Skip to content
← Back to Emerson's chapter

MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Emerson
Decision sheet

Massachusetts · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Emerson auto-awards a single merit scholarship quoted PER SEMESTER (Aspire $5,000-$22,500/sem up to full tuition), so every published figure must be doubled for the annual value — with full-ride audition awards for Musical Theatre and Creative Circle scholars.

Selection beyond grades and scores. 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.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 12 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.

Aspire Scholarship

$10,000-$45,000 ($5,000-$22,500 per semester) · Published range

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Top of Emerson's applicant pool; high academic distinction plus leadership/community service. Automatic consideration upon acceptance; no separate application.

Renewal: Must maintain a 3.0 GPA to continue receiving it.

Other terms: PER SEMESTER amount is $5,000-$22,500 (up to full tuition); annual value is double. Highest merit tier.

https://emerson.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate-admission/financial-aid-scholarships

Trustees Scholarship (Honors Program, first-year only)

$30,000 ($15,000 per semester) · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Applicants accepted into the Honors Program; a separate Honors Program essay must be submitted with the admission application.

Renewal: Maintain a 3.3 GPA (3.0 GPA in the Honors curriculum).

Other terms: PER SEMESTER $15,000 (annual $30,000). Higher renewal GPA (3.3) than the standard 3.0.

https://emerson.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate-admission/financial-aid-scholarships

Trailblazer Scholarship

$15,000 ($7,500 per semester) · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Distinctive academic success plus leadership/creativity/community engagement. Automatic, no separate application.

Renewal: Maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Other terms: Per-semester $7,500 (annual $15,000). Also offered to Global BFA applicants at the same per-semester rate.

https://emerson.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate-admission/financial-aid-scholarships

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Emerson adjusts a student's aid package in a set order when private scholarships are reported: Federal Work Study first, then Perkins Loans, then Emerson's No Interest Loans, then Emerson Grant Funds, and only then Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans — so the institutional grant is reduced before Federal Direct Loans rather than being preserved as the last thing touched.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/emerson-college/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.