfers get?

    A GPA-banded grid for Fall or Winter 2026 entry: $26,000 (<3.00), $28,000 (3.00-3.24), $30,000 (3.25-3.49), $32,000 (3.50+), plus $3,000 for visiting, $1,000 for filing the FAFSA, and $2,000 for Phi Theta Kappa scholars.

  • What does Alma cost?

    2025-26 billed charges total $66,672 (tuition $51,254, room $8,706, meals $6,042, fees). The COA charts (flat-rate tuition $53,304) estimate on-campus direct costs of $69,312 plus $7,127 indirect — roughly $76,439 all-in.

  • Do international students get merit aid?

    Yes — the same $28,000-$36,000 GPA grid applies (GPAs converted to a 4.0 scale), with no separate application, and international students can earn the $3,000 Scottish Hospitality Scholarship through a virtual visit.

See sources and other schools

How Alma compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Alma is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Alma is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Alma is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Alma’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Alma merit aid

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