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Saint Mary's (CA) scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$87,612per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Saint Mary's (CA) awards automatic merit on admission. Saint Mary's (CA) does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

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.

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. 2026-27 First-Year Merit-Based Scholarships (Trustee's / Presidential / Provost's / Dean's / Gael)$26,000-$38,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    2026-27 First-Year Merit-Based Scholarships (Trustee's / Presidential / Provost's / Dean's / Gael)

    $26,000-$38,000

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

    GPA
    Determined by the student's official academic weighted GPA (no public GPA-to-tier mapping)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 2026-27 First-Year Merit-Based Scholarships (Trustee's / Presidential / Provost's / Dean's / Gael)

    Who qualifies

    Awarded at the time of acceptance; no additional forms required; applicable to all undergraduate degree programs EXCEPT Nursing

    How to keep it

    Automatically applied each year for a total of four years of consecutive full-time undergraduate study, provided students meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Worth knowing

    Tiers: Trustee's $38,000/yr ($152,000 total); Presidential $36,000 ($144,000); Provost's $34,000 ($136,000); Dean's $30,000 ($120,000); Gael $26,000 ($104,000). Cap: max $50,000/yr in merit + other non-need awards. Merit is applied toward any demonstrated need-based aid. Tuition Exchange recipients: merit + TE capped at the $43,000 TE set rate.

  2. 2026-27 Transfer Student Merit-Based Scholarships (Presidential / Provost / Dean's / Gael Transfer)$4,000-$20,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    2026-27 Transfer Student Merit-Based Scholarships (Presidential / Provost / Dean's / Gael Transfer)

    $4,000-$20,000

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

    GPA
    Determined by the student's official cumulative academic college GPA (no public mapping)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 2026-27 Transfer Student Merit-Based Scholarships (Presidential / Provost / Dean's / Gael Transfer)

    Who qualifies

    Awarded at acceptance; no additional forms; not applicable to Nursing

    How to keep it

    Automatically applied each year for a maximum of three years of consecutive full-time study ending with a baccalaureate degree, provided students meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Worth knowing

    Tiers: Presidential Transfer $20,000; Provost Transfer $18,000; Dean's Transfer $16,000; Gael Transfer Award $4,000. Same $50,000 non-need cap and merit-applied-toward-need rule.

  3. Lasallian Leadership Award$5,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Lasallian Leadership Award

    $5,000

    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 Lasallian Leadership Award

    Who qualifies

    Admitted first-year students graduating from De La Salle Christian Brothers high schools; no additional forms required

    How to keep it

    Automatically applied to each of four years of consecutive full-time undergraduate study toward a first bachelor's degree.

    Worth knowing

    $20,000 total over four years. Explicitly combinable with one of the merit-based scholarships determined at acceptance.

Lights up against Saint Mary's (CA)'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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The fine print

Renewal rule2026-27 First-Year Merit-Based Scholarships (Trustee's / Presidential / Provost's / Dean's / Gael): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Automatically applied each year for a total of four years of consecutive full-time undergraduate study, provided students meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What makes Saint Mary's (CA) different

Saint Mary's (Lasallian Catholic) publishes a five-tier 2026-27 merit table from $26,000 to $38,000 — automatic at acceptance from weighted GPA — but caps merit-plus-non-need awards at $50,000/yr, counts merit against demonstrated need, and excludes BSN students from merit entirely.

Merit tiers32 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 Saint Mary's (CA)'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. Saint Mary's states plainly: 'Merit-based scholarships are applied towards any demonstrated need-based aid that is offered' — a $38,000 Trustee's Scholarship reduces need-based aid rather than stacking on it.

  2. Two caps apply: 'Students can receive up to a maximum of $50,000 in merit and other Saint Mary's non-need based awards per year,' and Legacy combinations are limited to 'a maximum of three separate awards, which may not exceed the cost of tuition.' Pell/Cal Grant recipients' total gift aid also cannot exceed tuition.

  3. 'Merit-based scholarships are applicable to all undergraduate degree programs except Nursing' — and the BSN's published COA is higher ($102,330 on campus vs. $87,612), so the real cost gap for nursing students is dramatically larger.

  4. 'For recipients of Tuition Exchange, the combination of Saint Mary's merit and Tuition Exchange scholarship is capped at the Tuition Exchange set rate of $43,000.'

  5. Merit applies to 'four years of consecutive full-time undergraduate study' (three for transfers) and requires Satisfactory Academic Progress — gap semesters or part-time terms jeopardize the award.

