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Bucknell scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$95,648per year · 2026-2027 · On-campus
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

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

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
4 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. Engineering Merit Scholars ProgramAmong Bucknell's most prestigious scholarships; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Engineering Merit Scholars Program

    Among Bucknell's most prestigious scholarships; specific dollar amount not published

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

    GPA
    3.2 cumulative GPA required for renewal (after admission)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Engineering Merit Scholars Program

    Who qualifies

    Major within the College of Engineering. No additional application required — admission application doubles as the scholarship application. Recipients receive notifications with their admissions decision. Financial need is not a requirement.

    How to keep it

    Renewable annually if participation expectations are met. Merit Scholarship awards do not increase in subsequent years. Requires a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA both overall and within the College of Engineering, with full-time enrollment.

  2. Presidential Fellowship ProgramNamed top merit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Presidential Fellowship Program

    Named top merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Fellowship Program

    Who qualifies

    No additional application required. Awarded through the admission decision.

    Worth knowing

    Named for the university president; among Bucknell's signature merit programs.

  3. Dean's ScholarshipsMerit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Dean's Scholarships

    Merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Dean's Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    No additional application required. Awarded based on admission credentials.

  4. Bauer Scholars ProgramNamed merit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Bauer Scholars Program

    Named merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Bauer Scholars Program

    Who qualifies

    No additional application required.

  5. Gamgort Family Gateway Scholars ProgramNamed merit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Gamgort Family Gateway Scholars Program

    Named merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Gamgort Family Gateway Scholars Program

    Who qualifies

    No additional application required.

  6. Langone and Langone-Walling ScholarshipsNamed merit awards; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Langone and Langone-Walling Scholarships

    Named merit awards; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Langone and Langone-Walling Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    No additional application required.

  7. Malesardi Arts & Sciences Merit Scholarship ProgramNamed merit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Malesardi Arts & Sciences Merit Scholarship Program

    Named merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Malesardi Arts & Sciences Merit Scholarship Program

    Who qualifies

    Major in arts and sciences. No additional application required.

  8. Management Merit Scholars ProgramNamed merit award; specific dollar amount not publishedAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Management Merit Scholars Program

    Named merit award; specific dollar amount not published

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Management Merit Scholars Program

    Who qualifies

    Major in management. No additional application required.

Lights up against Bucknell'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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  • “it told me what to ask and what the renewal GPA looked like, which I was not going to find on my own”Melissa

The fine print

Renewal ruleEngineering Merit Scholars Program: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable annually if participation expectations are met. Merit Scholarship awards do not increase in subsequent years. Requires a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA both overall and within the College of Engineering, with full-time enrollment. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $95,648 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Bucknell cannot push the package past $95,648. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Bucknell different

Pennsylvania liberal arts and engineering university with a portfolio of named merit programs (Bauer, Dean's, Engineering, Gamgort, Langone, Malesardi, Management, Presidential Fellowship) and an unusually explicit coa-cap policy that displaces Bucknell aid dollar-for-dollar above the cost of attendance.

Merit tiers88 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Published academic criteria

Start with the thresholds.

These awards are recorded as automatic on academic criteria. Match the published grades and scores, then check residency, entering year and every additional condition.

  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 Bucknell's decision sheet

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

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Bucknell's aid office says

Per the Admissions Office, Bucknell University, August 2026. How we verify

Merit scholarship review process

How does Bucknell determine merit scholarship eligibility?

At the time of application, Admissions reviews all applicants for merit scholarships using a holistic review that evaluates the complete application, not just GPA.

“At time of application, Admissions reviews all applicants for merit scholarships. Our holistic review evaluates the complete application beyond just a GPA.”
Types of merit scholarships

Are there different kinds of merit scholarships with different requirements?

Bucknell offers a variety of merit scholarships; some specialized ones require additional information while many require no additional material.

“We have a variety of merit scholarships, some specialized scholarships require additional information and many that require no additional material.”
Scholarship renewal and amount

Is a merit scholarship renewable each year, and does the amount change?

