In the spectrum of educational funding, scholarships and grants are the "free money." These awards do not need to be repaid. In general, scholarships are given based on merit and grants are given based on financial need. A student is automatically considered for Federal grants and Villanova-endorsed scholarships, listed below, simply by applying for financial assistance from Villanova University. For all other outside grants and scholarships, it is the student's responsibility to verify application procedures.

Need-based Grants  |  Scholarships  | Other Scholarship Opportunities

Need-Based Grants

Villanova University Grant

This is an institutional grant based on financial need. Students must be accepted/enrolled in a full-time (minimum of 12 credits per semester) in the day college in an undergraduate degree program and pursuing their first baccalaureate degree. All Villanova students must apply for need-based financial assistance to be considered for this program. This award can be applied only to tuition charges billed by Villanova University during the academic year (i.e. during the Fall and Spring semesters) for a maximum of 8 semesters (4 years). To be given priority consideration for the grant, students must meet the application deadline. May be replaced by endowed scholarship funds.

Federal Pell Grant Program

This is a Federal grant for students demonstrating exceptional financial need and accepted/enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. Application for Federal Pell Grants may be made by submitting an initial FAFSA or a Renewal FAFSA. Part time students may be eligible for Pell grants.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

This is a Federal grant administered by the educational institution based on financial need. Only undergraduate degree candidates are eligible. Priority consideration is given to Pell Grant recipients. All Villanova students must complete the VU application and an initial FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA to be considered for the program.

PHEAA Grant

A Pennsylvania State Grant based on financial need for students and their parents who qualify as Pennsylvania state residents and who are accepted/enrolled in an undergraduate program and enroll for at least six credits each semester. For State Grant consideration, students are required to file either an initial FAFSA or a Renewal FAFSA by May 1. Additional information on the Pennsylvania State Grant can be found at www.pheaa.org.

Other State Grants

Certain states allow residents to take their state grants into Pennsylvania for study at Villanova. Students are responsible for checking with the respective State Higher Education Agency as to the correct application necessary for state grant consideration.

Scholarships

Each year, the University receives applications for admission from a group of gifted and talented individuals. In determining the ways in which the University will award financial assistance, a priority is placed on providing support on the basis of a student's demonstrated financial need.

In addition to need-based financial aid, the University provides financial assistance on the basis of student's academic achievements and their proven leadership and participation in activities outside of the classroom, in both their school and community; the University has a particular commitment to enrolling academic and civic leaders who are traditionally underrepresented on college campuses (e.g., low income, first generation and multicultural students.)

Presidential Scholarship  

The Presidential Scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated academic achievement and active participation in their school and the broader civic community. Students must be nominated by the chief academic officer of their high school (principal, president or headmaster), guidance counselor or an official school designee. They can also be nominated by a representative from a home school entity or non-profit educational organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged high school students with the college search process.

Nominees will be expected to show evidence of superior academic performance as reflected by their high school course selection and grade point average, as well as a high level of achievement on the SAT or ACT. Candidates will also be assessed in terms of leadership, civic engagement, ability to respond effectively to adversity, creativity, and expertise in a specific field, with consideration given to a student’s demonstrated financial need. Candidates will be required to complete a series of short essays to supplement the nomination form. The average weighted high school grade point average of candidates selected as finalists for the Presidential Scholarship in the Fall 2012 entering freshman class was 4.19 (on a 4.00 scale) and the average combined SAT score (Critical Reading and Math) was 1450 with ACT scores that were similar in competitiveness. A total of 28 Presidential Scholarships totaling $1,463,508 were offered to freshman candidates for the 2012-13 academic year.

Each year, a number of historically underrepresented students who have demonstrated leadership in their ability to make significant contributions to the academic and social cultures within their schools and communities are awarded Presidential Scholarships. Students who are African American/Black, Latino/Hispanic, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander or are the first in their family to pursue a college education or who come from a low income family (normally Pell Grant eligible), would be considered to be historically underrepresented. Of the 28 Presidential Scholarship offered to freshman candidates for the 2012-2013 academic year, 6 scholarships were offered to candidates who self-identified as underrepresented students totaling $296,794.

Villanova Scholarship

The Villanova Scholarship is awarded on the basis of exemplary academic achievement and accomplishments outside of the classroom. In order to be eligible for consideration, students will need to be enrolled in a rigorous curriculum, rank in the top 5% of their graduating class (if rank is reported), or have a minimum grade point average of a 3.85 on a 4.00 weighted scale (if rank is not reported) and a minimum combined SAT of 1380/1600 or a composite score of 31/36 on the ACT.

For the 2012-2013 academic year, scholarships (beginning at $1,000 per year) were distributed to 1,120 accepted students for a total of $6 million. The average, non-negotiable scholarship amount was valued at $5,357 per year. Recipients of the scholarship averaged a 4.17/4.00 GPA on a weighted scale and 1454/1600 on the SAT or a 33/36 composite on the ACT.

In order to be considered for a Villanova Scholarship a student must submit a completed application for admission (including SATs/ACTs taken no later than November) by December 1st and finalists will be required to participate in the Villanova Alumni Interview Program.

Commuter Scholarship

Partial tuition scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding students commuting from their families' homes that have demonstrated superior academic achievement and have exemplary SAT or ACT scores with a preference given to students who have a demonstrated financial need.  Candidates for the Commuter Scholarship must apply to the University as commuting students to be eligible for consideration.  Awards totaling $288,000 were offered to 25 prospective students for the 2012-2013 academic year. A scholarship committee reviews qualified applicants, and recipients will be notified on or before April 1.

