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Villanova · Pennsylvania

Villanova Merit Aid

An Augustinian Catholic university near Philadelphia where merit aid is scarce and holistic: only about 5% of freshmen receive institutional non-need merit (averaging $32,067), with the Presidential Scholarship (25 awarded per year, full cost of attendance) at the top. Villanova prioritizes need-based aid, so families relying on merit alone face long odds at a $93,000 COA.

Verified Apr 2026Analyst pt-browser
Merit tiers4See requirements
Get merit aid5%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025
Last verifiedApr 2026Analyst pt-browser

Who this school is for

Families targeting a selective Catholic university where need-based aid is the primary lever for affordability. The Presidential Scholarship is a full-ride for 25 students per year, but selection is holistic with no published stat thresholds and requires a supplemental application plus on-campus interview. Most admitted students receive no institutional merit. The $16,000/year consolation award for Presidential finalists who are not selected is one of the few named partial-merit amounts Villanova publishes. Filing FAFSA and CSS Profile on time is critical, as the Villanova University Grant (need-based) is the workhorse award for most families.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $92,814 for 2025-2026. Residential student COA: tuition $69,846, student services fee $980, housing $9,870, food $8,650, books $550, supplies $560, personal $1,450, transportation $850, loan fees $58. 2026-2027 COA rises to $96,886 (tuition $72,990, student services fee $1,024). Villanova does not charge differential tuition by college or year of study. 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 cost of attendance: tuition, housing, meal plan (up to 21 meals/week), general fee, and textbook access program

Presidential Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters. Requires minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA. First-year scholars cannot be placed on probation; probation eligibility begins second semester of sophomore year. Once on probation, scholars have three semesters to restore GPA to 3.33 or risk losing the award. Must also comply with University Honors Program expectations and Code of Student Conduct.

RequirementsFirst-time, first-year applicants only. No minimum GPA or test score requirement, but selectees are typically in the top 1-2% of the national applicant pool. Apply via Common Application by January 15. A select number of candidates receive a supplemental application invitation in January along with their admission offer. Approximately 60 finalists interview on campus in March. 25 scholars are selected annually. Test-optional: SAT/ACT submission is not required.

Replaces any previous merit-based award. May also reduce need-based aid. FAFSA is not required for Presidential Scholarship consideration, but is required for other financial aid. Portions covering housing, meals, and optional equipment are taxable income.

Source

$16,000/year

Presidential Finalist Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 semesters. Requires satisfactory academic progress (2.0 cumulative GPA minimum for financial aid eligibility).

RequirementsAwarded to Presidential Scholarship finalists who participated in the on-campus interview but were not selected as one of the 25 Presidential Scholars. Approximately 35 students per year receive this consolation award.

One of the few named partial-merit amounts Villanova publishes. This is a meaningful data point for families: making the finalist round but not winning the full Presidential still yields $64,000 over four years.

Source

Full tuition and general fees

St. Martin de Porres Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 semesters. Requires satisfactory academic progress and continued alignment with the scholarship's mission of social justice advocacy.

RequirementsAcademically talented students with a demonstrated commitment to advocacy and social justice. All eligible applicants are automatically considered upon completing admissions and financial aid applications (FAFSA and CSS Profile required). No separate application.

Named for the patron saint of mixed-race people and social justice. Covers tuition and general fees but not room, board, or indirect costs. Villanova does not publish the number awarded annually.

Source

$500 to $2,000/year

National Merit Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable per NMSC terms, typically four years.

RequirementsNational Merit Finalist who selected Villanova University as their first-choice college with NMSC.

A token amount compared to schools that offer full-tuition NMF packages. Villanova does not supplement the NMSC-funded award with significant institutional merit for NMF status alone.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

Outside scholarships reduce self-help aid first, then Villanova institutional grants if total aid exceeds demonstrated need. A student cannot receive funding that exceeds cost of attendance.

A Villanova University Grant, when combined with outside privately funded or non-need-based gift aid, scholarships, tuition benefits, and tuition remission, cannot exceed need. If need is exceeded, an adjustment is made to reduce self-help aid first (loans, Federal Work-Study), then grant funds. A student cannot receive funding that exceeds cost of attendance. This means outside scholarships are beneficial up to the point where they eliminate self-help aid, but beyond that they displace Villanova institutional grants dollar-for-dollar.

Source

Common Data Set snapshot

From the Villanova Common Data Set 2024-2025:

SAT mid-50%1410–149025th / 75th percentile
ACT mid-50%32–3425th / 75th percentile
Receive institutional merit5%First-year students
Average merit award$32,067Across recipients

Source: Common Data Set

Lesser-known scholarships at Villanova

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

AmountVariesEligibilityU.S. citizens or permanent residents from historically underrepresented communities with demonstrated financial need, academic achievement, and personal involvement in Hispanic/Latino culture. Two entering first-year students selected per year.

Renewable for 8 consecutive semesters. A very small, targeted award that most families will not know about unless they review the merit scholarships page carefully.

