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Randolph-Macon scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$71,482per year · 2025-2026 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Randolph-Macon may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
5 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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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. Merit Scholarships (first-year)Up to $33,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Merit Scholarships (first-year)

    Up to $33,000 per year

    Variable or qualified 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 Merit Scholarships (first-year)

    Who qualifies

    Automatic consideration during the holistic application review process; no extra materials required. No published GPA/test grid.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to four years, provided the recipient continues to meet academic benchmarks, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, and is enrolled full-time at RMC.

    Worth knowing

    RMC publishes a Merit Scholarship Calculator (interactive tool; values not loadable in this session) instead of a public stat grid. The COA page's 'True Cost' example uses an average 'RMC Dean's Award' of $31,000.

  2. The Randolph-Macon College Presidential and Trustee Scholar Programs and Dean's Award$23,000 and upNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    The Randolph-Macon College Presidential and Trustee Scholar Programs and Dean's Award

    $23,000 and up

    Published award termsNot 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 The Randolph-Macon College Presidential and Trustee Scholar Programs and Dean's Award

    Who qualifies

    Competitive; outstanding students are invited to campus each spring for interviews with faculty. Based on academic performance and potential, indication of leadership, and general merit.

    How to keep it

    Renewable each year provided students maintain the required cumulative grade point average and satisfactory academic progress. Renewal GPA review begins at rising-junior year: Dean's Award 2.0, Trustee's Award 2.5, Presidential Scholarship 3.0 (no review for sophomores).

    Worth knowing

    Range stated by the 2025-2026 academic catalog for students entering fall 2025 — one year behind the assigned 2026-2027 aid year.

  3. Transfer merit scholarshipsStarting at $23,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Transfer merit scholarships

    Starting at $23,000 per year

    Published award termsNot 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 Transfer merit scholarships

    Who qualifies

    Automatic consideration upon acceptance; no separate scholarship application required. Based on the academic record received when applying for admission.

    Worth knowing

    Transfer admission requires a minimum cumulative college GPA of at least 2.0 (admission eligibility, not a stated scholarship cutoff).

  4. A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Program for Ordained MinistryHalf tuition (years 1-2), Full tuition (years 3-4)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Program for Ordained Ministry

    Half tuition (years 1-2), Full tuition (years 3-4)

    Published coverage or packageNot 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 A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Program for Ordained Ministry

    Who qualifies

    For qualified and selected students discerning a vocation in Christian ministry. Recipients must complete the A. Purnell Bailey Agreement with the Office of the Chaplain at the start of the semester; full-time enrollment required.

    How to keep it

    Students who successfully meet the program requirements will be awarded full tuition during their third and fourth years. Per the Consumer Information Guide, A. Purnell Bailey scholars follow the same renewal-GPA guidelines as the Presidential Scholarship (3.0 at rising junior/senior review).

    Worth knowing

    Costs for summer school and study abroad are not covered by this award. Tuition-only award — not a full ride.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleMerit Scholarships (first-year): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for up to four years, provided the recipient continues to meet academic benchmarks, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, and is enrolled full-time at RMC. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What makes Randolph-Macon different

Randolph-Macon automatically considers every applicant for merit scholarships ranging up to $33,000 a year, but caps all non-need-based institutional awards plus Virginia TAG at the price of tuition.

Merit tiers4See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  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 Randolph-Macon'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. Both the Scholarships & Grants page and the academic catalog state that the maximum total of all RMC non-need-based awards (Dean's Award, Presidential, Trustee, family grant, legacy grant, minister's family grant, pre-ministerial grant) plus TAG may not exceed tuition. Awards above that level are effectively capped.

  2. The Aid for Transfer Students page states: 'Randolph-Macon College allows for a maximum combination of up to three Affiliation Awards and/or Program Scholarships.'

  3. The Financial Aid Consumer Information Guide states that a named endowed scholarship 'does not change the total amount of financial aid awarded' and that endowed funds 'replace the amount of any RMC funding on a dollar-for-dollar basis.'

  4. The Consumer Information Guide requires students to notify the Financial Aid Office in writing of changes 'including the receipt of external scholarships, grants, or loans' and warns that 'Changes in these areas may reduce your financial aid award.' The exact reduction order (loan vs. grant first) is not published.

  5. Per the Consumer Information Guide, academic scholarships are not reviewed for sophomores, but rising juniors and seniors must hold a 2.0 cumulative GPA for the Dean's Award, 2.5 for the Trustee's Award, and 3.0 for the Presidential Scholarship (A. Purnell Bailey scholars follow the Presidential 3.0 standard).

  6. The Bailey award is tuition-only (half tuition years 1-2, full tuition years 3-4; summer school and study abroad not covered). The Pre-Ministerial Grant 'may not be combined with the A. Purnell Bailey scholarship or other Randolph-Macon academic scholarships,' and the catalog says recipients must sign a note promising to repay the grant if they do not enter a church-related vocation.

  7. Merit awards require full-time enrollment at RMC; the Consumer Information Guide states that if your course load is fewer than 12 credit hours at the end of the add period, 'your financial aid awards may be reduced or cancelled.' Aid is also generally limited to eight semesters.

