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Hunter College (CUNY) · New York

Hunter College scholarships and merit aid

Hunter is a very-low-cost CUNY senior college ($6,930/yr in-state tuition); its merit story is honors-cohort access, not big published dollar awards — Macaulay covers full in-state tuition for NY residents, and the Hunter Scholars cohorts give 'significant' four-year tuition awards whose exact dollar amounts Hunter does not publish.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Hunter College worth a closer look?

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

Merit tiers5See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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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.

Full in-state undergraduate tuition…Full in-state undergraduate tuition for 8 semesters, excluding fees (NY State residents only)

Macaulay Honors College at Hunter — Tuition Scholarship

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Who qualifies

Admission to the highly competitive Macaulay Honors College with Hunter selected as the Macaulay campus; tuition scholarship available ONLY to students meeting CUNY's New York State in-state residency requirements

How to keep it

Funds 8 semesters of full-time undergraduate tuition within four years. Must complete FAFSA and TAP (or NYS DREAM Act) every year by May 15 and maintain good standing; failure to reapply by May 15 causes CUNY to rescind the scholarship and charge tuition retroactively for the entire year. Does NOT cover fees.

Notes

This is a 'last-dollar' gap tuition scholarship: it covers tuition charges remaining AFTER other financial aid and scholarships (federal, state, local, and CUNY) are applied to tuition. Non-NY-residents are admitted to Macaulay but do NOT receive the tuition scholarship. Apply via the CUNY Macaulay application: Early Decision deadline Nov 3, 2025 (binding); Regular Decision deadline Nov 17, 2025.

Source

Four-year tuition award / 'signific…Four-year tuition award / 'significant merit scholarships' — exact dollar amount not published

Hunter Scholars Program — Cohort Merit Scholarship (Athena, Daedalus, Muse, NextGen, Nursing, Roosevelt, Salud, Yalow)

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Who qualifies

Incoming freshmen who demonstrate high academic achievement; must first apply for admission to Hunter (General Freshman or Macaulay application), then submit the supplemental Freshman Honors / Hunter Scholars Program application to ONE cohort of choice

How to keep it

Described as four-year / renewable for all four years. Specific renewal GPA and exact award dollar amount are not stated on the public pages.

Notes

Eight cohorts: Athena (Humanities/Philosophy/Literature), Daedalus (Computer Science), Muse (Visual & Performing Arts/Film/Media/Creative Writing), NextGen (Education/Social Work/Advocacy), Nursing (Leadership in Nursing), Roosevelt (Public Policy/Social Sciences/Law/Civic Life), Salud (Public Health/Nutrition/Wellness), and Yalow (Scientific Research & Pre-Health). Benefits include 'Consideration for a merit scholarship,' priority placement into Hunter residence halls, priority registration, dedicated advisors, and small seminar classes. Athena explicitly receives a 'four-year tuition award'; Roosevelt a 'significant tuition award for four years.' Hunter does NOT publish a specific dollar figure for the cohort awards. Apply by Dec 15 (Priority Scholar Deadline) or Feb 15 (General Scholar Deadline); applications after Feb 15 are waitlisted; the supplemental application closes April 1.

Source

Four-year tuition award — exact dol…Four-year tuition award — exact dollar amount not published

Athena Scholars — Four-Year Tuition Award

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Who qualifies

Academically talented incoming freshmen interested in the Humanities (Classics, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Literature); supplemental Hunter Scholars Program application required

How to keep it

Described as a four-year tuition award. Specific renewal terms and exact dollar amount not stated.

Notes

One of the eight Hunter Scholars cohorts. The page explicitly states Athena Scholars receive a four-year tuition award plus priority housing and faculty mentorship, but gives no dollar figure.

Source

Significant tuition award for four…Significant tuition award for four years — exact dollar amount not published

Roosevelt Scholars — Four-Year Tuition Award

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Who qualifies

Academically talented students with significant interest in public/civic affairs, public policy, urban affairs, international human rights, or pre-law; supplemental Hunter Scholars / Roosevelt application required

How to keep it

Described as a significant tuition award for four years; exact dollar amount and renewal GPA not stated.

Notes

Roosevelt cohort run through the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute. Award includes a four-year tuition award plus preferred access to Hunter residential housing and housing aid, but no dollar figure is published.

Source

$1,500 general-level grant

Macaulay Opportunities Fund (general grant)

Apply separately
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Enrolled Macaulay Honors College student; submit a written proposal and application reviewed by a Macaulay committee

Notes

Part of the Macaulay merit package (alongside the tuition scholarship and Cultural Passport). Designed to support study abroad, research, and internship opportunities. Higher-level (Enhanced) Opportunities Fund grants exist for particular requirements; the public FAQ states the general level grant is $1,500 and is funded by private philanthropy. NOT a tuition discount.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Hunter College's published information.

  • Renewal ruleMacaulay Honors College at Hunter — Tuition Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Funds 8 semesters of full-time undergraduate tuition within four years. Must complete FAFSA and TAP (or NYS DREAM Act) every year by May 15 and maintain good standing; failure to reapply by May 15 causes CUNY to rescind the scholarship and charge tuition retroactively for the entire year. Does NOT cover fees. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • Outside awardsNo published displacement order

    Hunter College'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 families often miss

  1. Hunter/CUNY is a low-cost public system: in-state tuition is only $6,930/yr. The 'merit' is honors-cohort access (Macaulay full in-state tuition, Hunter Scholars four-year tuition awards) — and Hunter does not publish a specific dollar figure for most of those awards.

