Earlham · Indiana

Earlham 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 Jun 2026today· COWORK
Merit tiers11See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK

Rules that bite at Earlham

The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Earlham's own published policy, not generic advice.

  • renewalMerit 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.

Common merit-aid mistakes at Earlham

  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.

Who this school is 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)

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $73,526 for 2026-2027. Source

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

Amount not published

Merit Scholarships (core, achievement-based)

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.4 (renewal)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

Notes

Geography-gated.

Source

$2,000-$5,000

Community Scholars Program

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

Four-year, service-based program.

Notes

Service/social-justice based.

Source

$1,000-$5,000

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Source

Starts at $1,000

Carleton B. Edwards Chemistry Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

Renewable up to 4 years.

Notes

Open to students of all backgrounds.

Source

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

Davis UWC Scholars

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

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

Notes

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

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

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

Lesser-known scholarships at Earlham

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.

How Earlham compares across our verified dataset

  • 68 of 272 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Earlham is in a recognizable cluster (68 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 247 of 272 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Earlham is one of them. The cohort minority (25 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

  • Notre Dame merit aid — Indiana private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Hanover merit aid — Indiana private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Taylor (IN) merit aid — Indiana private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Purdue merit aid — Indiana public university — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.

Keep exploring Earlham merit aid

Get your student’s plan$99