La Salle automatically considers every freshman and transfer applicant for a renewable $12,000–$24,000 merit scholarship, and its competitive Christian Brothers' Scholarship covers full tuition — but an outside scholarship of half-tuition or more cancels La Salle merit awards entirely.
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers7See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at La Salle
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from La Salle's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalMerit Scholarships (freshmen): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
The scholarship is renewable for four years provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress and full-time day status for the academic year (per academic catalog). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
displacementDifferent aid types are displaced differently
La Salle treats loans, work-study, and institutional grant under different rules. The same $5,000 outside award can land against any of them depending on category.
Common merit-aid mistakes at La Salle
The catalog's overaward policy says a student awarded a half-tuition or greater scholarship 'becomes ineligible for those La Salle University merit-based scholarships,' and all outside grants/scholarships are applied first to University charges — La Salle can reduce institutional need- or merit-based funding when grants and scholarships exceed direct costs.
It is 'valued at the amount of the annual full cost of tuition' only — University fees, housing, and meal plans (each published separately on the Tuition & Fees page) are not stated as covered.
The financial-aid page (updated 2025) says the deadline is Feb. 1; the older honors-program page says Jan. 15. The application also requires an essay and recommendation letter on top of the admission application — submit by the earlier date to be safe.
Per the catalog, the Merit-Based Scholarship is renewable for four years only if the student 'maintains satisfactory academic progress and full-time day status for the academic year' — dropping below full-time day enrollment can cost the award, and 'Some scholarships require a higher GPA for renewal.'
The catalog states students 'are not permitted to use any institutionally-funded grants or scholarships, or athletic awards during the semester abroad,' explicitly including Merit-Based Scholarships.
It is reviewed each SEMESTER and requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, FAFSA-demonstrated need, a fall retreat, twice-monthly meetings, two weekly service activities, progressive service leadership, and monthly coordinator meetings with a reflection journal.
The hub page says applications 'must be submitted each year as awards are not automatically renewed' and 'Some awards may result in an adjustment to the current institutional aid package.'
The academic catalog states 'All students who have been accepted for admission by March 1 will be considered for the scholarship; no additional application is required' — late admits may miss automatic merit consideration (confirm the current cutoff with admissions).
Who this school is for
Strong-GPA students who want guaranteed merit consideration with no extra application — and top-10%-of-class, service-oriented applicants willing to compete (essay + recommendation by Feb. 1) for a full-tuition Christian Brothers' Scholarship. Transfer students, including community-college Dual Admission and Phi Theta Kappa members, get their own merit tracks.
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.
$12,000-$24,000
Merit Scholarships (freshmen)
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
No published cutoff — selection based on GPA
SAT
No published cutoff — standardized test scores considered
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Quality of course selection; all freshman applicants automatically considered (no separate application). Catalog states students accepted for admission by March 1 will be considered.
Renewal terms
The scholarship is renewable for four years provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress and full-time day status for the academic year (per academic catalog).
Notes
Holistic range; La Salle publishes no GPA/test grid. The page's own meta-description says '$4,000 to $18,000 annually' while the page body says '$12,000 to $24,000 annually' — body text used here; flagged in Section C.
No fixed cutoff; previous recipients achieved a median GPA of 4.0 over first three years of high school
SAT
Test-optional applicants need not submit scores
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Full-time incoming freshmen; holistic review emphasizing GPA, strength of curriculum, academic and extracurricular leadership; previous recipients ranked in top 10 percent of class. Separate application + 500-1,000 word essay + letter of recommendation. Deadline Feb. 1 (financial-aid page); honors page says Jan. 15 — see Section C conflict.
Renewal terms
Christian Brothers' Scholarships are valued at the amount of the annual full cost of tuition and are renewable each year for four years if normal progress is being made toward the degree and if the student maintains a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (per honors-program page).
Notes
Full TUITION only — fees, housing, and food are not stated as covered. Scholarships hub also describes it as for 'freshmen with extensive service backgrounds and a demonstrated interest in future service.'
Minimum GPA of 3.0 in HS; maintain cumulative La Salle GPA of 3.0
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Full-time incoming freshmen with extensive community service backgrounds who commit to service at La Salle; FAFSA-demonstrated financial need; online application; deadline June 1; priority to graduates of 37 listed Philadelphia-area high schools who apply for Maguire Foundation 'last dollar' scholarships.
Renewal terms
Renewed each semester only if recipient maintains a cumulative La Salle GPA of 3.0, demonstrates financial need through FAFSA, attends a fall retreat, participates in twice-monthly recipient meetings, performs two consistent weekly service activities, shows progressive leadership in service organizations, and meets monthly with the program coordinator with a reflection journal.
