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Madonna scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$47,200per year · 2025-2026 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Madonna awards automatic merit on admission. Madonna does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
8 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

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Checking merit aid at Madonna

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The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. First-Year Student Merit Scholarship (Direct from High School)$4,000-$14,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    First-Year Student Merit Scholarship (Direct from High School)

    $4,000-$14,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Begins at 2.5 unweighted GPA ($4,000); increases to $14,000 at 3.8 unweighted GPA
    SAT
    Optional — submitting scores may qualify for an increased merit award
    ACT
    Optional — submitting scores may qualify for an increased merit award
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for First-Year Student Merit Scholarship (Direct from High School)

    Who qualifies

    Newly admitted, entering college for the first time (or first-time adult student), enrolling full-time; Livonia campus only; FAFSA required (code 002282)

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to four (4) years, not to exceed eight (8) consecutive semesters or completion of a baccalaureate degree, whichever comes first; recipient must maintain satisfactory academic progress, good social standing, and continuous full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours each fall and winter semester).

    Worth knowing

    Terms-and-conditions PDF (revised 12/11/2018) names the tiers Trustee, Presidential, Felician, St. Francis Dean, Crusader and Heritage Scholarship, but the per-tier dollar/GPA grid (the 'FTIAC Scholarship Grid' on the scholarships page) is an image/PDF whose amounts could not be read; only the $4,000-$14,000 range is published in accessible text. Award is a flat dollar amount that does not increase with tuition. Fall/winter semesters only; not applicable to online programs.

  2. Transfer Student Merit Scholarship$4,000-$14,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Transfer Student Merit Scholarship

    $4,000-$14,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Based on cumulative transfer GPA and credit hours from all regionally accredited institutions previously attended (per-tier grid not published in accessible text)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Transfer Student Merit Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Transferring from a regionally accredited 2-year or 4-year institution; pursuing a first bachelor's degree; newly admitted; enrolling full-time; Livonia campus only; FAFSA required

    How to keep it

    May be renewable for up to four (4) years / eight (8) consecutive semesters, BUT maximum duration is capped by transferable credit hours: 0-14 credits = 8 semesters; 15-29 = 7; 30-44 = 6; 45-59 = 5; 60-74 = 4; 75-89 = 3; 90+ = 2. Must maintain satisfactory academic progress and continuous full-time enrollment (12+ credits each fall and winter semester).

    Worth knowing

    Terms-and-conditions PDF (revised 12/11/2018) names the transfer tiers Blue, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Platinum Scholarship; the 'Transfer Scholarship Grid' with per-tier amounts could not be read (image/PDF). The Affordability page's $4,000-$14,000 GPA-based range explicitly covers transfer students. Flat dollar amount; fall/winter only; not applicable to online programs.

  3. Visit Scholarship (Visit. Apply. Earn.)$2,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Visit Scholarship (Visit. Apply. Earn.)

    $2,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Visit Scholarship (Visit. Apply. Earn.)

    Who qualifies

    Attend an eligible campus visit (official campus tour, transfer information session, transfer student event, open house, or in-person admissions-officer meeting) AND apply for admission between August 1 - January 31; complete the FAFSA (code 002282)

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to four years, totaling $8,000.

    Worth knowing

    Page warns that some awards cannot be stacked with the Visit Scholarship — other scholarships you receive may prevent it from being awarded. FAFSA deadlines stated: 11/30/25 for Winter 2026 semester, 5/1/2026 for Fall 2026 semester.

  4. Commitment to Affordable LearningFull tuition (no additional out-of-pocket expense for tuition; gap award after Pell + Michigan Achievement)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Commitment to Affordable Learning

    Full tuition (no additional out-of-pocket expense for tuition; gap award after Pell + Michigan Achievement)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum cumulative 3.0 (4.0 scale) to qualify; 2.0 minimum to remain eligible
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Commitment to Affordable Learning

    Who qualifies

    Newly admitted high school graduate; Michigan resident; full-time enrollment; eligible for the MAXIMUM Federal Pell Grant AND the MAXIMUM Michigan Achievement Scholarship; FAFSA filed by May 1; Livonia campus only

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to 4 years (fall and winter semesters only; up to 10 consecutive semesters). Renewal requires continued demonstrated financial need (FAFSA), full-time enrollment, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and a minimum 2.0 GPA. No carry-over if enrollment is not consecutive.

    Worth knowing

    Tuition-only: housing and meals are NOT included. Page text anchors eligibility to 'newly admitted students beginning in the Fall 2024 semester and continuing forward'; the Affordability page lists it as a current program. This is a need-gated guarantee, not a pure merit award.

