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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

GWU
Decision sheet

District of Columbia · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Mid-size private research university in downtown DC with auto-considered Presidential Academic Scholarships, a flagship full-ride Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship for DC public high school graduates, and an outside-scholarship policy that treats outside awards as part of the need package — useful unmet-need first, but the May 1 cutoff materially changes the displacement math.

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 2 awards in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Presidential Academic Scholarship

Varies (tuition-specific; amount not published in a public tier table) · Variable or qualified amount

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

Eligibility: All first-year applicants — domestic and international — are automatically considered. No separate application. Awarded to 'the most competitive applicants in the pool.' Award is restricted to tuition expenses unless otherwise indicated.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 10 consecutive semesters with continuous full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Other terms: GW does not publish a stat-to-amount table for the Presidential. Award size is decided by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and disclosed in the admission decision.

https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/merit-scholarships

Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (SJT) Scholarship

Full tuition and fees (beyond the D.C. Tag Program allowance) + room and board + book allowance · Published coverage or package

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

Eligibility: Outstanding graduates of regionally accredited D.C. high schools, nominated by school counselors. Must be a D.C. resident and must have applied for financial assistance.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 10 consecutive semesters with continuous full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Other terms: GW's flagship local-pipeline full-ride. The award sits on top of the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DC TAG) — SJT covers what TAG does not.

https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/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 resources are treated as part of the need-based aid package, not as additive to it. The one exception is outside scholarships awarded to new students after May 1 — those apply to unmet need rather than displacing institutional aid. GW Employee Benefits and Tuition Exchange cannot combine with most GW merit and grant awards.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

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