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.
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers42 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Madonna
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Madonna's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalFirst-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.
displacementDifferent 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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Madonna
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Who this school is 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)
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $47,200 for 2025-2026. 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.
$4,000-$14,000
First-Year Student Merit Scholarship (Direct from High School)
AutomaticRenewable
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
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Newly admitted, entering college for the first time (or first-time adult student), enrolling full-time; Livonia campus only; FAFSA required (code 002282)
Renewal terms
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).
Notes
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.
Based on cumulative transfer GPA and credit hours from all regionally accredited institutions previously attended (per-tier grid not published in accessible text)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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
Renewal terms
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).
Notes
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.
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)
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to four years, totaling $8,000.
Notes
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.
Full tuition…Full tuition (no additional out-of-pocket expense for tuition; gap award after Pell + Michigan Achievement)
Commitment to Affordable Learning
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Minimum cumulative 3.0 (4.0 scale) to qualify; 2.0 minimum to remain eligible
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.
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.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.
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.
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).
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).
How Madonna compares across our verified dataset
86 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.
Madonna 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.
Madonna 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 Madonna’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
