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Santa Clara · California

Santa Clara Merit Aid

A private Jesuit university in Silicon Valley with a four-tier merit system: the Johnson Scholars Award (full tuition plus room, board, books, and up to $10,000 in professional development funds for roughly 5 students per year), the Presidential at Entry Scholarship (full tuition), the Provost Scholarship (half tuition), and Dean's Scholarships at varying amounts, all renewable for four years on a quarter calendar.

Verified Apr 2026Analyst pt-browser
Merit tiers4See requirements
Get merit aid13%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025
Last verifiedApr 2026Analyst pt-browser

Who this school is for

Families targeting a selective Jesuit university in the Bay Area where holistic merit review rewards leadership, service, and academic excellence alongside grades and test scores. SCU is test-optional, so students who choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores are still considered for all merit tiers. The Johnson Scholars program is the standout award, covering full tuition and demonstrated need for room, board, and expenses, but requires Early Action or Early Decision I application and University Honors Program enrollment. Presidential and Provost awards are also strong, covering full and half tuition respectively, while Dean's Scholarships provide smaller fixed amounts that do not increase with tuition.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $92,556 for 2026-2027. On-campus residential COA: tuition and student engagement fee $65,736, housing and food $20,094, books and supplies $1,305, transportation $1,386, personal and miscellaneous $3,969, loan fees $66. Off-campus COA is $99,030; commuter COA is $85,413. SCU operates on a quarter system. 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.

Full tuition per year, plus demonstrated financial need met for standard room, board, books, and supplies; up to $10,000 in professional development funds after first year

Johnson Scholars Award

ApplicationRenewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters (four years). Requires 3.5 cumulative GPA, participation in the honors program, annual FAFSA filing, and active participation in Johnson Scholars programming.

RequirementsGPA Typically unweighted 3.8+ in high school · SAT 1450+ if submitted (test-optional) · Must apply Early Action or Early Decision I and to the University Honors Program. Demonstrates highest levels of academic ability, motivation, and leadership potential. International students are not eligible. Approximately 5 scholars selected per year after a virtual Selection Day in mid-March.

The most comprehensive merit award at SCU. Covers tuition during the academic year (summer excluded) and the university commits to fully meeting demonstrated financial need for room, board, books, and other customary expenses. Professional development funds of up to $10,000 become available after the first year for internships, research, and travel. Scholars are expected to write yearly reflective letters to program sponsors.

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Full tuition per year

SCU Presidential at Entry Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters. Requires 3.5 cumulative GPA and satisfactory academic progress.

RequirementsFirst-year students demonstrating qualities identified and emphasized by the president as critical to the university's mission. Holistic review at time of admission; no separate application required. Test-optional.

Covers full tuition only, not room, board, or fees. Unlike the Johnson Scholars Award, no additional need-based supplementation or professional development funds are included.

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Half tuition per year (approximately $32,868 for 2026-2027)

SCU Provost Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters. Requires 3.0 cumulative GPA and satisfactory academic progress.

RequirementsFirst-year students who have assumed leadership roles in their schools and communities. Holistic review at time of admission; no separate application required. Test-optional.

Half-tuition award. The dollar amount does not increase as tuition rises each year, so the effective discount percentage may shrink over four years.

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Varies (amounts depend on the number of recipients and available funds)

SCU Dean's Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters. Requires 3.0 cumulative GPA and satisfactory academic progress.

RequirementsFirst-year students admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences, Leavey School of Business, or School of Engineering. International students are eligible. Holistic review at time of admission; no separate application required. Test-optional.

The broadest merit tier at SCU. Dollar amounts vary by year and are not published as a fixed range. Like the Provost Scholarship, the amount is fixed at the time of award and is not indexed to tuition increases. This is the only named merit scholarship open to international students.

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Outside scholarship stacking policy

SCU states that outside scholarships may affect the original financial aid award. The Financial Aid Office requires notification of all outside awards and issues a revised offer letter reflecting any changes. No published formula specifies whether outside scholarships displace merit aid, need-based grants, loans, or work-study first.

Santa Clara University's published policy says that outside monies 'may affect your original award' and that the Financial Aid Office will issue a revised offer letter. The FAQ does not detail a displacement hierarchy or specify whether merit scholarships are reduced before need-based grants. For Presidential and Provost Scholarship holders, the bulletin states that scholarships must be coordinated with federal, state, and university aid per federal regulations but does not explain the order of displacement. Families should contact the Financial Aid Office at onestop@scu.edu or 408-551-1000 for a specific scenario before assuming outside awards will stack on top of institutional merit.

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Common Data Set snapshot

From the Santa Clara Common Data Set 2024-2025:

SAT mid-50%1360–148025th / 75th percentile
ACT mid-50%31–3325th / 75th percentile
Receive institutional merit13%First-year students
Average merit award$16,788Across recipients

Source: Common Data Set

Lesser-known scholarships at Santa Clara

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

AmountVaries by yearEligibilityFirst-year undergraduate students who graduated from a Jesuit high school. Need-based consideration; FAFSA required annually, CSS Profile required initially.

Renewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters. Not indexed to tuition increases. Amounts vary depending on the number of qualified students. Easy to overlook if families do not realize Jesuit high school graduation is a distinct eligibility criterion.

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AmountVaries by yearEligibilitySelected first-year undergraduate students whose experiences, service, and talents will enrich the university community. CSS Profile and FAFSA recommended.

Renewable for 12 consecutive academic quarters. Not indexed to tuition increases. This is a hybrid merit-service award that does not require a separate application. Many families confuse it with athletic Bronco awards, but it is a distinct institutional scholarship.

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Amount$5,000 to $10,000 per academic yearEligibilityTransfer students from designated Bay Area community colleges with a minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA and at least 30 transferable semester units. Must submit FAFSA.

Renewable for up to three consecutive academic years. Students with community-based organization scholarships may receive an additional $5,000 annually. Not available to first-year applicants.

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AmountVaries; Quinn Martin Scholarship covers partial tuition for junior and senior yearsEligibilityUndergraduates majoring in Theatre, Dance, or Music. Minimum 3.0 GPA in Theatre Arts major and 2.5 cumulative GPA. Continued participation in department productions required each quarter.

Multiple named awards including the Quinn Martin Scholarship (partial tuition, junior year with senior renewal), Founders Scholarship, and several need-based departmental scholarships. These are separate from the main admission merit tiers and are awarded by the department.

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AmountPartial to full tuition; may include on-campus housingEligibilityHigh school seniors or current college students accepted to SCU who qualify for the Army ROTC program.

Administered through the Department of Military Science (408-554-6831), not the Financial Aid Office. Can potentially stack with institutional merit, subject to the COA cap and aid coordination rules.

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Common mistakes at Santa Clara

  1. Unlike the Presidential (full tuition) and Provost (half tuition), the Dean's Scholarship amount varies by year and number of recipients. SCU does not publish a fixed range. Families who budget around an assumed floor may be surprised by the actual award.

  2. The FAQ explicitly states that except for Presidential and Provost Scholarships, all offers are fixed amounts not indexed to tuition changes. Even Provost and Dean's awards are described as not indexed. This means the effective discount shrinks each year as tuition rises, increasing the family's out-of-pocket cost over four years.

  3. Johnson Scholars candidates must apply Early Action or Early Decision I and to the University Honors Program. Students who apply Regular Decision are not eligible for the most comprehensive merit award at SCU, which covers full tuition plus demonstrated need for room, board, and professional development funds.

  4. Students who graduated from a Jesuit high school are eligible for the Ignatian Award, a separate need-based grant that is easy to miss in the application process. It requires FAFSA and CSS Profile filing but no separate application.

Santa Clara merit aid FAQ

  • Does Santa Clara University require SAT or ACT scores for merit scholarship consideration?

    No. SCU is test-optional for admission and for all merit scholarship tiers, including the Johnson Scholars Award. The CDS confirms that standardized test scores are 'considered if submitted' but are not required. The Johnson Scholars page notes that typical scholars have SAT scores of 1450+ if submitted, but this is descriptive of past cohorts, not a requirement. Students who choose not to submit scores are still considered for every merit level.

  • What GPA does my student need to keep a Santa Clara merit scholarship?

    It depends on the tier. The Johnson Scholars Award and Presidential at Entry Scholarship require a 3.5 cumulative GPA. The Provost and Dean's Scholarships require a 3.0 cumulative GPA. All merit scholarships also require full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and continuous enrollment for up to 12 consecutive academic quarters. SCU operates on a quarter system, so there are three GPA checkpoints per year rather than two.

  • Will outside scholarships reduce my student's SCU merit award?

    Possibly. SCU's FAQ states that outside monies 'may affect your original award' and that the Financial Aid Office will issue a revised offer letter. However, SCU does not publish a specific displacement formula explaining whether outside awards reduce merit scholarships, need-based grants, loans, or work-study first. Contact the Financial Aid Office at onestop@scu.edu before assuming outside scholarships will simply add to the existing package.

  • How many students receive merit scholarships at Santa Clara?

    According to the 2024-2025 Common Data Set, approximately 215 first-year students with no demonstrated financial need received institutional non-need-based merit scholarships, representing about 13% of the entering class. The average non-need institutional merit award for first-year students was $16,788. The Johnson Scholars program selects approximately 5 students per year. The total number receiving Presidential, Provost, and Dean's awards is not published separately.

  • Is the Johnson Scholars Award only for domestic students?

    Yes. The Johnson Scholars program page states that international students are not eligible. However, international students are eligible for the Dean's Scholarship, which is the only named merit tier at SCU that explicitly includes international applicants. Presidential and Provost eligibility for international students is not explicitly addressed on the merit scholarships page.