Gonzaga scholarships and merit aid

Is there a published range for first-year merit scholarships?

Yes — the Dean of Admission pointed to the range published on the Admission scholarship page, while noting that a holistic read of the full application decides where inside it a student lands.

“A complete range of $23,000 - $32,000 is listed on Admission's scholarship webpage”

Worth confirmingRESOLVED. The office's first email gave the floor as $23,000 while this site had $23,500 from Gonzaga's own scholarship page. Asked directly, the office confirmed on July 23, 2026 that $23,500 is the current lowest merit level — see the answer below. The $23,000 in the quote above is superseded.

Is the bottom of the merit range $23,000 or $23,500?

Asked to settle the $500 discrepancy, the office confirmed $23,500 as the current floor, and added that levels typically move up a little each year with the new figures posted by the end of October once approvals are finalized. So $23,500 is the number to model against now, and the page is worth re-checking after October.

“$23,500 is the lowest merit scholarship level as of now.”

Will these scholarship amounts change for the next cycle?

Yes, a little, and on a known schedule — the office said amounts typically increase each year and the updates reach the webpage by the end of October, once approvals are finalized. Modeling off a figure read before then is modeling off last cycle.

“Typically, the scholarships increase a little each year, and those updates will be added to the webpage by the end of October when approvals have been finalized.”

Is there a fixed order for what an outside scholarship reduces first?

No published order. The office was explicit that circumstances are reviewed individually rather than run through a single set process, and invited students to ask about their own package directly. That is a real gap for planning: without a stated order, the only way to know what an outside award displaces here is to ask before accepting it.

“Because we review each student's circumstances individually, there is not always a single set process that applies to every situation.”

Does applying test-optional hurt merit consideration?

Not by rule — the office said a student who withholds scores simply has rigor and grades weighted more heavily. It also shared that the middle 50% for submitted SATs runs 1280–1410, which is the number to check a score against before deciding.

“When a student does not submit test scores, we simply rely more heavily on high school course rigor and grades.”

Do outside scholarships shrink Gonzaga's own aid?

Almost never, per the Dean of Admission, who described reductions as reserved for exceptional circumstances and encouraged pursuing as many outside scholarships as possible. Note the hedge: "almost never" is not "never," so report awards and confirm the packaging with Financial Aid.

“That almost never happens at Gonzaga, and there are exceptional circumstances when it does.”

What GPA keeps the scholarship, and is there grace after a bad term?

A 2.0 minimum, and the office was unusually direct about flexibility — grace is extended for a rough semester or more depending on circumstances, with the expectation that the student is engaging with tutoring and advising rather than disappearing.

“needs to maintain a minimum GPA of a 2.0”

Is that grace discretionary or written policy?

Discretionary, as described — the office framed it as extended case by case, which means it is worth asking for in writing rather than assuming, and worth confirming against the terms printed in the award letter.

“There is definitely grace extended to students for a rough semester or more depending on the individual circumstances.”