Ithaca stacks an automatic, unpublished-amount Ithaca College Scholarship with named scholar programs (Presidential full tuition+fees, Park, MLK, Leadership, Innovation), small residency awards, and a $2,000/yr on-campus housing scholarship — but the Presidential award replaces, not adds to, other Ithaca merit.
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers111 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Ithaca
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Ithaca's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalIthaca College Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
All the awards may be renewed annually for the duration of the student's undergraduate study as long as the student maintains full-time enrollment and satisfactory progress toward a degree. A review of each student's academic performance is conducted by the Office of Student Financial Services before approval for renewal. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
displacementNo published displacement order
Ithaca's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Ithaca
The page states it 'cannot be combined with a scholar program and replaces any previously awarded Ithaca College Scholarship' — winning Presidential means giving up Park/MLK/Leadership/Innovation and the IC Scholarship.
Both the separate Presidential application AND the FAFSA (or international aid application) must be submitted by November 1; the scholar programs' applications are due December 1.
It is renewable only 'each year that the student is living on campus' — moving off campus forfeits it.
The catalog requires reporting all outside awards immediately and 'reserves the right to change financial aid awards when students receive additional awards from any source.'
Renewal GPAs differ by award: 2.75 (Leadership), 3.0 (MLK per the scholarships page; the catalog says 2.5 — ask the aid office which governs), 3.0 (Innovation). Dropping below full-time (12 credits) also breaks merit renewal.
Per the catalog, 'Financial aid is usually terminated after eight semesters unless the course of study normally requires additional semesters,' and the Presidential Scholarship is capped at 4 years/8 semesters.
The catalog states a student 'automatically forfeits financial aid when they withdraw, are suspended, or are dismissed,' and awards are not renewed after returning without an approved leave of absence.
Who this school is for
Strong students who apply early and chase the named scholar programs — especially communications students (Park) and leaders/service-oriented applicants (Leadership, MLK). Every named program has a separate application and a Nov 1 or Dec 1 deadline.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $83,171 for 2026-2027. Source
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
Amount not published
Ithaca College Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Exceptional academic ability and/or talent, regardless of financial need; automatic consideration with admission application
Renewal terms
All the awards may be renewed annually for the duration of the student's undergraduate study as long as the student maintains full-time enrollment and satisfactory progress toward a degree. A review of each student's academic performance is conducted by the Office of Student Financial Services before approval for renewal.
Notes
No dollar grid or stat cutoffs published; 'Scholarship amounts vary depending upon the date attendance began.'
Demonstrated record of leadership and above-average academic performance; separate application due December 1
Renewal terms
Renewable contingent upon continued demonstration of leadership and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 at the end of each semester. Full-time enrollment is required.
Academically talented first-years with community service involvement who embody the ideals of MLK Jr.; separate application due December 1
Renewal terms
Scholarships page: renewable contingent upon continued participation in the program and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of each semester. NOTE: the 2025-2026 catalog states the MLK CGPA requirement is 2.5 — pages conflict.
Roy H. Park School of Communications students demonstrating academic and creative achievement in communications, co-curricular involvement, and community service; separate application due December 1
Renewal terms
Scholars receive this award throughout their Ithaca College career by maintaining a predetermined standard of performance.
Notes
Funded by the Park Foundation; awarded regardless of financial need. Amount not stated on the scholarships page opened.
School of Humanities and Sciences students selected for the Innovation Scholar Program; separate application due December 1
Renewal terms
Automatically renewed each semester provided: enrollment in a School of Humanities and Sciences undergraduate program; full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credits/semester); 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA; participation in Innovation Scholar programming; and good judicial standing.
Selected new students majoring in music and theater — programs where artistic, technological, managerial, or theatrical talent is an admission criterion
Renewal terms
Good academic standing and full-time enrollment are required.
Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society membership; high school diploma at time of application; full-time enrollment; automatic consideration during admission review
Renewal terms
Renewable; full-time enrollment required.
Notes
Unlimited number available; transfer-specific merit track.
The Presidential Scholarship cannot be combined with a scholar program and replaces any previously awarded Ithaca College Scholarship. Separately, the catalog requires students to report all outside awards and reserves Ithaca's right to change (reduce) Ithaca awards when students receive additional awards from any source; the reduction order is not specified.
Catalog 'Report All Awards': outside resources must be reported via the Outside Resources Form; 'Ithaca College reserves the right to change financial aid awards when students receive additional awards from any source.' If actual Pell/state awards exceed estimates, Ithaca awards may be reduced. Whether outside scholarships reduce loans or grants first is not stated.
The Presidential Scholarship application is due by November 1, and the FAFSA (or the Ithaca College Financial Aid application for international citizens) must also be submitted by November 1.
When are the scholar program applications (Park, MLK, Leadership, Innovation) due?
Applications for the Leadership, MLK, Park, and Innovation Scholar programs are all due December 1, submitted online after applying to Ithaca College.
Do I need a separate application for the Ithaca College Scholarship?
No. 'All incoming students automatically are considered for these scholarships; no special application is necessary.'
How much does the Ithaca College Scholarship pay?
Ithaca does not publish amounts; the page says 'Ithaca College Scholarship amounts vary depending upon the date attendance began.' Use the Net Price Calculator or ask Student Financial Services for current ranges.
What does Ithaca cost for 2026–27?
The estimated cost of attending for 2026–27 is $83,171 total: tuition $59,440, housing and meals $16,520, books $850, personal $1,100, transportation $550, Student Support and Technology Fee $300, and health insurance $4,411 (waivable with proof of comparable coverage).
How Ithaca compares across our verified dataset
199 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
Ithaca is in a recognizable cluster (199 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
199 of 751 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.
Ithaca is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Ithaca is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against Ithaca’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