Source

AmountLast-dollar support for 4 yearsEligibilityGraduates from participating Philadelphia-area high schools with demonstrated financial need. Up to 5 first-year students per year. Application deadline March 14.

A 'last dollar' scholarship, meaning it fills the remaining gap after all other aid is applied. Extremely limited eligibility restricted to specific feeder high schools in the Philadelphia region.

Source

AmountUp to $5,000/yearEligibilityArmy ROTC or Navy ROTC scholarship recipients. Must hold a federal ROTC tuition scholarship first. Villanova supplements with up to $5,000 for room and board.

Often overlooked: families with an ROTC tuition scholarship can stack this Villanova-specific room and board supplement on top, reducing out-of-pocket costs significantly.

Source

Worked stacking example

A Presidential Finalist with no demonstrated financial need receives the $16,000/year consolation scholarship plus a $3,000 outside scholarship from a community foundation.

Presidential Finalist Scholarship$16,000
Outside community scholarship$3,000
Total aidagainst $92,814 cost of attendance$19,000
Out of pocket$73,814

Common mistakes at Villanova

  1. Villanova does not publish an automatic merit grid. All institutional merit is holistically awarded by the Office of Admission. Only about 5% of freshmen receive non-need institutional merit (84 out of 1,726 in 2024-2025), averaging $32,067. The vast majority of admitted students receive no institutional merit aid at all. Families accustomed to automatic-merit schools like Alabama or Arizona will find Villanova's approach fundamentally different.

  2. Villanova's foundational Augustinian values lead it to prioritize need-based aid. The Villanova University Grant is the workhorse award for most families, and it requires both FAFSA and CSS Profile. Even the St. Martin de Porres Scholarship (full tuition for social justice advocates) requires financial aid applications. Only the Presidential Scholarship does not require FAFSA for consideration, but filing is still essential for other aid.

  3. Villanova's published policy states that outside scholarships first reduce self-help aid (loans, work-study), then displace Villanova University Grants once need is fully met. Families whose need is already met by institutional aid may find that outside scholarships simply replace Villanova grants rather than reducing out-of-pocket costs. This is standard practice at need-aware private universities but surprises families who expect outside aid to stack freely.

  4. All applicants who submit a complete Common Application by January 15 are automatically considered for the Presidential Scholarship. There is no separate initial application; the supplemental application is sent only to candidates identified by the Office of Admission. Late applications eliminate any chance at the highest merit award. Early Decision I (November 1) and Early Action (November 1) applicants are also considered.

Villanova merit aid FAQ

  • Does Villanova offer large automatic merit scholarships based on SAT/ACT scores?

    No. Villanova does not publish an automatic merit ladder or guarantee scholarships at specific test score thresholds. All institutional merit is holistically awarded by the Office of Admission. Only about 5% of freshmen (84 out of 1,726 in 2024-2025) received non-need institutional merit, averaging $32,067. The Presidential Scholarship (25 per year, full COA) is the flagship merit award, but it requires a supplemental application and on-campus interview, not just high stats.

  • What is the Presidential Scholarship worth, and how competitive is it?

    The Presidential Scholarship covers full cost of attendance: tuition, housing, meal plan (up to 21 meals/week), general fee, and textbook access. Twenty-five are awarded annually from roughly 60 finalists who interview on campus. Selectees are typically in the top 1-2% of the national applicant pool. There is no minimum GPA or test score, and the university is test-optional through 2026-2027. Finalists who are not selected receive a $16,000/year consolation scholarship.

  • How does Villanova handle outside scholarships?

    Outside scholarships are treated as a resource in the financial aid package. If total aid exceeds demonstrated need, Villanova reduces self-help aid first (loans, Federal Work-Study), then reduces the Villanova University Grant. A student cannot receive total funding exceeding cost of attendance. This means outside scholarships are most valuable for families with unmet need, where they reduce loan borrowing. For families whose need is already fully met, outside scholarships may displace institutional grants.

  • Is there a GPA requirement to keep the Presidential Scholarship?

    Yes. Presidential Scholars must maintain a 3.33 cumulative GPA. During first year, scholars cannot be placed on probation but receive a concern letter if they fall below 3.33. Probation eligibility begins the second semester of sophomore year. Once on probation, scholars have three semesters to restore their GPA to 3.33 or the scholarship is revoked. For non-Presidential merit awards, the general standard is satisfactory academic progress (2.0 cumulative GPA).

  • Should my family file FAFSA and CSS Profile even if we don't think we qualify for need-based aid?

    Yes. Villanova prioritizes need-based aid, and the Villanova University Grant (their largest pool of institutional aid, over $110 million in 2024-2025) requires both FAFSA and CSS Profile. Some scholarships like the St. Martin de Porres also require financial aid applications. Only the Presidential Scholarship can be awarded without FAFSA. Many families have more demonstrated need than they expect at a $93,000 COA, so filing is almost always worthwhile.