Rutgers-Newark Scholarships for Undergraduate Students: A Comprehensive Guide
Rutgers University-Newark offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for undergraduate students, aiming to make higher education accessible and affordable. These scholarships are designed to recognize academic merit, support students with financial needs, and encourage diversity within the student body. This article provides a detailed overview of the scholarships available to first-year and transfer students at Rutgers-Newark.
Merit-Based Scholarships for First-Year and Transfer Students
Rutgers-Newark automatically considers all first-year and transfer applicants for merit-based scholarships when they apply for the fall semester. To maximize their chances of receiving a scholarship, students should submit their undergraduate admissions application by the priority deadline. There is no separate application required for these merit-based scholarships. Awarded students must accept their Rutgers University-Newark offer of admission no later than May 1 to receive a merit scholarship.
Chancellor's Scholarship
The Chancellor’s Scholarship is a prestigious award offered to both first-year and transfer students. For first-year students, the scholarship is awarded for four years of undergraduate study, while transfer students receive it for two years. The annual amount can range up to $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Academic Ability: The scholarship is based on academic merit.
- Assessment of Talents, Experience, and Potential: A holistic review is conducted to assess the applicant's talents, experience, and potential contributions to a diverse educational environment.
A minimum of one Chancellor’s Scholarship is awarded annually in the fall semester to an admitted transfer student from each of the following institutions:
- Bergen County College
- Essex County College
- Hudson County College
- Middlesex County College
- Passaic Community College
- Union County College
The Carr Scholarship
The Carr Scholarship is a significant award specifically for first-year applicants, providing $10,000 annually for four years, totaling $40,000 across their undergraduate study. This scholarship honors the first African-American Rutgers graduate and reflects the university's commitment to enrolling a diverse student body.
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Eligibility Criteria:
- First-year applicants are automatically considered.
- The scholarship aims to support students who bring diverse experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, special skills, and talents to the university.
Need-Based Financial Aid Programs
Rutgers-Newark offers several need-based financial aid programs designed to make college more affordable for students from low-income backgrounds.
Expanded Rutgers University-Newark Talent & Opportunity Pathways (RU-N to the TOP)
The Expanded RU-N to the TOP program is a "last-dollar" award that provides free in-state tuition and mandatory fees to eligible New Jersey undergraduate students.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Residency: Must be a New Jersey resident.
- Income: Annual adjusted gross income (AGI) of $65,000 or less.
- Enrollment Status: Must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) and working toward completing their first Bachelor’s degree.
- Credit Standing: A first-year student is defined as earning 0-29 credits, while a second-year student has earned 30-59 credits.
- Application: Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, if they qualify as a NJ Dreamer, the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application by the established deadline dates.
RU-N to the TOP covers tuition and fees not already covered by federal, institutional, and state financial aid or other scholarships.
The Garden State Guarantee (GSG)
The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) is a state-wide initiative designed to make college more accessible and affordable for New Jersey residents. Combined with the Expanded RU-N to the TOP program, GSG enhances the financial support available to students at Rutgers-Newark.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Residency: Must be a New Jersey resident.
- Income: Students with an annual adjusted gross income (AGI) between $0 and $65,000 will pay a net price of $0 for tuition and fees during their third and fourth years of study. Those with AGIs between $65,001 and $80,000 will pay a discounted net price of no more than $7,500 for tuition and fees.
- Enrollment Status: Must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) and must be working toward completing their first Bachelor’s degree.
GSG covers the cost of tuition and fees that are not already covered by federal and state financial aid or other scholarships. Rutgers-Newark applicants are automatically considered when they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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Scholarships for Specific Student Populations
Rutgers-Newark also offers scholarships tailored to specific student populations, including transfer students, international students, and students with particular interests or affiliations.
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarships for Transfer Students
Rutgers-Newark awards 20 PTK scholarships annually in the fall. These scholarships are specifically for transfer students who are members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at their community college.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Enrollment: Students must be enrolled full-time in a transfer program at a community college.
- Membership: Students must be a member of their community college’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
- Academic Achievement: Students must have earned an associate’s degree in arts or science by the time of enrollment and have a minimum grade point average of 3.8 for consideration.
- Direct Transfer: Students must enroll directly from the associate degree-granting community college, with no intervening enrollment at another institution.
A minimum of one PTK Scholarship will be awarded annually to an admitted transfer student from each of the following institutions:
- Bergen County College
- Essex County College
- Hudson County College
- Middlesex County College
- Passaic Community College
- Union County College
PTK Scholarships are awarded for two years of undergraduate study for a total of $16,000.
International Student Scholarships
All admitted international students (on valid non-immigrant visas) are automatically considered for Rutgers international scholarships. There is no separate application required. However, international students who wish to be considered for scholarships are encouraged to apply for admission by the early action or regular action application due dates, as early applicants are more likely to be awarded scholarships due to limited availability. International student scholarships are limited in number and can therefore be quite competitive. Scholarships can be renewable, provided the student maintains full-time enrollment status and meets the minimum academic criteria for each scholarship.
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TheDream.US Scholarships
Rutgers is a proud Partner College of TheDream.US, enabling DREAMers to attend Rutgers using scholarship funds provided by this program. TheDream.US scholarships award up to $29,000 to community college transfer applicants with an associate’s degree and up to $33,000 for high school graduate applicants obtaining a bachelor’s degree. This scholarship opportunity is specifically for undocumented students and DREAMers.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
Rutgers-Newark also offers a variety of other scholarship opportunities, including those funded by alumni donors, specific academic programs, and external organizations.
