Providence merit is competitive, not automatic — only about 30% of admitted students get an Academic Tuition Scholarship (~$25,000, ~3.8 GPA), while the Roddy award (pre-health, U.S. residents only) covers up to tuition, fees, housing AND food.
Verified Jun 2026today· COWORK
Merit tiers6See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Common merit-aid mistakes at Providence
Merit is competitive — only ~30% of admitted students receive an Academic Tuition Scholarship, and the ~3.8 GPA / exhausted-curriculum profile is described as a competitive minimum, NOT a guarantee.
Roddy covers up to tuition, fees, housing and food but is limited to first-year students who RESIDE IN THE U.S. and aspire to a medical/dental/optometry career — a residency + pre-health gate on the near-full-cost award.
Scholarships are 'renewable for four years provided students meet the GPA and academic progress requirements,' but the specific renewal GPA is not published — confirm with the aid office (needs_confirmation).
Outside scholarships (including tuition benefits) are treated as need-based and applied to unmet need first; if aid must be adjusted, loans are reduced first, then work study, then institutional aid — and outside awards never replace the family contribution.
The Academic Tuition Scholarship 'averages approximately $25,000 per year' — individual awards vary around that figure.
Who this school is for
Top-of-class applicants (close to an A average / ~3.8) competing for the ~$25,000 Academic Tuition Scholarship; pre-health (med/dental/optometry-bound) U.S. residents for the near-full-cost Roddy award; and Cristo Rey Network graduates for a full-tuition scholarship.
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.
Approximately $25,000 per year (average)
Academic Tuition Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Close to an A average (~3.8/4.0 unweighted, recalculated) and exhausted curriculum available at school
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Awarded by the Office of Admission to ~30% of admitted students, solely on academic credentials; no separate application; no FAFSA/CSS required
Renewal terms
Renewable for four years provided students meet the GPA and academic progress requirements (specific renewal GPA not published — needs_confirmation).
Notes
Competitive (not automatic from a stat grid); ~30% of admits receive it. The stated GPA is a competitive minimum, not a guarantee.
Up to tuition, fees, housing and food costs (near-full-cost)
Roddy Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Must aspire to a career in the medical profession with plans for medical/dental/optometry graduate school; outstanding HS academic achievement; first-year students only; U.S. residents only; no separate application
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not published; needs_confirmation.
Notes
The closest thing to a full ride at PC, but gated to U.S. residents on a pre-health track; only one such scholarship.
Significant commitment to community service + proven involvement + strong HS academic record; declared major in Public and Community Service Studies; faculty-selected
Full tuition (plus full demonstrated financial need met)
Cristo Rey Scholarship
Application
View requirements+
Eligibility
Graduates of high schools affiliated with the Cristo Rey Network; awarded by Office of Admission at conclusion of Regular Decision; one per Cristo Rey school; encouraged to complete financial aid applications
Notes
Full-tuition value with full demonstrated need met; school-network exclusivity.
Outside scholarships (including tuition benefits) are treated as need-based and applied against unmet need first. If an adjustment is needed, the reduction begins with the least-beneficial monies: loans are reduced/reallocated first, then work study, then institutional assistance only if necessary. Outside scholarships do not replace the family contribution.
From the Other Scholarships page. NOTE: the publicly accessible pages describe a loan-first favorable order; they do NOT state a 'tuition-designated outside award reduces merit to keep merit+outside under tuition' rule or a blanket 'donor/endowed replace, not supplement' rule — those were not found on the pages opened and should be confirmed with the aid office / the Donor-Endowed & Outside Scholarship FAQ PDF.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
AmountFull tuition (four years)EligibilityStudents attending high school in the greater NY metro area (incl. parts of CT and NJ); considers financial need, academics, leadership, interest in PC
Automatic consideration; financial aid forms required
Do I need to file the FAFSA to get a merit scholarship?
No. The institutional merit scholarships are offered and determined by the Office of Admission at the time of admission, with no FAFSA or CSS Profile required (though Cristo Rey and need-linked awards encourage filing aid forms).
What GPA makes me competitive for a merit scholarship?
Recipients typically have exhausted their school's curriculum and earned close to an A average (about 3.8 unweighted, recalculated). This is a competitive minimum, not a guarantee — only about 30% of admitted students receive merit.
How are outside scholarships handled?
They are applied against unmet need first; if your aid must be adjusted, loans are reduced first, then work study, then institutional assistance. Outside scholarships do not replace your family contribution. You must report outside awards in writing to the Office of Financial Aid.
How Providence compares across our verified dataset
68 of 272 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
Providence is in a recognizable cluster (68 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
247 of 272 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Providence is one of them. The cohort minority (25 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 Providence’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
