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Earlham College · Indiana

Earlham scholarships and merit aid

Earlham (Quaker, Richmond IN) gives an achievement-based Merit Scholarship automatically from the admission application whose dollar amount is NOT published ('amounts vary'), plus published named/departmental awards and a free-tuition INspire program for income-eligible Indiana residents. (DRAFT)

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Earlham worth a closer look?

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

Merit tiers11See who qualifies
First-year students with school awards13%First-year students, CDS 2023-2024
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.

Amount not published

Merit Scholarships (core, achievement-based)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Achievement-based; determined by the Office of Admissions from the application for admission. No separate application

How to keep it

Renewable for four years; renewal requires a 2.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment.

Notes

Dollar amount is withheld ('Scholarship amounts vary'). The widely-cited '$30,000 automatic' figure is THIRD-PARTY (Scholarships360), NOT stated on Earlham's official page — treat as unconfirmed.

Source

Free tuition

INspire Earlham Program

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See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Indiana students whose families are Pell and State of Indiana grant-eligible and earn up to $60,000/year; accepted and enrolled in the fall 2026 entering class; file FAFSA by March 1, 2026. No separate application

How to keep it

Must remain eligible for state (21st Century Scholars, Frank O'Bannon) and federal (Pell) aid.

Notes

Residency + income gated (Indiana, family income ≤ $60,000). Other scholarships cannot push total funding above full tuition for INspire recipients.

Source

$1,000

Honors Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.4 (renewal)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Apply by EA/ED; accepted and enrolled; invited to and accept the Honors Program; submit a project presented on Scholarship Day

How to keep it

To remain eligible, participate in the first-year Honors seminar (HONR 150) in the fall and maintain a 3.4 GPA.

Notes

INspire recipients may apply but cannot receive funding exceeding full tuition.

Source

$2,500

Quaker Fellows Scholarship

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See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Active interest in the Religious Society of Friends; scholarship application by January 5; must apply by EA/ED. Includes enhanced financial aid

How to keep it

Requires re-enrollment each year based on academic standing; sustained active interest in the Religious Society of Friends.

Notes

Interest-based (Quaker).

Source

$2,000 (=$8,000 over 4 years)

Heartland Region Scholarship

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See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Must live within 150 miles of Earlham (Indiana and regions of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio). No separate application

How to keep it

$2,000 each year for up to four years.

Notes

Geography-gated.

Source

$2,000-$5,000

Community Scholars Program

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Demonstrated commitment to community service and social justice throughout high school; scholarship application by January 5; must apply EA/ED

How to keep it

Four-year, service-based program.

Notes

Service/social-justice based.

Source

$1,000-$5,000

Fine Arts Scholarships (Art, Music, Theatre Arts) + Rariden

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See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Art/music/theatre arts students (major or minor); $1,000-$2,500 annual. The Rariden Scholarship is a $5,000 annual award to one Indiana student in visual/performing arts. Scholarship application by January 5; must apply EA/ED

Notes

Three parallel arts tracks each $1,000-$2,500, with a single $5,000 Rariden award layered in.

Source

$2,500

Creative Writing Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Creative writing interest; scholarship application by January 5; must apply EA/ED

Source

Starts at $1,000

Carleton B. Edwards Chemistry Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Incoming students planning to major in chemistry or biochemistry; chosen by chemistry faculty on academic achievement, interest, references; application by January 5; must apply EA/ED

Notes

Departmental, major-gated.

Source

$1,500

Elizabeth Thompson Jewish Studies Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Students meaningfully involved in Jewish life on campus or pursuing Jewish Studies; application by January 5; must apply EA/ED

How to keep it

Renewable up to 4 years.

Notes

Open to students of all backgrounds.

Source

Partial to 50% tuition…Partial to 50% tuition (+ $20,000-$40,000 Davis Grant)

Davis UWC Scholars

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Graduates of United World College (UWC) schools; no separate application

Notes

Earlham is one of 92 U.S. Davis Scholars institutions.

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 Earlham's published information.