If a student is awarded merit, it is renewable for each of the four years at a fixed amount.

“If a student is awarded merit, it is renewable for each of the four years at a fixed amount.”
Where to find renewal requirements

Where can families find the specific requirements to keep a scholarship?

Expectations to maintain an awarded scholarship are listed on Bucknell's scholarship programs website.

“Expectations to maintain an awarded scholarship are all listed on the website”
Dean's Scholarship requirements

What must a student do to keep the Dean's Scholarship?

Students who receive the Dean's Scholarship are expected to make satisfactory academic progress and remain in good social standing at the University.

“students who receive the Dean's Scholarship are expected to make satisfactory academic progress and remain in good social standing at the University.”
Mathematics & Statistics Scholars requirements

What are the requirements for the Mathematics & Statistics Scholars Program scholarship?

A student receiving the Mathematics & Statistics Scholars Program scholarship must major in mathematics, applied mathematics, or statistics; take at least one math class per semester; maintain an overall GPA of 3.5; remain in good social standing; and fulfill responsibilities agreed upon with the program coordinator.

“someone receiving the Mathematics & Statistics Scholars Program must: major in mathematics, applied mathematics or statistics, take at least 1 math class per semester, maintain an overall GPA of 3.5, remain in good social standing at Bucknell and continue to fulfill the responsibilities agreed upon with the Mathematics & Statistics Scholars program coordinator.”
No re-review after enrollment

Is merit aid re-evaluated once a student enrolls?

Once a student enrolls, there is no additional review for merit.

“Should a student enroll, there is no additional review for merit.”
Additional research opportunities

Are there other funded opportunities available to students in certain programs?

Some programs and majors may offer opportunities such as eligibility for summer research funded by Bucknell's Program for Undergraduate Research.

“Some programs and majors may have opportunities available for students such as those who are eligible for summer research that is funded by Bucknell's Program for Undergraduate Research”
Who determines Merit Aid

Which office decides merit scholarship awards at Bucknell?

The Admissions Office makes the determination for Merit Aid, not the Financial Aid office.

“The Admission's Office actually makes the determination for Merit Aid, so I will forward this to our Senior Associate Dean of Admissions, who can better answer this question.”

What families often miss

  1. Bucknell states explicitly: 'We are not able to award multiple academic scholarships to students.' If you're competitive for Engineering Merit and Dean's, you'll get one — not both. Plan as if the highest-value award you qualify for is the only one you'll receive.

  2. Bucknell's deadlines for application-required scholarships are tied to admission rounds: November 1 for Early Decision I, January 10 for ED II and Regular Decision. Late submission can drop you out of the scholarship pool entirely even if Bucknell still admits you.

  3. Bucknell's coa-cap is unusually strict in scope (gift aid from all sources including VA benefits, tuition benefits, and stipends). At the COA cap, Bucknell reduces its own aid dollar for dollar — including merit. Outside dollars displace Bucknell dollars, they do not add cash.

See award cutoffs and special programs

Engineering Merit Scholars Program — Bucknell's prestige engineering award

Bucknell calls the Engineering Merit Scholars Program 'among Bucknell's most prestigious scholarships,' awarded to high-achieving prospective College of Engineering majors. Like most Bucknell merit programs in the 'no application required' category, the admission application itself triggers consideration — recipients receive notification with their admissions decision. Renewal requires a 3.2 cumulative GPA both overall and within the College of Engineering, plus full-time enrollment. Importantly, Bucknell publishes the rule that merit scholarship awards do NOT increase in subsequent years even if a student's GPA rises — the dollar amount set at admission is the dollar amount through senior year.

Source

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong students looking for a small Pennsylvania university with both top-25 liberal arts and ABET-accredited engineering pipelines, where merit aid is competitive but program-specific (engineering versus arts and sciences versus management) and Bucknell publishes one of the clearest dollar-for-dollar outside-scholarship displacement rules in higher ed.

