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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

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Decision sheet

Massachusetts · Research checked 2026-07-23 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Large urban private in Boston with a December 1 merit-application gate and a published $98K cost of attendance — merit awards exist but are competitively allocated and not driven by published stat cutoffs.

Selection beyond grades and scores. These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 5 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Trustee Scholars Program

Not published — confirm directly with BU Admissions · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Top-tier competitive scholarship for first-year applicants. Requires the regular admission application by December 1; BU's first-year-merit page describes its merit awards as recognizing 'academic, athletic, or artistic achievement, regardless of calculated financial need.'

Renewal: Continued academic standing per BU's award terms; verify in the offer letter.

Other terms: Widely cited in third-party sources as BU's flagship full-tuition award, but BU does not publish the Trustee Scholars Program by name or its dollar value on its public scholarship pages. Treat the amount as confirmation-pending until verified directly with bu.edu/admissions. Re-checked 2026-05-13: BU's public scholarship and first-year-merit pages still do not name the Trustee Scholars Program or publish a dollar value; bu.edu/admissions/why-bu/trustee-scholars-program/ and bu.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/trustee-scholars/ both return HTTP 404.

https://www.bu.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/scholarships-financial-aid/first-year-merit/

College of Fine Arts Performance Scholarships

Varies by student · Variable or qualified amount

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Performance scholarships based on audition and/or portfolio review by CFA. CFA application/portfolio deadline January 4.

Renewal: Renewal terms not published on the public additional-merit page; verify with CFA.

https://www.bu.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/scholarships-financial-aid/first-year-merit/additional-merit-scholarships/

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Outside scholarships reduce self-help components of the aid package before institutional grants or scholarships. Adjustments are made only if required by federal or state regulations or if total aid exceeds federal need-based eligibility (COA minus SAI) or BU's published cost of attendance.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/boston-university/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.