  • Renewal ruleMerit Scholarships (core, achievement-based): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Renewable for four years; renewal requires a 2.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What families often miss

  1. Earlham's official page says core Merit Scholarship 'amounts vary' and does NOT publish a dollar figure. The widely-repeated '$30,000 automatic merit' number comes from a third-party site (Scholarships360), not Earlham — do not count on it; ask Admissions for your actual award.

  2. INspire Earlham covers free tuition only for Indiana residents whose families are Pell- and State-of-Indiana-grant-eligible and earn up to $60,000/year, who enroll in fall 2026 and file the FAFSA by March 1, 2026. And for INspire recipients, other scholarships cannot push total funding above full tuition.

  3. The Honors Scholarship ($1,000) renews only if you take the first-year Honors seminar (HONR 150) in the fall AND maintain a 3.4 GPA — a higher bar than the 2.0 GPA used for the core merit scholarship.

  4. Most named/departmental scholarships (art, music, theatre, chemistry, creative writing, Jewish Studies, Quaker Fellows, Community Scholars) require a scholarship application by January 5 AND that you apply by the Early Action or Early Decision deadlines.

  5. The Heartland Region Scholarship ($2,000/yr, $8,000 total) requires living within 150 miles of Earlham, the Rariden ($5,000) goes to one Indiana arts student, and INspire is Indiana-only — out-of-area students won't qualify for these.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong applicants receive an automatic (undisclosed-amount) merit award; arts/chemistry/writing/Quaker-interest students can add a named award by applying EA/ED by Jan 5, and income-eligible Indiana residents should target the INspire free-tuition program. (DRAFT)

Published yearly cost: Approximately $73,526 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Earlham, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$17,178
$30,001–$48,000$15,658
$48,001–$75,000$19,768
$75,001–$110,000$26,136
$110,001+$31,058
All income levels (average)$24,714

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$53,930
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$24,714

That works out to roughly a 63% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $67,684 (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
69%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
77%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,488 (~$249/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$50,797
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
25%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
55%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

You must notify Earlham of any outside scholarships. Outside scholarships will, in most cases, reduce your least advantageous aid (loans or work-study) first. For INspire Earlham recipients, additional scholarships cannot exceed full tuition.

Outside scholarships reduce loans/work-study before gift aid; INspire recipients are capped at full tuition for total institutional funding.

Source

More school data

From the Earlham Common Data Set 2023-2024:

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Earlham’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
13%of admitsget merit
Average award$35,537Covers ~48% of $73,526 cost of attendance

At Earlham, roughly 1 in 8 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $35,537 — about 48% of total cost.

As filed in Earlham's CDS Section H2A: of 202 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 26 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $35,537. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 119 of 625, averaging $32,051. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.

Receive institutional merit13%First-year students, Common Data Set 2023-2024
Average merit award$35,537Across recipients, Common Data Set 2023-2024

Source: Common Data Set 2023-2024 (verified 2026-07-23)

Other Earlham scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$1,000EligibilityStudents whose parents/guardians are employed by a member of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce; separate application + eligibility verification

Partnership award.

Source

Earlham merit aid FAQ

  • How much is the core merit scholarship?

    Earlham does not publish the amount — the achievement-based Merit Scholarship is determined by the Office of Admissions from your application and 'amounts vary.' It renews for four years with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment.

  • Is there a free-tuition program?

    Yes — INspire Earlham offers free tuition to Indiana students whose families are Pell- and State-of-Indiana-grant-eligible and earn up to $60,000/year, who enroll fall 2026 and file the FAFSA by March 1, 2026.

  • When are the named scholarship applications due?

    Most named/departmental scholarship applications are due January 5, and you must apply by the Early Action or Early Decision deadlines.

  • How do outside scholarships affect my aid?

    Outside scholarships, in most cases, reduce your least advantageous aid first — loans or work-study — rather than your gift aid. You must report them to Earlham.

  • What does Earlham cost?

    For 2026-27, on-campus billed costs are: tuition $56,784, housing $8,300, meal plan $7,462, fees $980 — total $73,526.

See sources and other schools

How Earlham compares

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

    Earlham 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Earlham merit aid