The starting point
Elizabethtown auto-awards test-optional named merit ($16,000-$21,500), but the catch is on a separate page: those awards get cut if your total gift aid tops Tuition+Food+Housing, or if you receive an employer tuition benefit.
More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
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.
Excelsior Scholarship
$21,500 · Published amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: ~3.9 GPA, top of high school class · SAT: Test-optional · ACT: Test-optional (reviewed with or without scores)
Eligibility: Most challenging curriculum; positive school/community contributions
Renewal: Remain full-time in good academic and social standing; available for eight semesters (10 for 4+1 MOT, 12 for OTD, 8 for accelerated 5-year PA). Not for summer sessions.
Other terms: Top automatic merit tier for 2026-2027.
https://www.etown.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/scholarships-grants.aspx
Presidential Scholarship
$21,000 · Published amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: Top percentages of HS class · SAT: Test-optional · ACT: Test-optional
Eligibility: Challenging curriculum; leadership, citizenship, extracurricular achievement
Renewal: Full-time, good academic and social standing; eight semesters; not for summer.
https://www.etown.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/scholarships-grants.aspx
Founders Scholarship
$18,500 · Published amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: Top 10 percent of HS class · SAT: Test-optional · ACT: Test-optional
Eligibility: Challenging curriculum; leadership, citizenship, extracurricular achievement
Renewal: Full-time, good academic and social standing; eight semesters; not for summer.
https://www.etown.edu/admissions/tuition-aid/scholarships-grants.aspx
Ask before you decide
- Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
- What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
- How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?
Recorded stacking policy: Outside scholarships first fill unmet need (including need-based self-help); if they exceed unmet need, the College reduces its need-based gift aid (e.g., Trustee Scholarship) dollar-for-dollar. Merit scholarships (Excelsior/Presidential/Founders/Dean's) are NOT reduced by outside scholarships, BUT are reduced if the student receives tuition benefits or if total gift aid exceeds the cost of Tuition, Food, and Housing (a COA-subset cap). Late PA state grants reduce institutional need-based gift aid 100%.
Our unanswered questions / Family notes
