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Cedar Crest scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

Cedar Crest may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
3 school sources to explore

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

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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. Merit Scholarships (First-Year Grid: Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Dean's / Fellows)$21,000-$25,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Merit Scholarships (First-Year Grid: Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Dean's / Fellows)

    $21,000-$25,000

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

    GPA
    Presidential 3.9+; Trustee 3.6-3.8; Founders 3.4-3.5; Dean's 3.1-3.3; Fellows below 3.0
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Merit Scholarships (First-Year Grid: Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Dean's / Fellows)

    Who qualifies

    Traditional, full-time first-year students; based on academic criteria including but not limited to high school GPA, SAT or ACT scores and class rank

    How to keep it

    They must also remain in good academic standing for renewal of any scholarships and awards received.

    Worth knowing

    Page does not state the word 'automatic' for first-year awards (transfer awards are described as automatically renewed), so automaticOnStats is conservatively false. Students may hold a merit scholarship plus only two additional scholarships.

  2. Cedar Crest Trailblazer AwardFull tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Cedar Crest Trailblazer Award

    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.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Cedar Crest Trailblazer Award

    Who qualifies

    One first-year traditional student from Pennsylvania's Lehigh or Northampton County; nominated by a counselor or teacher; must be invited, admitted, and already hold a Presidential, Trustee or Founder's Scholarship; must attend and win the Trailblazer Scholarship Competition

    How to keep it

    3.0 GPA required for renewal

    Worth knowing

    Listed as $45,664 per year based on annual full-time tuition. Covers tuition MINUS any additional grants or outside scholarships and supersedes any other Cedar Crest money. Additional scholarship money awarded to finalists.

  3. STAR – State Tuition Access RateAmount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    STAR – State Tuition Access Rate

    Amount not published

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

    GPA
    3.25 unweighted high school GPA (first-year) or 3.25 cumulative college GPA (transfer)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for STAR – State Tuition Access Rate

    Who qualifies

    First-year: never attended college as degree-seeking; full-time traditional student beginning Fall 2026. Transfer: full-time traditional transfer beginning Fall 2026.

    How to keep it

    Fixed at the 2025-2026 rate for four years (8 fall and spring semesters) provided the recipient remains enrolled full-time and maintains a 2.5 GPA; must also maintain academic and judicial standing.

    Worth knowing

    Tuition is matched to the in-state tuition+fees of the student's state flagship (per College Board, as published for 2025-2026); per-state amounts shown in an embedded chart not readable as text. Effectively a tuition-rate program rather than a fixed scholarship.

  4. 2026-2027 Transfer Student Merit Scholarships (Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Deans)$18,000-$24,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    2026-2027 Transfer Student Merit Scholarships (Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Deans)

    $18,000-$24,000

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

    GPA
    Presidential 3.75+; Trustee 3.5-3.74; Founders 3.0-3.49; Deans 2.5-2.99 (cumulative transfer GPA from all transfer institutions)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 2026-2027 Transfer Student Merit Scholarships (Presidential / Trustee / Founders / Deans)

    Who qualifies

    Full-time transfer students; rates effective beginning Fall 2026

    How to keep it

    Automatically renewed each year provided the student maintains a 2.5 cumulative GPA and retains full-time student status.

    Worth knowing

    Page states renewal is automatic but does not state the initial award is automatic with no application. Students are eligible to receive a merit scholarship and two additional scholarships only.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleSTAR – State Tuition Access Rate: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Fixed at the 2025-2026 rate for four years (8 fall and spring semesters) provided the recipient remains enrolled full-time and maintains a 2.5 GPA; must also maintain academic and judicial standing. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What makes Cedar Crest different

Cedar Crest publishes a clean five-band GPA merit grid ($21,000-$25,000) plus a STAR program that matches your state flagship's in-state tuition rate for students with a 3.25+ GPA.

Merit tiers4See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

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.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  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 Cedar Crest'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 scholarships page caps stacking: 'Students are eligible to receive a merit scholarship and two additional scholarships only.' A third add-on award will not pay.

  2. The page states the Trailblazer 'covers full-time tuition minus any additional grants or outside scholarships and supersedes any other Cedar Crest money' — outside scholarships and other grants reduce it dollar-for-dollar, and it replaces all other Cedar Crest aid. Full tuition is also not a full ride: room, board and fees are not covered.

