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The merit-aid verdict at Susquehanna
Every admitted student is automatically considered for a competitive academic merit scholarship of $40,000–$44,000/yr (no separate application), but the awards are holistic — Susquehanna publishes no GPA/test grid.
Rules that bite at Susquehanna
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Susquehanna's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalAcademic Scholarships (First-Year): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for eight regular academic terms; reviewed annually by the Scholarship Selection Committee; must meet GPA requirements, be a responsible member of the community, and enroll full-time. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Susquehanna
Susquehanna publishes only a $40,000–$44,000 first-year range and states awards are 'based upon an assessment of each admitted student's academic achievement and potential' on a competitive basis — there is no published grid, so the exact amount cannot be predicted from stats.
Outside scholarships are 'used first to offset equal amounts of loans and/or work-study awards' — they reduce self-help (loans/work-study) first rather than adding cash savings beyond it.
The page states these add-on awards 'may not exceed the total cost of tuition,' so the combined institutional award is capped at tuition.
Each of those $2,000 grants explicitly excludes students awarded Tuition Exchange or Tuition Remission.
Who this school is for
Strong-but-holistic applicants (no minimum GPA/test cutoff is published) who want a high sticker-discount automatically; creative-writing and music students who can add portfolio/audition awards on top.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $82,300 for 2026-2027. 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.
$40,000-$44,000
Academic Scholarships (First-Year)
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded on a competitive basis from an assessment of academic achievement and potential; no separate application required.
Renewal terms
Renewable for eight regular academic terms; reviewed annually by the Scholarship Selection Committee; must meet GPA requirements, be a responsible member of the community, and enroll full-time.
Notes
Awarded without regard to family income. No published GPA/test grid — holistic.
Outstanding academic achievement in previous college work.
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to eight regular academic terms (university scholarship renewal policy).
Notes
Community-college transfers in Phi Theta Kappa receive a $5,000 scholarship in addition to the merit award; transfers with an associate degree receive an additional $2,500 (matriculation-timing restrictions apply — dual-enrollment associate degrees not eligible).
First-year creative writing majors; based on quality of writing portfolio (submit a 5–10 page portfolio within two weeks of applying, no later than Feb. 15).
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to four years with full-time enrollment as a creative writing major and a 3.2 GPA in the major.
Notes
Ten awards. The Bundy Scholarship may also be awarded if funding is available. These awards are in addition to merit scholarships but MAY NOT EXCEED the total cost of tuition.
International applicants; automatically considered on completion of the application. Submitting SAT/ACT scores helps maximize the award. Sponsored students not eligible.
Notes
Partial-tuition only — the page states applicants can receive up to a $45,000 (USD) merit scholarship and that full scholarships are NOT available. No need-based aid for international students.
Outside scholarships are applied first to reduce loans and/or work-study (loan-first treatment), not to displace the merit grant. University scholarship + grant aid is capped at eight semesters. Named endowed (need-based) awards may be exchanged dollar-for-dollar with need-based aid. Add-on awards such as the Janet Weis writing scholarships may not exceed the total cost of tuition.
Per the scholarships page: outside scholarships 'will be incorporated into financial aid packages and will be used first to offset equal amounts of loans and/or work-study awards.' Susquehanna-funded aid (scholarship and grant) is limited to a maximum of eight semesters. Need-based awards may be exchanged dollar for dollar with named endowed scholarships.
Amount$2,500EligibilityTransfer students with an associate degree (must have matriculated to community college after high school graduation; dual-enrollment associate degrees not eligible).
Amount$2,000EligibilityEligible students who file the FAFSA (entering fall first-years file by March 15); renewable if FAFSA filed annually (school code 003369).
Students awarded Tuition Exchange or Tuition Remission are not eligible.
Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?
No. The page states students are 'automatically considered for scholarships through Susquehanna and cannot apply directly for them.' The only exceptions are music auditions and the creative-writing portfolio.
What is the creative-writing scholarship deadline?
Submit a 5- to 10-page portfolio within two weeks of applying, and no later than Feb. 15.
When must I apply to get the Early Admit Grant?
First-year students who apply and are admitted by Dec. 1, 2025 receive the $2,000/yr Early Admit Grant ($8,000 over four years).
How long do scholarships renew?
All university scholarships can be renewed for eight regular academic terms, subject to GPA requirements, full-time enrollment, and annual review by the Scholarship Selection Committee.
How Susquehanna compares across our verified dataset
145 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
Susquehanna 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.
669 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Susquehanna is one of them. The cohort minority (81 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 Susquehanna’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