The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program

The Villanova/Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program awards five $6,250 scholarships per year to academically outstanding undergraduates who are the first in their families to attend college, and demonstrate a financial need.  First generation is defined as students whose parents or siblings have neither completed a degree from a two-year or four-year institution, nor are currently in the process of taking coursework toward a two-year or four-year degree.  The scholarship can be renewed for an additional three years of undergraduate study if recipients maintain certain academic standards.

In order to apply for the scholarship, candidates must complete the Common Application and the Villanova Supplement for Undergraduate Admission, which must be received no later than January 7.  In addition, candidates must complete a Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program application and submit to the Office of University Admission by February 7.  The selection committee will review qualified applicants and will notify the recipients by April 1.

Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Application

Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund

The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund has been instituted for the purpose of providing need-based scholarship assistance to those who have extensive personal interest, involvement, and experience in the Hispanic/Latino culture.  The award is made to students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and whose families currently reside in the United States, who come from communities or populations that have been historically underrepresented in the student body at Villanova, who have demonstrated financial need and who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.  This award valued at $12,500 per year will be granted to an entering freshman.  This scholarship is renewable for a total of eight consecutive regular semesters. Returning undergraduate students will be considered for scholarship renewal on the basis of their academic performance and financial need. In order to apply for the scholarship, candidates must complete the Common Application and the Villanova Supplement for Undergraduate Admission, which must be received in our office no later than January 7, 2013. In addition, candidates must complete a Goizueta Scholarship application (found on the Admission website) and submit it to the Office of University Admission by February 7, 2013.  The selection committee will review qualified applicants and will notify the recipient by April 1, 2013.

Goizueta Scholarship Application

Hovananian Scholarship

The Hirair and Anna Hovananian Foundation established the Hirair and Anna Hovananian Scholarship in 1990 in order to provide financial opportunities to academically talented undergraduate students of Armenian descent to attend Villanova University on a full-time basis. The scholarship covers partial tuition and is renewable each year. The award is offered to qualifying students whose families currently reside in the United States, are US citizens/permanent residents, who have exemplary high school records, correspondingly high SAT or ACT scores and are of Armenian descent. Demonstrated financial need may also be taken into consideration.

In order to be considered for this scholarship, students accepted to Villanova University must complete the Hirair and Anna Hovananian Scholarship application form and submit the completed form to the Villanova Univeristy Office of Financial Assistance.  Award recipient selection will be based on availability of funds and the applicants' credentials.

Hovananian Scholarship Application

St. Martin de Porres Grant

Villanova University provides St. Martin de Porres Grants to serve the University's goal of attracting a richly diverse population of undergraduate students - an essential component of our effort to offer the highest quality education to all Villanova students.  St. Martin de Porres Grants are valued at full tuition and general fees.  Grant recipients are from the Greater Philadelphia area are members of the most underrepresented groups in undergraduate education, including (but not limited to) members of underrepresented racial and ethnic populations, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and students from families in which few or no members have attended college.  To be eligible for consideration, students must have exemplary high school records, correspondingly high SAT or ACT scores, leadership roles, and active involvement through service to the community. The Greater Philadelphia area is defined as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; and New Castle County in Delaware. In addition, candidates must complete a St. Martin de Porres Grant application and submit it to the Office of University Admission by February 7, 2013.  Finalists will be required to interview on campus in March, 2013.The selection committee will review qualified applicants and will notify the recipient by April 1, 2013.

St. Martin DePorres Scholarship Application

Denise McNair Scholarship

The Denise McNair Memorial Scholarship has been instituted in memory of Denise McNair who, on Sunday, September 15, 1963, died in the early days of the civil rights movement in a racially-motivated bomb attack at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. This scholarship, valued at full tuition for eight consecutive semesters, will be awarded every four years to an entering freshman who is a U.S. citizen from a traditionally underrepresented population, has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and is committed to family, religious faith, peace and justice. The McNair Scholarship is awarded every four years to an entering freshman.  Therefore, this scholarship will next be awarded to an entering freshmen starting in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Villanova National Merit Scholarship

These awards, ranging from $500 to $2,000, are offered to top students who are designated as finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and who selected Villanova University as their first college choice. Eleven accepted students were offered awards through the Villanova National Merit Scholarship program for 2012-2013.

Air Force ROTC/Villanova Scholarship

Level 2 scholarship recipients who meet academic qualifications set by the University may be nominated by the Air Force to have their Level 2 scholarship awarded by the United States Air Force, raised to Level 1, and meet the full cost of tuition by means of state and federal grants and University funds. Up to five awards are made annually to entering freshmen selected by the University from those who are nominated by the Air Force. The student is responsible for the first year base through federal, state and family resources. To be eligible for consideration, a candidate must meet all minimum academic requirements of the Villanova Scholarship.

Army ROTC/Villanova Scholarship

For selected Army ROTC award recipients, Villanova grants up to five scholarships. Villanova University agrees to fund U.S. Army scholarship winners with an amount not to exceed $5,000 to be used for University room and board charges. To be eligible for consideration, a candidate must meet all minimum academic requirements of the Villanova Scholarship.

Naval ROTC/Villanova Scholarship

The University provides grants to NROTC scholarship recipients who are designated by the Navy. Traditionally underrepresented students who have been awarded a three-year NROTC award will receive a full tuition scholarship from the University for their freshmen year. Villanova also offers a limited amount of partial scholarships annually to NROTC Scholarship recipients. These partial scholarships may be applied toward room or board expenses incurred at Villanova. To be eligible for consideration, a candidate must meet all minimum academic requirements of the Villanova Scholarship.

All scholarship recipients are required to complete the CSS PROFILE and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Funds received by the student from federal and state grant programs will be combined with University funds to equal the scholarship amount.