Notes
Hybrid merit/need/service award with semester-by-semester renewal review and substantial ongoing service obligations.
Outside grants and scholarships are applied to University charges FIRST, before La Salle's own aid. If total grants and scholarships exceed direct costs (tuition, room, board, fees), La Salle reserves the right to reduce institutional need-based or merit-based funding. Most severe: a student who wins an outside scholarship of half-tuition or greater becomes ineligible for La Salle merit-based scholarships altogether. Total aid (including PLUS and alternative loans) cannot exceed cost of attendance. Exception: a need-based-aid recipient who later receives a private scholarship loses no other aid as long as total aid does not exceed need.
Academic catalog lists five overaward types: (1) grants+scholarships exceeding direct costs trigger reduction of institutional funding, with outside awards applied first to charges (athletic aid excepted per NCAA rules); (2) federal-need overawards reduced in order Federal Work Study, SEOG, La Salle Grant, Direct Loan; (3) a half-tuition-or-greater scholarship makes the student ineligible for La Salle merit-based scholarships; (4) total aid capped at financial aid cost of attendance; (5) Federal Work Study over-earnings can reduce other need-based aid. Also: institutional scholarships cannot be used during a study-abroad semester, and aid may be reduced for changes in enrollment/housing status or outside funding.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
Amount$1,000 per yearEligibilityFull-time undergraduate and transfer students who are direct descendants of La Salle alumni (hub page says child, grandchild, or great-grandchild; the Legacy page itself says children, grandchildren, or siblings).
Awarded with the admission application — no separate form. The two official pages disagree on which relatives qualify; ask the aid office.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilitySecondary/middle-school education majors with a math or science concentration. Incoming freshmen need a combined SAT (verbal+math) of at least 1220 OR top 20 percent class rank, plus admission; current students need a 3.0 cumulative GPA; all must file FAFSA and show need.
Awarded for one academic year; recipients must reapply annually. Deadline conflict on official pages: scholarship page says priority March 15 (freshmen) / April 15 (current students); hub page says Jan. 15 / Nov. 1.
Amount$5,000 (per catalog)EligibilityEntering freshmen with demonstrated commitment to community service who continue involvement at La Salle.
Catalog states the $5,000 grants 'may be combined with a Merit Scholarship' and are renewable with a 2.5 GPA, full-time day status, and continued service; catalog deadline Jan. 15. The honors-program page lists it without an amount. Catalog text may be stale — confirm current terms.
AmountVariesEligibilityCurrent students; submit the Common Scholarship Application each year.
Hub page warning: 'Applications must be submitted each year as awards are not automatically renewed. Some awards may result in an adjustment to the current institutional aid package.'
Do I need a separate application for La Salle's merit scholarship?
No. All prospective freshmen and transfer students who apply for admission are automatically considered for merit scholarships of $12,000 to $24,000 annually. The catalog adds that students accepted by March 1 are considered.
What is the Christian Brothers' Scholarship deadline?
The financial-aid page says Feb. 1; the older honors-program page says Jan. 15. Use the earlier date to be safe and confirm with admissions (215-951-1070). It requires a separate application, a 500-1,000 word essay, and a letter of recommendation.
Is the Christian Brothers' Scholarship renewable?
Yes — per the honors-program page it is renewable each year for four years if normal degree progress is made and the student maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA.
What happens to my La Salle merit scholarship if I win a big outside scholarship?
If you are awarded a half-tuition or greater scholarship, the catalog says you become ineligible for La Salle merit-based scholarships. Smaller outside awards are applied first to University charges, and institutional aid can be reduced if total grants/scholarships exceed direct costs.
Do transfer students get merit aid at La Salle?
Yes — transfers are automatically considered for $12,000-$24,000 annually based on GPA, course quality, transferrable credits, and extracurriculars. Dual Admission transfers from partner community colleges also receive $1,500 per year, and Phi Theta Kappa members with a 3.5+ GPA are eligible for an additional (unpublished) award.
What does La Salle cost for 2026-27?
Full-time undergraduate tuition is $40,500 for 2026-27, excluding fees, housing, and meals (e.g., University Fee $550/semester, double room $5,090/semester, Explorer's All Access meal plan $4,845/semester). La Salle does not publish a single all-in cost-of-attendance figure on its Tuition & Fees page.
What is the Maguire Service Scholarship deadline?
June 1, per the Maguire Service Scholarship page. It provides up to $5,000 annually to full-time freshmen with extensive community-service backgrounds who demonstrate FAFSA need.
How La Salle compares across our verified dataset
86 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.
La Salle is in the modest minority (86 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
La Salle 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 La Salle’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
