Get merit aid27%First-year students, CDS 2022-2023 (school-estimated)
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
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The merit-aid verdict at Young Harris
DRAFT: Every Young Harris admit lands in one of four GPA-based merit tiers worth $17,000-$21,000 (100% of students receive scholarships, and textbooks are free in tuition) — but YHC publishes neither the tier names nor the GPA cutoffs, and the standout extra is the need-plus-merit O. Wayne Rollins $25,000 award for six freshmen.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Young Harris
YHC publishes the range ($17,000-$21,000) and that awards are GPA-based, but NOT the tier names or GPA cutoffs. Families cannot pre-compute the award; ask admissions for the current tier criteria in writing.
Scholarships are 'awarded for up to four years as long as the student meets all renewal criteria' — but the renewal criteria themselves are not published on the scholarship pages. Get them in writing before enrolling.
The $25,000 Rollins award (six freshmen) requires demonstrated financial need AND having 'worked or volunteered during the summer' plus academic excellence; the application appears on the admissions portal and is due March 25.
Students with fewer than 30 hours of college coursework are considered for FRESHMAN scholarships (based on high school GPA), not transfer scholarships (based on college GPA) — which set of grades is stronger can change the award.
Don't over-budget — YHC includes all required textbooks in tuition ($0 line item on the cost breakdown). Conversely, don't expect a 'book stipend' from aid; there is no separate book charge to offset.
The advertised $47,695 residential total uses the $6,000 Appleby Center double; Enotah/Hillgrove run $8,500 and a Village single $11,500, and the $1,600/year student fee plus $200 parking apply on top of base tuition.
Who this school is for
DRAFT: Students who want guaranteed, substantial GPA-based merit (every prospective student qualifies for one $17K-$21K tier) at a small Georgia Methodist college — especially Georgia residents stacking HOPE/Zell and GTEG, and lower-income high achievers eyeing the Rollins award.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $47,695 for 2026-2027. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Young Harris, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at Young Harris, academic year 2021-22
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$19,721
$30,001–$48,000
$17,986
$48,001–$75,000
$20,095
$75,001–$110,000
$22,992
$110,001+
$25,053
All income levels (average)
$22,034
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$32,305
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$22,034
That works out to roughly a 54% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $48,301 (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
42%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
65%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$47,195
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
38%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
66%
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.
$17,000-$21,000
Academic Scholarships (four merit tiers)
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Based upon high school GPA — specific GPA cutoffs per tier are not published
SAT
Not mentioned
ACT
Not mentioned
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Full-time entering freshmen; considered upon completion of the application for admission and submission of the official high school transcript; 'Prospective students will qualify for one of these awards'
Renewal terms
Awarded for up to four years as long as the student meets all renewal criteria (the specific renewal criteria are not published on the pages opened).
Notes
The financial-aid page states there are 4 merit tiers between $17,000-$21,000 and every prospective student qualifies for one; tier names and GPA bands are not published anywhere opened — do not invent a grid.
Academic excellence in high school (no numeric cutoff published)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Six incoming freshmen; must demonstrate financial need; must have worked or volunteered during the summer; application appears on the admissions portal for qualifying accepted students; deadline March 25
Renewal terms
Renewable annually, contingent upon maintaining eligibility.
Notes
Merit-plus-need hybrid funded by the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation.
Majors in Art, Graphic Design, Music, Music Education, Musical Theatre, Theatre Performance, or Theatrical Design and Production with outstanding ability; awarding includes on-campus interview, audition, portfolio survey, and written recommendations
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not stated.
Notes
Talent-based; per-discipline audition/portfolio processes detailed on the page (art portfolio with drawing emphasis; two contrasting compositions for music; BFA Musical Theatre audition doubles as program audition).
From the Young Harris Common Data Set 2022-2023 (school-estimated figures):
Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Young Harris’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
27%of admitsget merit
Average award$17,534Covers ~37% of $47,695 cost of attendance
At Young Harris, roughly 1 in 4 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $17,534 — about 37% of total cost.
As filed in Young Harris's CDS Section H2A: of 251 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 68 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $17,534. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 232 of 832, averaging $18,138. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.
The 2022-2023 column is marked "estimated" in the school's own CDS filing — school-projected figures, not final audited counts.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
AmountVaries by programEligibilityActive, full members of The United Methodist Church enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program at a participating college.
Applications through the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation and GBHEM.
AmountAmount not published (external foundation award)EligibilityGeorgia resident, U.S. citizen, demonstrated financial need, 30+ completed credit hours with at least a 'B' average.
Apply online at tycobbfoundation.com by the March 1 deadline; renewable through the foundation's renewal process.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityCompetitive; YHC students studying abroad at Wesley House, Cambridge (≈6 weeks, May 15-end of June) with interest in Methodist heritage; earns six credit hours.
AmountVaries (state-determined)EligibilityHOPE: Georgia residents with 3.0+ HOPE GPA and rigor requirements. Zell Miller: 3.7+ HOPE GPA plus 1200 SAT or 26 ACT. GTEG: full-time Georgia residents at a private Georgia college.
The State of Georgia determines eligibility; YHC also maintains a HOPE/Zell-eligible info page.
Merit academic scholarships have no separate application — the financial-aid page says 'There is no deadline to apply.' Exceptions: the O. Wayne Rollins Scholarship application is due March 25, the Rebecca Lynn Kessler Scholarship must be postmarked by December 10, and the (external) Ty Cobb Foundation application is due March 1.
How much merit aid will I get?
YHC offers four merit tiers between $17,000 and $21,000 per year based on high school GPA, and states that every prospective student will qualify for one of them. Specific tier cutoffs are not published — confirm with admissions.
How long does the scholarship last?
Academic scholarships are awarded for up to four years as long as the student meets all renewal criteria; the specific renewal criteria are not published on the scholarship pages.
What does Young Harris cost for 2026-27?
The published full-year residential figure is $47,695: base tuition $33,970 (12-18 hours flat rate), unlimited meal plan $5,920, Appleby Center double room $6,000, textbooks $0 (included in tuition), plus the $1,600 student fee, $200 parking, and $5 green fee. Other halls range to $8,500 (Enotah/Hillgrove) and $11,500 (Village single).
Does YHC take HOPE and Zell Miller?
Yes — as a private Georgia college, eligible Georgia residents can use the HOPE Scholarship (3.0+ HOPE GPA), Zell Miller Scholarship (3.7+ HOPE GPA with 1200 SAT/26 ACT), and the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant (full-time students). The State of Georgia determines eligibility.
How Young Harris compares across our verified dataset
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Young Harris is one of them. The cohort minority (82 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 Young Harris’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
