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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Fairfield
Decision sheet

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

The starting point

Every admitted Fairfield student is automatically considered for a merit scholarship of $10,000-$30,000 per year (tuition-only), awarded by holistic review with no minimum GPA or test-score cutoff and renewable for up to eight semesters.

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

The 1 award in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

University Merit Scholarship

$10,000-$30,000 per year · Published range

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

GPA: No minimum GPA required for consideration (holistic review) · SAT: No minimum (test-optional / holistic) · ACT: No minimum (test-optional / holistic)

Eligibility: All admitted students are automatically considered; award determined by holistic review of the full application (academic record, strength of program, extracurricular involvement). Applicable toward tuition only.

Renewal: Renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters of full-time undergraduate study provided the recipient earns the required minimum GPA for renewal. The GPA renewal requirement varies by level of award and is stated in the student's initial admission award notification; it is measured at the end of each academic year. Students who drop below the required GPA may appeal for merit scholarship probation (up to two consecutive semesters to regain the required cumulative GPA).

Other terms: AUTOMATIC CONSIDERATION, not automatic on stats: every admitted student is considered, but the actual award amount within the $10,000-$30,000 range is set by holistic review, not a published GPA/test grid. The award is applicable toward TUITION ONLY (not room, board, or fees).

https://www.fairfield.edu/admission-and-aid/scholarships-and-grants/merit-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: Outside (third-party) scholarships are applied first to unmet need, then to replace loans and/or work-study, and only 'if necessary' do they reduce institutional grants/scholarships — and Fairfield generally does NOT reduce institutional aid for an outside award unless the combined institutional aid plus the outside scholarship exceeds the cost of attendance. In practice this is a loan/work-study-first treatment with a cost-of-attendance cap on institutional grants and scholarships.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/fairfield-university/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.