Cost of attendance$95,648 for 2026-2027Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
On-campus$95,648
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Personal
  • Loan fees

Official Bucknell tuition/aid page, 2026-2027 full COA budget $95,648. Tuition & fees = Tuition $72,600 + Activity Fee $900 + Books $900 not folded (Books separate); Housing & food = Housing $11,400 + Meal Plan $6,980; Travel+Personal $2,800 combined.

Bucknell cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Bucknell, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$20,980
$30,001–$48,000$12,276
$48,001–$75,000$23,679
$75,001–$110,000$28,165
$110,001+$55,724
All income levels (average)$40,766

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$67,812
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$40,766

That works out to roughly a 51% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $83,756 (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
86%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
94%
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)
$93,807
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
14%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
34%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Bucknell publishes a clean COA cap on gift aid from all sources. Once total gift aid (Bucknell + federal + state + private + tuition benefits + VA + similar) reaches Bucknell's cost of attendance, Bucknell reduces its own aid — both need-based and merit-based — dollar for dollar to prevent surplus. Non-need loans (Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, Alternative) do not trigger a reduction.

Bucknell's outside-scholarship page makes the rule unusually explicit. Cost of attendance includes tuition, the student activity fee, housing, a meal plan, and allowances for books/course materials/supplies/equipment. When total gift aid from all sources reaches that cap, Bucknell aid is reduced dollar-for-dollar. Non-need loans are NOT counted against the cap. The Alston settlement athletic funding is excluded from the gift-aid cap for student-athletes with only athletic funding plus a Pell Grant.

Source

Other Bucknell scholarships worth checking

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

AmountNamed scholarship requiring program-specific applicationEligibilityApplication required via Bucknell scholarship application or program-specific form. Deadline matches the admission round (Nov 1 ED I, Jan 10 ED II / RD).

Source

AmountNamed scholarship for transfer students from community college partnersEligibilityApplication via Bucknell scholarship application required. Specific community-college transfer pathway.

Source

AmountNamed scholarship recognizing community engagementEligibilityApplication required. Demonstrated community service and engagement.

Source

AmountCorporate-partner scholarship; application requiredEligibilityApplication required. Bucknell's named PwC partnership scholarship.

Source

AmountFull-tuition leadership scholarship via the Posse FoundationEligibilityPosse Scholars are nominated through partner cities; separate non-Bucknell application required through the Posse Foundation.

Source

Bucknell merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need a separate application for every Bucknell merit scholarship?

    It depends on the program. Eight programs require no additional application — admission application suffices (Bauer, Dean's, Engineering, Gamgort, Langone/Langone-Walling, Malesardi, Management, Presidential Fellowship). Six require a separate scholarship application (Arts Merit, Community College Scholars, Community Engagement, Math Scholars, PwC, Tools for Tomorrow).

  • Will an outside scholarship reduce my Bucknell aid?

    Yes, at the cost-of-attendance line. Bucknell states: 'If this cost is reached with total gift aid, Bucknell aid (need-based and/or merit-based) will be reduced dollar for dollar to prevent an award surplus.' Below the cap, outside scholarships layer cleanly. Non-need loans (Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, Alternative) do not trigger any reduction.

  • What's the scholarship application deadline?

    Aligned with the admission round: November 1 for Early Decision I, January 10 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. The Class of 2030 scholarship application opens August 1, 2025.

  • Does my Bucknell merit scholarship grow over time?

    No. Bucknell publishes the rule explicitly for the Engineering Merit Scholars Program (and the same applies across merit programs): 'Merit Scholarship awards do not increase in subsequent years.' The dollar amount is set at admission for all four years contingent on renewal requirements.

  • How is the merit award split between need and non-need families?

    Bucknell says: 'Most funding is awarded to students who have demonstrated institutional need as determined by Bucknell's Office of Financial Aid, but a limited amount will also be awarded to those who do not have financial need or do not apply for aid.' Need-aware merit awarding is the norm, not the exception.

See sources and other schools

How Bucknell compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Bucknell is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

    Bucknell 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 Bucknell’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Bucknell merit aid

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