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Sewanee scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$75,354per year · 2025-2026 · On-campus
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Sewanee awards automatic merit on admission. Sewanee does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
3 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. Vice-Chancellor's ScholarshipFull tuition, fees, room and board annually (1 awarded per class)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship

    Full tuition, fees, room and board annually (1 awarded per class)

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded automatically based on Common Application submission. Only one award per entering class — effectively Sewanee's top competitive tier despite being technically automatic on the admission application.

    How to keep it

    Renewable when student maintains satisfactory academic progress.

    Worth knowing

    Top of the Sewanee merit ladder. Covers the full residential cost (tuition + fees + room + board), not just tuition.

  2. Benedict ScholarshipFull tuition, fees, room and board annually (2 awarded per class)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Benedict Scholarship

    Full tuition, fees, room and board annually (2 awarded per class)

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Benedict Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded automatically based on Common Application submission. Two awards per entering class.

    How to keep it

    Renewable on satisfactory academic progress.

  3. Wilkins Scholarship$5,000 in addition to the recipient's EQB Award annuallyAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Wilkins Scholarship

    $5,000 in addition to the recipient's EQB Award annually

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Wilkins Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded on top of an EQB Award via the regular admission review. Stacks explicitly: 'in addition to your EQB Award annually.'

    How to keep it

    Renewable on satisfactory academic progress.

    Worth knowing

    One of the few small-college scholarships that publishes its internal stacking rule (Wilkins layers on top of EQB).

  4. EQB Award$5,000–$34,000 per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    EQB Award

    $5,000–$34,000 per year

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for EQB Award

    Who qualifies

    Sewanee's main merit ladder. Awarded automatically by the admission committee based on the Common Application. No separate scholarship application or interview. Specific tier amount is not published as a stat-banded ladder.

    How to keep it

    Renewable on satisfactory academic progress.

  5. George Hopper Award$1,500 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    George Hopper Award

    $1,500 per year

    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 George Hopper Award

    Who qualifies

    Open only to dependents of Episcopal clergy. Stacks on top of any other academic scholarship the student receives.

    Worth knowing

    Niche eligibility — a meaningful additional layer for clergy-family applicants but not part of the general merit ladder.

  6. Fellowship in the Arts$2,000, stackable on top of any academic scholarshipNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Fellowship in the Arts

    $2,000, stackable on top of any academic scholarship

    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 Fellowship in the Arts

    Who qualifies

    Open to admitted students with promise in visual studies, art history, film, dance, theatre, or music. Application invited after admission, not before.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years.

  7. University Choir ScholarshipStarting at $5,000 per year (up to 5 awards per cohort)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    University Choir Scholarship

    Starting at $5,000 per year (up to 5 awards per cohort)

    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 University Choir Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Audition-based. Awarded to attract musically talented students who will participate in the University Choir's domestic and international touring schedule.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years contingent on continued participation in the University Choir.

Lights up against Sewanee'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

Outside awardsNo published displacement order

Sewanee's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What makes Sewanee different

Episcopal liberal arts college in Tennessee with one of the deepest published merit ladders for a small college — a $5,000 to $34,000 EQB Award range layered with named full-ride scholarships (Vice-Chancellor's, Benedict) at the top.

Merit tiers74 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 Sewanee's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Sewanee's aid office says

Per the Office of Financial Aid, Sewanee: The University of the South, August 2026. How we verify

Division of responsibility for financial aid vs. merit schol

Does the Financial Aid office or Admissions handle merit and academic scholarship questions?

The Financial Aid office handles need-based aid, while the Admissions team handles all merit and academic-based scholarships and can address criteria and requirements questions.

“Our office in Financial Aid handles the need-based portion of awards. If you have any questions regarding how aid works or how we use the FAFSA or CSS Profile, I'm happy to assist you. Our Admissions team handles all of the merit and academic-based scholarships and would be able to address your questions regarding criteria and requirements.”
FAFSA opening date

When does the FAFSA open for the next aid year?

The FAFSA for 2027-2028 opens on October 1, 2026.

“The FAFSA Opens on October 1, 2026”

What families often miss

  1. Sewanee is explicit: 'Every Sewanee applicant is considered for academic scholarships simply by submitting the Common Application.' There is no separate scholarship application for any of the academic tiers — they are decided inside admission review.

  2. EQB is a range from $5,000 to $34,000. The actual award is decided by the admission committee with no published stat-band ladder. Families projecting at $34,000 without an admission decision are overestimating — the median EQB falls well below the top of the range.