  3. STAR is 'fixed at the 2025-2026 rate for four years' and is a tuition rate, not a scholarship; federal/state aid and outside scholarships are 'applied to the remaining balance of student bills.' Renewal requires full-time enrollment and a 2.5 GPA — falling below loses the rate.

  4. The page states students 'must notify the Admissions Office prior to their acceptance in order to receive these awards' — asking after you've accepted is too late.

  5. Scout Scholarships 'cannot be combined with other community service scholarships offered by Cedar Crest College,' and 'Student can receive only one Department Scholarship.'

  6. The SAGE Transfer Scholarship, SAGE Phi Theta Kappa award, and ABSN ADVANTAGE Scholarship each state 'This scholarship may not be combined with any other CCC scholarship.'

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong-GPA students (especially 3.25+) who want a private women's-college experience at a public-flagship price via STAR, and Lehigh Valley locals who can compete for the full-tuition Trailblazer Award.

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Cedar Crest, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$21,044
$30,001–$48,000$24,250
$48,001–$75,000$21,490
$75,001–$110,000$19,909
$110,001+$11,008
All income levels (average)$18,659

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$57,206
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$46,314
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$18,659

That works out to an average 67% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
60%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
71%
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)
$59,460
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
55%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
78%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships reduce loans and/or work-study first; institutional grants are only reduced if required to prevent an over-award.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): Students are required to notify Student Financial Services and provide written documentation if they receive any outside scholarships, as federal regulations required these to be considered a resource in determining aid eligibility. If adjustments to the aid package are necessary due to outside scholarships, Cedar Crest reduces self-help aid first (student loans) and adjusts grants only if necessary to prevent an over-award. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: Students may hold one merit scholarship plus at most two additional Cedar Crest scholarships. (per https://www.cedarcrest.edu/admissions-and-aid/scholarships/)

Source

Other Cedar Crest scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$5,000 per year for up to four yearsEligibilityOne student who received the Scout Gold Award in the previous four years with a 3.5+ high school or college GPA; documentation required

Cannot be combined with other community service scholarships offered by Cedar Crest. Application deadline December 9, 2025.

Source

Amount$1,000 per year for up to four yearsEligibilityUp to five students who were active Scouts at least two years in grades 9-12; 250-word essay and proof of membership required

Cannot be combined with other community service scholarships offered by Cedar Crest. Application deadline December 9, 2025.

Source

Amount$2,000 per year for up to four yearsEligibilityTraditional full-time first-year or full-time transfer student recommended by a Cedar Crest alumnae/i

Students must notify the Admissions Office PRIOR to their acceptance in order to receive this award.

Source

Amount$2,000 per year for up to four yearsEligibilityFull-time traditional siblings concurrently enrolled at Cedar Crest during fall/spring

Students must notify the Admissions Office PRIOR to their acceptance in order to receive this award.

Source

Amount$1,500 per year for up to four yearsEligibilityFirst-year, full-time traditional students; interviews/auditions held during Explore Your Future Day (page lists January 18, 2025 — seniors only)

Student can receive only one Department Scholarship; must follow department's criteria for renewal. Offered in all academic disciplines.

Source

Amount$3,000 per yearEligibilityFull-time transfer students who are PTK members; proof of membership required

Renewable with 2.5 cumulative GPA and full-time status.

Source

Amount$2,000 per yearEligibilityFull-time transfers who graduated from Lehigh Carbon CC or Northampton CC with qualifying associate degrees; 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA

Renewable with 2.5 cumulative GPA and full-time status.

Source

Cedar Crest merit aid FAQ

  • What is the deadline for the Scout Scholarships?

    The page states: 'Deadline to apply is December 9, 2025' (for the application posted for the current admissions cycle).

  • When are Departmental Scholarship interviews and auditions held?

    During Explore Your Future Day; the page currently lists 'January 18, 2025 (seniors only)' — this date appears stale, so confirm the current cycle's date with Admissions.

  • Is there a separate application for the first-year merit grid?

    The page says eligibility 'is reviewed based on the information you provide through your admissions application'; it does not describe a separate scholarship application, but it also does not use the word 'automatic.' Confirm with Admissions.

  • What GPA keeps my scholarship?

    First-year merit awards require remaining 'in good academic standing.' Trailblazer requires a 3.0 GPA. STAR and transfer merit awards require a 2.5 cumulative GPA and full-time status.

See sources and other schools

How Cedar Crest compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Cedar Crest is in a recognizable cluster (145 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Cedar Crest merit aid

The next chapter

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