Grants your college pays from its own budget
Institutional grants come from the college itself, so the college writes the rules, sets the dates and decides who receives them.
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Your college's own aid
Colleges pay grants and scholarships from their own budgets: need-based grants, merit awards, department scholarships, waivers and emergency help. Here is how each one is decided and what keeps it coming.
Who holds the money: The college's financial aid office and admissions office
11 articles on your college’s own aid
The CSS Profile and the colleges that use it
The CSS Profile gives some colleges a fuller view of family finances so they can award their own grants.
Scholarships inside your academic department
Academic departments often hold donor scholarships for their own majors, with a separate application and their own deadline.
Emergency grants when a bill arrives mid-term
Many colleges keep a small emergency fund for students hit by an unexpected cost during the term.
Completion grants for students near the finish
Some colleges cover a small unpaid balance for students close to graduating, so a bill does not stop them at the end.
Tuition waivers your college offers
A tuition waiver lowers what the college charges instead of paying you, and each type has its own rules and office.
Merit awards from the admissions office
Admissions offices give many merit scholarships with the offer of admission, and keeping one depends on the terms in the letter.
Using a net price calculator before you apply
Every college that takes federal aid posts a net price calculator, which estimates your cost after that college's grants.
Conditions on a college scholarship
College scholarships often carry grade, credit and enrollment conditions that the college reviews before each renewal.
College aid for transfer students
Many colleges set aside scholarships for transfer students, with deadlines and rules apart from first-year awards.
Honors programs and the aid that comes with them
Honors programs at some colleges carry scholarships or other benefits, each tied to staying in good standing with the program.
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