Endowed Scholarships
Rutgers offers several endowed scholarships ($500-$5,000 per year) funded by the generosity of alumni donors. Scholarships may be offered to descendants of the following class years: 1940, 1941, 1949, 1970, 1978, 1982, 1983, and the Rutgers College Class of 1980.
Specific Endowed Scholarships
- Theodore J. and F. Elizabeth Kirsch Southern California Endowed Scholarship: May be offered to first-year students who reside and attend public high school in the California communities of San Jose, San Mateo, and Palm Desert.
- Francis B. and Paige D. L’Hommedieu Scholarship: Awards ($1,750-$3,500 per year) are based on available funds and open to eligible transfer students from community colleges.
- Kevin Apuzzio Endowed Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to students with emergency services experience as they work to complete their Rutgers degree and pursue their future endeavors.
- Vincent R. Kramer Scholarship: To be awarded to one student entering their first-year at Rutgers University- New Brunswick, in the amount of $1,766.00. Recipients must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and leadership qualities in the community.
Program-Specific Scholarships
- Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) Scholarship: A transformative college access and success program that fosters the academic, social, and personal development of talented first-year and transfer students with a desire to make a difference in their communities and beyond. It offers a “last-dollar” HLLC scholarship that covers room and board.
- New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) II: A continuation of NJ STARS and provides eligible NJ STARS students attending NJ community colleges with funding (up to $1,250 per semester) to transfer to a NJ four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree. NJ STARS II is operated at the discretion of the State of New Jersey.
- **Scholarships, Fellowships & Financial Aid DANIEL ANDERL JUDICIAL PROTECTION PROJECT ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPDR. BIL LEIPOLD AND DR. JOE BERTOLINO SCHOLARSHIPSENATOR RONALD L. BIL LEIPOLD AND DR. JOE BERTOLINO SCHOLARSHIPThe Dr. Bil Leipold and Dr. Joe Bertolino Scholarship supports undergraduate (part-time or full-time) SCJ students interested in social justice and changing the criminal justice system. The grant is the result of a generous donation from Drs. RICE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPThe Senator Ronald L. Rice Endowed Scholarship is the result of a generous donation by the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. It celebrates the work of the late senator and his commitment to social and racial justice and community engagement. Senator Rice was a founder and the longtime chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus. The annual amount is $5,000. Awards are based on academic ability; an assessment of talents, experience, and potential; and a holistic review of how a student might contribute to a diverse educational environment.
School of Law, Newark Scholarships
- Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Scholarship: Available to full-time students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark. You must demonstrate significant financial need to qualify for this award. Preference is given to female students.
- Ralph Johnson Bunche Distinguished Graduate Scholarship: Available to full-time entering students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark.
- Dean's Merit Scholarship: Available to students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark.
- William S. Powers Research Fellowship: Available to full-time students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark. You must have an interest conducting research and writing with law faculty members to qualify for this award.
- William D. Hietanen and Robert Airgood Memorial Scholarship: Available to third-year students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark.
- Whitman Family Scholarship: Available to full-time students at Rutgers University, School of Law, Newark. Selection is based on academic potential and financial need. Preference is given to students in the Minority Student Program.
External Scholarship Programs
- National Merit Scholarship Committee: Rutgers is a sponsoring institution for students selected by the National Merit Scholarship Committee to receive the College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship Award ($1,000 per year, renewable).
- ACS-Hach Land Grant Undergraduate Scholarship: Available to full - time students majoring in chemistry.
- FIRST Robotics Scholarship: In support of the FIRST mission, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey has established a merit based scholarship to high school seniors who have actively competed on a FIRST team, during their high school career.
- September 11, 2001, Memorial Scholarship: Must be a dependent child of a New Jersey resident, whose death was as a direct result of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or the airplane crash in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and who are enrolled or have been accepted to attend Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
General Scholarship Policies
Several general policies apply to scholarships at Rutgers-Newark:
- Renewal Criteria: Scholarships can be renewable, provided the student maintains full-time enrollment status and meets the minimum academic criteria for each scholarship. First-year merit-based awards are renewable for three additional years provided you complete 24 credits per year and maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA (3.5 cumulative GPA for the Presidential Scholarship).
- Transferability: If you maintain full-time enrollment status and meet the minimum criteria set for such scholarship, your scholarship will transfer with you to another Rutgers-New Brunswick school. Note: This applies to merit scholarship recipients for Fall 2023 (and subsequent) first year and transfer students. If you received a scholarship prior to Fall 2023, your scholarship transfer to another Rutgers-New Brunswick school would be at the discretion of the school you wish to transfer into.
- Notification: Only admitted students who are offered a scholarship are notified of their awards. Incoming first-year admitted students are notified beginning in early March.
- Deferral Policy: Provided you follow all of the deferral guidelines and are not requesting an admission deferral for Mason Gross School of the Arts, you will maintain your scholarship and honors invitation for the following fall semester. You may only defer admission and maintain your scholarship offer for one school. Admission deferrals and scholarships for Mason Gross are not guaranteed. Applicants must reaudition or resubmit their portfolio for admission and scholarship review. Scholarships, unlike offers of admission, cannot be deferred.
- Acceptance: First-year students automatically accept their merit scholarship and/or honors offer by accepting our offer of admission by the May 1 candidate’s reply date.
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