Lights up against Madonna's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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  • “it told me what to ask and what the renewal GPA looked like, which I was not going to find on my own”Melissa

The fine print

Renewal ruleFirst-Year Student Merit Scholarship (Direct from High School): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for up to four (4) years, not to exceed eight (8) consecutive semesters or completion of a baccalaureate degree, whichever comes first; recipient must maintain satisfactory academic progress, good social standing, and continuous full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours each fall and winter semester). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsDifferent aid types are displaced differently

Madonna 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.

What makes Madonna different

Madonna pairs an automatic, GPA-based merit award ($4,000-$14,000/yr, no separate application, test-optional) with a $2,000/yr visit scholarship and a zero-out-of-pocket-tuition pledge for Michigan residents with maximum Pell and Michigan Achievement awards.

Merit tiers42 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Madonna's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Madonna requires the FAFSA (code 002282) for ALL scholarship applicants — the Visit page states 'Students must fill out the FAFSA form to recieve any financial aid, including institutional aid' (typo in original), and both merit terms-and-conditions PDFs list the FAFSA as part of how you apply.

  2. The Visit. Apply. Earn. page warns: 'some awards can't be stacked with the Visit Scholarship. Even if you qualify for the Visit Scholarship, other scholarships you're receiving may prevent it from being awarded.' Ask your admissions officer which combinations are allowed before counting the $8,000.

  3. The Scholarships & Grants page states: 'Students can receive either affiliation scholarships or athletic scholarships but not both.' Recruited athletes should not also budget for Catholic HS, Alumni Legacy, or PTK money.

  4. Both merit terms PDFs state the merit scholarship 'may be reduced if a student receives other grants, scholarships, or benefits restricted to tuition from outside agencies or third-party entities, or if a student's total federal, state, and other institutional awards would exceed the tuition/cost of attendance.' Tuition-restricted outside awards and an overall tuition/COA cap can shrink Madonna's own award.

  5. The terms PDFs state the scholarship 'is designated in a dollar amount (rather than a percentage)' and 'will not be increased on the basis of any potential increase in the tuition/cost of attendance over four years.' A flat $14,000 covers less of year-4 tuition than year-1 tuition.

  6. Merit scholarships apply 'only ... toward the payment of costs incurred on the Livonia campus,' are 'not applicable or transferable to online programs,' and apply to fall and winter semesters only — not spring/summer.

  7. The transfer terms PDF caps scholarship duration by transferable credit hours: e.g., 60-74 credits = 4 semesters, 90+ credits = only 2 semesters of the award.

  8. It is tuition-only: 'This award will only be applied to the cost of tuition. Housing and meals are not included.' It also has hard gates — Michigan residency, full-time enrollment, MAXIMUM Federal Pell Grant and MAXIMUM Michigan Achievement Scholarship eligibility, a 3.0 admission GPA, and FAFSA by May 1 — and renewal requires continued demonstrated need plus a 2.0 GPA and SAP.

  9. Renewal of first-year and transfer merit requires satisfactory academic progress, good social standing, and continuous full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours each fall and winter semester); AP/IB/CLEP/repeated credits do not count toward the full-time minimum.

  10. Eligibility requires attending a qualifying campus visit and applying for admission between August 1 and January 31; visiting or applying outside that window forfeits the $2,000/year ($8,000 total) award.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students with at least a 2.5 unweighted GPA who want automatic, application-free merit money at a low-sticker Catholic (Felician) university — especially Michigan residents with high financial need, who can pair merit with the Commitment to Affordable Learning to zero out tuition. (DRAFT)

Published yearly cost: Approximately $47,200 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Madonna, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Madonna, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$14,759
$30,001–$48,000$15,277
$48,001–$75,000$16,912
$75,001–$110,000$16,593
$110,001+$22,005
All income levels (average)$17,755

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$28,440
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$17,755

That works out to roughly a 57% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $41,038 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
60%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
72%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,000 (~$244/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$59,058
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
38%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
64%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Madonna's merit scholarships are flat dollar awards that can be reduced if a student receives outside (third-party) awards restricted to tuition, or if total federal, state and institutional aid would exceed tuition/cost of attendance. Affiliation scholarships cannot be combined with athletic scholarships, and some awards cannot be stacked with the $2,000 Visit Scholarship. FAFSA is required for all aid, including institutional aid.

First-year and transfer merit terms-and-conditions PDFs (both revised 12/11/2018) state the scholarship may be reduced by outside tuition-restricted awards or by a tuition/COA aid cap. The scholarships page states students can receive either affiliation scholarships or athletic scholarships but not both. The Visit. Apply. Earn. page states some awards can't be stacked with the Visit Scholarship. No page states a reduction ORDER (loan-first vs grant-first), so the mechanics of displacement are otherwise unclear.