  3. For students entering since August 2018, the Sewanee Pledge guarantees a semester-long study abroad program at no additional tuition cost. Families budgeting for traditional 'study abroad surcharges' often overestimate cost in years three and four.

See award cutoffs and special programs

Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship — Sewanee's one full-ride

The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship is Sewanee's highest award: full tuition, fees, room, and board. Only one is awarded per entering class. Like every Sewanee merit award, it requires no separate application — the admission committee selects the recipient from the regular applicant pool through the Common Application. The Benedict Scholarship (two per class, same full-residential coverage) is the next tier down, and the Wilkins ($5,000 on top of EQB) is the highest layered award most strong students will actually receive. Renewal is contingent on satisfactory academic progress.

Source

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong students looking for a small residential Southern liberal arts college where every applicant is automatically reviewed for the full merit ladder through the Common Application, and where layering rules between named scholarships (Wilkins + EQB, Hopper for Episcopal clergy dependents) are spelled out instead of left to admissions office discretion.

Cost of attendance$75,354 for 2025-2026Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
On-campus$75,354
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books

Comprehensive fee components (excludes optional tuition insurance); tuition + activities fee + bookstore + room/board = published $75,354 comprehensive fee.

Sewanee cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Sewanee, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$10,485
$30,001–$48,000$10,704
$48,001–$75,000$17,746
$75,001–$110,000$22,563
$110,001+$38,762
All income levels (average)$27,872

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$56,120
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$27,872

That works out to roughly a 61% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $71,986 (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
80%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
89%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$22,855 (~$242/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$64,911
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
16%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
42%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Sewanee documents internal stacking rules clearly (Wilkins layers on top of EQB; Hopper layers on top of any other academic scholarship; arts and choir fellowships stack on top of academic awards) but does not publish a single uniform displacement formula for outside private scholarships. Contact the Office of Financial Aid before counting on layering a large external award on top of a Vice-Chancellor's or Benedict.

Sewanee's scholarships page explicitly lists which internal awards stack and which don't, and the admissions hub frames the merit ladder as 'merit-based scholarships ranging from $8,000 to the full cost of attendance in addition to possible grants and tuition remissions through federal, state, or institutional sources.' But the public site does not spell out what happens when a student layers an outside scholarship on top of a Vice-Chancellor's or Benedict full-ride. Reach out to Financial Aid before assuming a stack will produce extra refund cash.

Source

Other Sewanee scholarships worth checking

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

AmountTuition, room, board, and fees for four consecutive yearsEligibilityStudents from Hungary. Established in 2007 by and in memory of Linda Klein, who was of Hungarian descent.

Extremely niche — Hungarian heritage requirement makes this a specific path for a small applicant pool.

Source

AmountTuition, room, board, and fees for four consecutive yearsEligibilityAdmitted international applicants (non-US Citizens) with strong academic profile and demonstrated high financial need. Up to 10 awarded annually. Must apply for need-based aid to be considered.

Source

Sewanee merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need a separate scholarship application at Sewanee?

    No. Sewanee states explicitly: 'Every Sewanee applicant is considered for academic scholarships simply by submitting the Common Application and all required admission documents on their Applicant Status Page.' The Vice-Chancellor's, Benedict, Wilkins, and EQB awards are all decided through admission review.

  • How big is the Sewanee merit range?

    From $5,000 (EQB floor) to full cost of attendance (Vice-Chancellor's, Benedict). The admissions hub describes the range as '$8,000 to the full cost of attendance' for the typical applicant pool. Internal stacking rules let Wilkins ($5,000 extra) and Hopper ($1,500 extra) layer on top of EQB.

  • Is the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship really only one award per class?

    Yes — Sewanee publishes 'Full tuition, fees, room and board annually (1 awarded).' The Benedict Scholarship, with the same full-residential coverage, is awarded to two students per class. The Wilkins ($5,000 on top of EQB) is the more common 'stacked' route for strong students.

  • What happens to my Sewanee merit if I study abroad?

    The Sewanee Pledge guarantees a semester-long study abroad program at no additional tuition cost for students entering since August 2018. Sewanee aid is designed to follow you for that semester rather than disappearing, which is unusual among small Southern colleges.

  • Does Sewanee publish how outside scholarships affect institutional aid?

    Not on the main scholarships page. Sewanee documents internal stacking rules (Wilkins + EQB, Hopper + any academic award) but does not publish a uniform external-scholarship displacement formula. Contact the Office of Financial Aid before assuming an outside award will stack on a full-ride scholarship.

See sources and other schools

How Sewanee compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Sewanee is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Sewanee is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Sewanee 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 Sewanee’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Sewanee merit aid

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