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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Pacific
Decision sheet

California · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Pacific automatically considers all admitted first-years for merit scholarships of $10,000-$30,000/year (holistic, no grid), but a federal COA cap means combined aid is reduced — self-help first, then scholarships/grants — once total aid exceeds the cost of attendance.

Selection beyond grades and scores. 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.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 6 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Academic Merit Scholarships for First-Year Students (Pacific, President's, Provost's, Regent's, Sequoia, Tiger Excellence, Humanities, Conservatory)

$10,000-$30,000 per year · Published range

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Accepted first-year undergraduates; determined holistically (high school attended, GPA, curriculum rigor, commitment, extracurriculars, leadership, demonstrated interest). No published GPA/test grid.

Renewal: Renewable for up to four years (eight fall and spring semesters) with full-time enrollment (12+ units) and Satisfactory Academic Progress. Cannot be applied to professional coursework in pharmacy, dentistry, or law.

Other terms: All admitted students automatically considered — no separate application and FAFSA not required, EXCEPT CIP (FAFSA + separate app, need-based) and Forensic (separate app). Powell Scholarship requires a supplemental application (separate tier).

https://www.pacific.edu/financial-aid/scholarships

Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarship

$16,000-$30,000 per year · Published range

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Academically exceptional transfer (domestic and international) students; determined holistically (transfer GPA, curriculum rigor, commitment, extracurriculars, leadership, demonstrated interest). Pacific Global transfers not eligible.

Renewal: Generally renewable for up to a total of three years (six fall and spring semesters) with full-time enrollment and SAP. Cannot be applied to professional coursework in pharmacy, dentistry, or law.

Other terms: No separate application and FAFSA not required. Note the shorter 6-semester renewal window vs 8 for first-years.

https://www.pacific.edu/financial-aid/scholarships

Powell Scholarship (Powell Scholars Program)

Amount not published · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

Eligibility: Requires a supplemental application; honors-level program

Renewal: Not stated on the scholarships page.

Other terms: The ONLY academic merit scholarship that requires a supplemental application — students are NOT automatically considered. Amount not published on the scholarships page.

https://www.pacific.edu/financial-aid/scholarships

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Federal COA cap: total aid (scholarships + grants + loans + work-study + outside awards) cannot exceed the cost of attendance. When the cap is hit, the Office of Financial Aid reduces self-help (loans and work-study) first 'whenever possible' before adjusting scholarships and grants — but scholarships/grants CAN be reduced once self-help is exhausted. (A separate rule found via search but not confirmable on an opened page states a Pacific grant/scholarship plus any other tuition award cannot exceed actual tuition — see Section C.)

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/university-of-the-pacific/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.