Source

Other Madonna scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$4,000 per year (Affordability page) / $2,000 (Scholarships & Grants page) — pages conflictEligibilityCatholic high school graduate

Affiliation award; cannot be combined with athletic scholarships. The two official pages disagree on the amount — ask the aid office which figure applies for 2026-27.

Source

Amount$2,000 per yearEligibilityParent or grandparent is a Madonna alumna/alumnus

Affiliation award; cannot be combined with athletic scholarships.

Source

Amount$1,000 per yearEligibilityPhi Theta Kappa members transferring to Madonna with a 3.5+ GPA

Affiliation award; cannot be combined with athletic scholarships.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityFull-time employees of Felician-Sponsored ministries and their dependents

Affiliation award; terms PDF at madonna.edu/pdf/admissions/terms_conditions/fsmtc.pdf (not opened).

Source

Amount$3,000 (Scholarships & Grants page); Affordability page says 'varying scholarship awards'EligibilityStudents involved in Chorale, Jazz or String Ensembles, Lyric Theatre, or Pep Band; as determined by the Director of Performing Arts

Competitive/talent award — may require audition or interview.

Source

Amount$4,000 per yearEligibilityStudents promoting an appreciation of diversity, inclusion, and respect for persons of all cultures and beliefs

Selective program award described under 'Additional Scholarship Opportunities'.

Source

Amount$3,000 per yearEligibilityAmbassadors work with the Admissions Office to showcase Madonna University

Selective work-linked award.

Source

Amount$175 - $4,500Eligibility3.2 GPA at Madonna with at least 12 completed semester hours; selection criteria set by donors; FAFSA by March 1

For continuing students, not incoming freshmen. Listed on the Additional Scholarships page, which appears stale (its Pell range matches an earlier aid year).

Source

Madonna merit aid FAQ

  • Is there a separate merit scholarship application or deadline?

    No separate application — 'New students are automatically considered for all merit scholarships upon admission.' But the FAFSA is required for all aid: the Visit. Apply. Earn. page sets FAFSA deadlines of 11/30/25 for the Winter 2026 semester and 5/1/2026 for the Fall 2026 semester, and the Commitment to Affordable Learning requires FAFSA by May 1.

  • What GPA do I need, and do I need ACT/SAT scores?

    Merit scholarships begin at $4,000/year at a 2.5 unweighted GPA and rise to $14,000/year at a 3.8 unweighted GPA. Madonna is test-optional, but students coming directly from high school who submit test scores may qualify for an increased merit award.

  • What is the deadline for the $2,000 Visit Scholarship?

    You must attend a qualifying campus visit and apply for admission between August 1 and January 31 (the page does not state the calendar year), and complete the FAFSA (11/30/25 for Winter 2026 entry; 5/1/2026 for Fall 2026 entry).

  • How do merit scholarships renew?

    First-year merit awards renew for up to four years (max eight consecutive semesters) with satisfactory academic progress, good social standing, and continuous full-time enrollment of at least 12 credit hours each fall and winter semester. Transfer awards follow the same rules but are capped by transferable credits (e.g., 90+ credits = 2 semesters). No specific renewal GPA is published for merit awards — ask the aid office what GPA satisfies SAP.

  • Will outside scholarships reduce my Madonna aid?

    Possibly. The merit terms state the scholarship 'may be reduced' if you receive outside awards restricted to tuition, or if your total federal, state, and institutional aid would exceed tuition/cost of attendance. Ask the aid office exactly how a specific outside award would be treated.

  • How much does Madonna cost?

    For 2026-27, full-time Livonia undergraduate tuition is $15,300/semester for 12-18 credits (credits 16-18 free), and the university lists a 'typical annual total' of $44,112 including room, meal plan, and parking. The published full cost-of-attendance budget (2025-26) for a first-year student living on campus is $47,200. Textbooks and required course materials are included in tuition.

  • Can I get free tuition at Madonna?

    Michigan residents who are newly admitted high school graduates with a 3.0+ GPA, enroll full-time, and qualify for the maximum Federal Pell Grant and maximum Michigan Achievement Scholarship pay no out-of-pocket tuition under the Commitment to Affordable Learning (housing and meals not included; FAFSA by May 1).

See sources and other schools

How Madonna compares

  • 32 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.

    Madonna is in the small minority (32 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Madonna is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Madonna’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

  • Hillsdale merit aid. Michigan private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Adrian merit aid. Michigan private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Aquinas merit aid. Michigan private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Calvin merit aid. Michigan private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.

Keep exploring Madonna merit aid

The next chapter

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