  6. That award requires the FAFSA by January 1 plus Pell and Cal Grant qualification, an audition, and a 3.0 GPA — each gate independently disqualifies late or ineligible applicants.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students with strong weighted GPAs get five guaranteed-consideration tiers up to $38,000; De La Salle Christian Brothers high school grads stack $5,000 more — but families counting on need-based aid should know merit is applied against need, and BSN students get no merit at all.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $87,612 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Saint Mary's (CA), what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Saint Mary's (CA), academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$19,462
$30,001–$48,000$20,127
$48,001–$75,000$23,303
$75,001–$110,000$29,049
$110,001+$40,581
All income levels (average)$30,378

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$57,803
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$30,378

That works out to roughly a 61% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $77,659 (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
85%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,691 (~$251/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$78,812
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
25%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
40%
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): I'm expecting to receive outside scholarships. How will this affect my financial aid offer from Saint Mary's? ... When necessary, Saint Mary's aid is reduced to conform to the commission's estimate of financial need. If a student is "overawarded" in financial aid, the financial aid will be adjusted by reducing awards in the following order: Federal subsidized/unsubsidized Direct Loans and/or Perkins Loans; Federal Work Study; Saint Mary's Scholarships; Federal SEOG; Saint Mary's College athletic grants; Scholarships from state or private sources. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: The Legacy Scholarship may be combined with other SMC scholarships only up to three separate awards, which may not exceed the cost of tuition; total gift aid for Pell/Cal Grant recipients also may not exceed tuition. (per https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/financial-aid/merit-based-scholarships)

Source

Other Saint Mary's (CA) scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$2,000 per year (four years)EligibilityNew first-year and transfer students who are immediate children or grandchildren of Saint Mary's alumni (completed B.A./B.S. or graduate degree); automatic upon contingent acceptance

Contingent on SAP. Combinable with other SMC scholarships up to a max of three separate awards, not exceeding tuition; gift aid capped at tuition for Pell/Cal Grant recipients.

Source

Amount$5,000 per year ($20,000 total, per search summary of the departmental page; departmental page itself not opened)EligibilitySelected incoming first-year students who declare majors in participating departments (including performing arts)

Listed on the first-year scholarships page as a category; amount needs reviewer confirmation from the departmental scholarships page.

Source

AmountFull cost (tuition, fees, housing, and meal plan)EligibilityAfrican American students with financial need from Alameda or Contra Costa Counties pursuing a Performing Arts major/minor; audition and interview required; FAFSA by January 1; must qualify for Pell and Cal Grant; minimum 3.0 GPA

Renewable four years with full-time enrollment. Need-gated despite the talent component.

Source

Amount$2,500-$5,000 annuallyEligibilityIncoming first-years, transfers, and current SMC students committed to the Macken forensics team; separate application required

Source

Amount$6,000 per yearEligibilityOne entering first-year and one transfer/continuing junior annually; Communication majors or demonstrated journalism commitment; 3.0+ GPA, 500-word statement, portfolio, reference letter, application

Source

Saint Mary's (CA) merit aid FAQ

  • How much merit aid does Saint Mary's give first-years for 2026-27?

    Five automatic tiers based on official weighted GPA, awarded at acceptance: Trustee's $38,000, Presidential $36,000, Provost's $34,000, Dean's $30,000, Gael $26,000 per year — renewable four years with SAP. No forms beyond the admission application.

  • What does Saint Mary's cost in 2026-27?

    Published full COA: $87,612 on campus, $95,278 off-campus apartment, $81,662 with family (tuition $61,416; food & housing $18,900 on campus; fees $636; plus books, personal, transportation). The BSN program's COA is $102,330 on campus. Required health insurance is $2,406 unless waived.

  • Are there deadlines?

    Merit awards follow the admission cycle automatically. Fall payment deadline: August 15, 2026 (spring projected January 15, 2027). The East Bay Performing Arts Scholarship requires the FAFSA by January 1.

  • Can I combine awards?

    The Lasallian Leadership Award ($5,000) explicitly combines with one merit scholarship; the Legacy Scholarship ($2,000) combines up to a three-award maximum not exceeding tuition. All merit plus non-need awards are capped at $50,000/yr, and merit counts against demonstrated need.

  • What GPA earns each merit tier?

    Not published — the page says tiers are 'determined by a student's official academic weighted GPA' with no cutoff table. Ask Admissions what weighted GPA earns the Trustee's vs. Gael tier.

See sources and other schools

How Saint Mary's (CA) compares

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

    Saint Mary's (CA) 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.

    Saint Mary's (CA) 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 Saint Mary's (CA)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

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