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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Butler
Decision sheet

Indiana · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Butler awards an automatic $18,000-$30,000 Academic Scholarship to first-year applicants through the Common App, but all Butler gift aid is for tuition only, and its headline 'full tuition' awards are either competitive (Morton-Finney) or a need-based top-up guarantee (Tuition Guarantee), not flat merit.

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.

Academic Scholarship Program

$18,000-$30,000 · Published range

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

Eligibility: Based on academic record and test scores (if submitted). Apply via Common App by November 1 and be admitted Early Action/Early Decision for maximum consideration; later/Regular Decision considered based on available funds

Renewal: Renewable as long as the student maintains the renewal criteria in the scholarship offer.

Other terms: Automatic with the Common App (no separate application). Tuition-only (all Butler gift assistance is for tuition only unless otherwise stated). Amounts are 2025-26 and vary by year based on the applicant pool.

https://www.butler.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/first-year/

Morton-Finney Scholars Award

$5,000-Full tuition · Published coverage or package

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

Eligibility: Strong academic rigor/performance and a commitment to fostering inclusion; Common App by Nov 1 (EA/ED) or Feb 1 (RD), plus the Morton-Finney application by Nov 15/Feb 15; interviews (Butler Blue Scholars' Day)

Renewal: Renewable with renewal criteria plus Morton-Finney Scholars Program participation (meeting attendance, campus/community engagement, monthly journal reflections).

Other terms: 'Awards range from $5,000 to full tuition (with other Butler gift assistance, state, and federal aid)' — the full-tuition ceiling is reached in combination with other aid. Competitive, separate application.

https://www.butler.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/first-year/

The Compass Center Scholarship

$4,000 · Published amount

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

Eligibility: Admitted Early Action or Early Decision; Common App by Nov 1, Compass Center application by Nov 15; essay; demonstrated interest in interfaith/religious exploration, leadership, or service

Renewal: Renewable for the first four years; students should maintain a 3.0 GPA and participate at least 10 hours/semester of interfaith engagement on campus.

Other terms: Offered to fewer than 10 incoming students per year; competitive.

https://www.butler.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/first-year/

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: All Butler gift assistance (including the Academic Scholarship) is for tuition only unless otherwise stated and is limited to full-time students pursuing a first bachelor's degree. The Morton-Finney 'full tuition' ceiling and the Butler Tuition Guarantee 'full tuition' are both reached by COMBINING Butler gift aid with state and federal aid, not by a single flat award.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/butler-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.