Institutional Scholarships
Cornell offers multiple scholarship opportunities to our students, which are called institutional scholarships and awards. When you recieve a Cornell scholarship or award the funding is automatically applied to your student account each semester. Cornell-funded scholarships apply neutral criteria in their awards.
Cornell merit scholarships 2026-27 Academic Year
| First-year scholarships and awards | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Iowa Promise Scholarship | $37,000 - $40,000* |
| Direct to Cornell Scholarship | $37,000 - $40,000* |
| National Academic Scholarship | $35,000 - $40,000* |
| Transfer Scholarship | $33,000 |
| Students transferring with less than 7 credit hours will be scholarshiped as first-year students |
|
| International Student Scholarships | $35,000 - $40,000 |
| International students are not eligible for federal aid. | |
*First-year scholarships may increase to $42,000 for students with exceptional academic merit of either:
- 4.0 GPA plus a 34+ ACT or SAT equivalent
- 4.0 GPA plus 20 Core courses (In Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language and English)
Cornell awards
Cornell awards require additional steps beyond your application for admission, and are renewable for up to four years like our merit scholarships. Awards are added to your merit scholarship, and increase your overall financial aid package.
| Talent awards | |
|---|---|
| Art Award | up to $5000 |
| Creative Writing Award | up to $5000 |
| Esports Award | up to $5,000 |
| Mock Trial Award | up to $5,000 |
| Music Award | up to $5,000 |
| All-State Music Award | $5000 |
| Spirit Award (Cheer and Dance teams) | $1,500 |
| Theatre and Dance Award | up to $5000 |
| Legacy Award | $2,000 |
| Transfer PTK Award | $1,000 - $2,000 |
All Cornell scholarships and awards are renewable for up to four years when you maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet any participation requirements for talent awards.
All Cornell scholarships and award amounts are based on your status as a residential, full-time student. Awards will be adjusted if those conditions change as noted in the terms and conditions of your financial aid award.
External or outside scholarships
When you receive a scholarship from a business, community group, foundation, or other entity outside of Cornell these are considered external or outside scholarships. Outside scholarships should be reported to the Office of Financial aid to be incorporated into your financial aid summary. The scholarships provider may pay funds directly to you or may work directly with Cornell to transfer funds on your behalf, in which case they will be applied to your student account the semester the funds are received, like an institutional scholarship.
Estimate your scholarship
If you're curious what your scholarship and overall financial aid package to attend Cornell will be, you can input your financial information into our Net Price Calculator for an estimated financial aid package. We also encourage you to have a conversation with your Admission Counselor or our Financial Aid Office if you have additional questions.