  2. The Macaulay tuition scholarship funds tuition ONLY (8 semesters), excludes mandatory fees, and is available only to New York State residents. Fees, books, transportation, food, and housing are the student's responsibility.

  3. Macaulay is a last-dollar/gap tuition award: it pays only the tuition remaining after federal, state, local, and CUNY scholarships are applied. Winning other tuition-directed awards reduces what Macaulay contributes rather than adding cash.

  4. The Priority Scholar Deadline is Dec 15 and the General Scholar Deadline is Feb 15; applications submitted after Feb 15 are automatically waitlisted with no guaranteed decision, and the supplemental application closes April 1. Macaulay Early Decision (binding) closes Nov 3, 2025.

  5. The $1,500 general Opportunities Fund grant supports study abroad, research, and internships — you apply with a proposal (typically starting sophomore year). It is not a tuition discount and is separate from the tuition scholarship.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

New York State residents (especially NYC students) who want a near-free four-year degree and value an honors cohort, priority housing, and faculty mentorship over a headline scholarship dollar figure; strongest fit for high-achieving applicants competing for Macaulay (full in-state tuition) or a Hunter Scholars cohort.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $6,930 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Hunter College, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$1,029
$30,001–$48,000$1,935
$48,001–$75,000$6,003
$75,001–$110,000$8,810
$110,001+$12,259
All income levels (average)$2,984

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$7,382
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$15,332
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$2,984

That works out to roughly a 79% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $13,905 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Hunter College is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
57%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
78%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$11,000 (~$117/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$63,163
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
69%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
3%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

the published policy describes CUNY institutional scholarships as additional to federal, state, and city aid, but does not address how private outside scholarships affect institutional aid or specify any program-specific split; confirm treatment with the aid office before counting on stacking.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): Some CUNY colleges offer their students scholarships and grants from their own funds. These awards are in addition to any federal, state, or city scholarships and grants the student may receive.

Source

Other Hunter College scholarships worth checking

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

AmountVaries / amount not publishedEligibilityCurrent and prospective Hunter students; FAFSA required every year to be considered for Hunter's internal scholarships.

Searched and applied for through the Hunter College Scholarship Manager portal; individual award amounts are not published on the public scholarships page.

Source

AmountVaries / amount not published on Hunter pageEligibilityNYC merit-based award for graduates of NYC high schools attending CUNY (listed by Hunter as a New York City scholarship).

City-funded merit award listed among Hunter's NYC scholarships; Hunter's page links out rather than stating a dollar amount.

Source

AmountVaries / amount not published on Hunter pageEligibilityCompetitive award for NYC college graduates entering medical/health-science careers (listed by Hunter as a New York City scholarship).

Listed among Hunter's NYC scholarships; no dollar amount on Hunter's page.

Source

AmountVaries / amount not published on Hunter pageEligibilityNew York State merit award for high-achieving NY high school graduates (administered by NYS HESC).

Listed by Hunter among New York State scholarships; a genuine merit award, but state-administered and not a Hunter institutional award.

Source

Hunter College merit aid FAQ

  • What are the scholarship deadlines at Hunter?

    For the Hunter Scholars (Freshman Honors) cohorts: Dec 15 is the Priority Scholar Deadline and Feb 15 is the General Scholar Deadline; applications after Feb 15 are waitlisted and the supplemental application closes April 1. For Macaulay at Hunter: Early Decision (binding) closes Nov 3, 2025 and Regular Decision closes Nov 17, 2025, applied through the CUNY Macaulay application with Hunter selected as the campus.

  • How big is Hunter's merit scholarship?

    Hunter does not publish a specific dollar figure for most awards. The Macaulay scholarship covers full in-state undergraduate tuition (8 semesters) for New York State residents — a tuition value of $6,930/yr in 2025-2026. Hunter Scholars cohorts (e.g., Athena, Roosevelt) receive four-year tuition awards described as 'significant,' but the exact amounts are not published; ask the Scholar Programs office for the current figure.

  • Does Macaulay or a Hunter scholarship stack with outside scholarships?

    Macaulay's tuition scholarship is a last-dollar/gap award — it pays only the tuition remaining after other federal, state, local, and CUNY scholarships are applied, so other tuition-directed awards reduce what Macaulay pays. CUNY institutional scholarships are otherwise described as being 'in addition to' federal, state, and city aid. Hunter does not publish a campus-wide outside-scholarship displacement policy, so confirm treatment with the Financial Aid Office.

  • Is the Macaulay tuition scholarship automatic, and how do I keep it?

    It is not automatic on stats — you must be admitted to the highly competitive Macaulay Honors College and meet CUNY's New York State residency rules. To keep it, you must complete the FAFSA and TAP (or NYS DREAM Act) application every year by May 15 and maintain good standing; if you miss the May 15 reapplication, CUNY rescinds the scholarship and bills you retroactively for the whole year's tuition.

See sources and other schools

How Hunter College compares

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

    Hunter College 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.

    Hunter College 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

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