Cornell Financial Assistance Programs

Merit Scholarships:

Merit scholarships and awards are awarded to first-year and transfer* students. Scholarships and awards are only awarded to students in their matriculation year to Cornell College. Students with merit-based scholarships and/or awards, either academic or fine arts, must maintain the renewal criteria listed below. Please contact the Admission Office for specific scholarship amounts.

If a student forfeits a scholarship or an award, s/he will NOT be awarded a different scholarship or award, though eligible students may be awarded additional need-based aid. A student will not be awarded an additional award or have a scholarship upgraded based upon her/his academic performance at the college. Grades earned at another college do not apply toward the GPA renewal requirement, i.e., only grades earned at Cornell are applicable.

Note: Scholarship amounts may be adjusted for students living with parent(s). Contact the Admission Office for specific amounts.

*Transfer students who enter with junior status may retain their scholarship/award for a maximum of 18 terms, 2 years, or until graduation, whichever occurs first; sophomore status, a maximum of 27 terms, 3 years, or until graduation, whichever occurs first; first-year status, a maximum of 31 terms, 3 1/2 years, or until graduation, whichever occurs first.

General scholarship guidelines

As of Jan. 1, 2013, academic and fine arts scholarships are renewable annually if you make satisfactory academic progress, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. 

There is no probationary period for the above mentioned scholarships. 

**Additional performance criteria are also required. Please contact the Art, Music, or Theatre departments for renewal criteria.