  8. RMC calls VTAG 'highly recommended for every Virginian' (listed at $5,250 on the Scholarships & Grants page; the 2025-2026 catalog says $5,150). The application deadline is September 15, and applications received after that date are not guaranteed funding.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students with strong academic records who want automatic merit consideration with no extra application — including transfers, who are automatically considered for merit starting at $23,000 per year. Pre-ministerial students can earn half- to full-tuition awards through the A. Purnell Bailey program.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $71,482 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Randolph-Macon, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$16,601
$30,001–$48,000$20,983
$48,001–$75,000$23,357
$75,001–$110,000$26,303
$110,001+$32,226
All income levels (average)$27,866

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$49,466
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$27,866

That works out to roughly a 56% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $63,985 (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
70%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
84%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$58,448
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
20%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
61%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships reduce loans and/or work-study first; institutional grants are only reduced if required to prevent an over-award.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): External scholarships are treated as a resource in all financial aid offers. At RMC, external awards will replace unmet need and self-help before reducing any institutional aid. Resources must be held to the total cost of attendance and may reduce institutional tuition-based aid if the external scholarship has restrictions and could impact RMC need-based aid if offered. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: A maximum of three Affiliation Awards and/or Program Scholarships may be combined. (per https://catalog.rmc.edu/fees-financial-aid/aid-programs-not-need-based/)

Source

Other Randolph-Macon scholarships worth checking

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

AmountUp to $1,500 per year/per familyEligibilityFamilies with two or more siblings concurrently enrolled full-time at the College.

Indicated on the application to RMC. Maximum amount per family is $1,500 per academic year.

Source

Amount$1,500EligibilityEntering students with a legacy connection: father or mother, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, or grandfather or grandmother who previously attended the college.

Legacy status indicated on the application.

Source

AmountUp to $1,000 per yearEligibilityStudents who are referred to the College, in honor of the referrer.

Admission is required, and not guaranteed for any student referred.

Source

Amount$1,000 to $3,000 per yearEligibilityStudents who plan to major in chemistry; must be a recipient of a merit-based Presidential Scholarship; selected by the chemistry department based on a chemistry placement exam.

Gated on already holding the Presidential Scholarship.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityTwo incoming freshmen each year; Wornom Fellows are expected to apply to medical school and pursue research, internships, and shadowing.

Funded by a $3 million estate gift; per-student award amount is not stated on the page.

Source

Amount$1,000 per yearEligibilityAudition in voice, instrument, technical theatre, acting, and/or show choir; a major in music or theatre is not required.

Audition required.

Source

AmountOne-third of tuitionEligibilityDependents of ministers serving the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Counts toward the tuition cap on all RMC non-need-based awards plus TAG. Eligibility form required.

Source

AmountOne-half of tuitionEligibilityStudents preparing for full-time church-related vocations in churches or denominations approved by the college.

May NOT be combined with the A. Purnell Bailey scholarship or other RMC academic scholarships. Catalog: student must sign a note promising to repay the award if the student does not enter a church-related vocation.

Source

AmountFull tuition, plus additional stipendsEligibilityAwarded to applicants who have demonstrated their attributes as scholars, athletes, and leaders; administered through the University of Richmond Department of Military Science.

External/federal program hosted through a partner battalion, not RMC institutional funds.

Source

Randolph-Macon merit aid FAQ

  • Is there a separate scholarship application at Randolph-Macon?

    No for the core merit awards — applicants 'are always considered for merit-based scholarships during the application review process; no extra materials are required.' Competitive Presidential/Trustee/Dean's awards involve spring on-campus interviews by invitation. Non-need, non-merit awards (family, legacy, minister's family, pre-ministerial grants) require the Entitlement Eligibility Form.

  • What are the application deadlines for first-year students?

    Per the How to Apply page (no years given): Early Action — October 17; Early Decision — November 15; Early Action II — December 10; Regular Decision — March 1; Nursing and Spring Entry — December 10. Notification is rolling.

  • How much merit aid can I get?

    The Scholarships & Grants page says merit scholarships 'range up to $33,000 per year.' The 2025-2026 catalog says Presidential/Trustee/Dean's awards 'range in value from $23,000 and up for students entering in fall 2025.' The COA page's average example shows a $31,000 RMC Dean's Award.

  • Do transfer students get merit scholarships?

    Yes. Accepted transfer students are automatically considered for merit scholarships 'that start at $23,000 per year' with no separate scholarship application.

  • What GPA do I need to keep my scholarship?

    No review as a sophomore. As a rising junior and rising senior: 2.0 cumulative GPA for the Dean's Award, 2.5 for the Trustee's Award, 3.0 for the Presidential Scholarship (A. Purnell Bailey scholars follow the Presidential guidelines). General SAP also requires completing 67% of attempted credits and a 2.00 cumulative GPA.

  • What is the deadline for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)?

    September 15. First-time recipients must submit a TAG application by then; applications received after September 15 are not guaranteed funding. Apply at schev.edu.

  • When will I hear about my financial aid?

    Per the catalog, new students who filed the FAFSA on time will be notified by March 15 regarding financial aid eligibility; notifications are sent by email.

  • What is the full cost of attendance?

    For 2025-2026 (most recent published), the on-campus total is $71,482: tuition $50,574, fees $1,918, housing $8,416, meals $7,016, plus books, transportation, personal, additional meal expenses, and loan fees. 2026-2027 figures were not yet published at the time of this extract.

See sources and other schools

How Randolph-Macon compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Randolph-Macon is in a recognizable cluster (145 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.

    Randolph-Macon 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 Randolph-Macon’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Randolph-Macon merit aid

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