Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Drexel University Merit Scholarships

Planning for college expenses is a crucial part of the application process. Drexel University offers a variety of merit-based scholarships to recognize and support outstanding students. Understanding these opportunities can significantly ease the financial burden of higher education. This article provides a detailed overview of Drexel University's merit scholarship programs, eligibility requirements, and application processes.

Understanding the Cost of Attendance and Net Price

Before diving into specific scholarship details, it's essential to understand the overall cost of attending Drexel University. The "Cost of Attendance" represents the total expenses, including tuition, room and board, books, and other fees, before any financial aid is applied. Think of it as the sticker price.

The "Net Price," on the other hand, is the amount you'll actually pay out of pocket after deducting grants and scholarships. Drexel University provides resources to help you estimate your Net Price, including a Net Price Calculator. This calculator considers your family's financial situation to provide a personalized estimate of the aid you might receive.

Drexel University Merit Scholarships: Recognizing Academic Excellence

Drexel University offers several merit-based scholarships to incoming first-year and transfer students. These scholarships are awarded by the Admissions Committee based on superior academic performance. There is no separate application required for these scholarships; students are automatically considered upon admission.

Drexel Merit Scholarship

The Drexel Merit Scholarship is a significant award offered to both domestic and international students. The award amount varies based on the Admissions Committee's review of the student's credentials. For first-year students admitted through Early Decision/Early Action, the scholarship can range from $20,000 to $35,000. Students admitted through Regular Decision may receive between $10,000 and $35,000. Transfer student award amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Read also: UCF Application Strategies

Westphal Portfolio Scholarship

Incoming first-year and transfer students with outstanding creative work in the arts can be considered for the Westphal Portfolio Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded based on the art portfolio submitted for review with the admissions application.

Alumni Association Scholarship

First-year or transfer students who receive an endorsement from a Drexel University alumnus are eligible for the Alumni Association Scholarship. This award provides $500 per term towards tuition and recognizes the legacy of Drexel alumni making a difference in the world. To be considered, the recommendation form must be submitted by November 25 for Early Decision/Early Action applicants and by February 1 for Regular Decision applicants. For transfer students, the form is due one month prior to the start of the term.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Beyond the general merit scholarships, Drexel University offers several other scholarship programs tailored to specific fields of study or student backgrounds.

LeBow College of Business Scholarships

The LeBow College of Business offers signature scholarship opportunities to encourage academic excellence and foster an inclusive environment. The Alumni Merit Scholarship is awarded to top applicants in both the MBA and MS programs.

College of Engineering Scholarships

The College of Engineering provides several scholarship opportunities for graduate students. These include:

College of Engineering Dean's Scholarship: A merit-based award for domestic or international students entering a full-time master’s degree program.
Kling-Lindquist Award: Financial assistance for hard-working full or part-time graduate students demonstrating academic excellence in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department or the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics Department. Preference is given to students studying architectural engineering or planning to enter the architectural field.
Coverdell Fellows Program: Returning Peace Corps Volunteers accepted into a College of Engineering full-time MS program receive a 30% discount off tuition and fees if they remain in good academic standing. They must also complete at least 150 internship hours.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program: Fulbright grantees accepted into a College of Engineering full-time MS program receive a 30% discount off tuition and fees if they remain in good academic standing.
George Hill, Jr. Endowed Fellowship: A stipend and/or tuition assistance for a new doctoral student supported by a research or teaching assistantship in the College of Engineering. Selection is based on academic excellence.
Fellowship: This is designated for the benefit of a graduate student enrolled in a PhD program at the College of Engineering and will be used to provide financial support in the form of a fellowship. Selection of the award recipients shall be based on academic excellence.

Dornsife School of Public Health Scholarships

The Dornsife School of Public Health offers several scholarships and fellowships, including:

Arthur L. Frank Endowed Scholarship Fund: Tuition awards for students majoring in Environmental and Occupational Health who share Dr. Frank's commitment.
Dornsife Public Health Research Fellows: Awards including a tuition scholarship and research assistantship for incoming students with exceptional promise, particularly those with interest or experience in urban health and health disparities, and those from underrepresented groups.
Joseph C. Tringali Memorial Scholarship: Tuition awards for students committed to improving maternal and child health.
Marla J. Gold, MD Endowed Scholarship Fund: Tuition awards for the MPH portion of the program to students pursuing the joint MD/MPH degree at Drexel University.
Drexel Urban Health Collaborative (UHC) Master's Fellows: A stipend for master's students interested in urban health research to work with a faculty mentor.

College of Medicine Scholarships

Drexel University’s College of Medicine offers several need-based scholarships to medical students based on a variety of factors.

Other Scholarship Programs

The Dean's Scholarship: provides tuition savings to outstanding applicants of Drexel University’s participating graduate programs. The scholarship is renewable depending on the student's academic performance. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for continued support.
Dean's Doctoral Award: Highly qualified doctoral students may be awarded a Dean's Doctoral Award, currently valued at $5,000 per year, to support research efforts during their first two years at Drexel.
All international and domestic applicants to a CCI Master’s program are automatically considered for the merit-based discount award when they apply. There is no separate application.
Drexel University Noyce Scholarship Program: Offers two types of scholarships: the Noyce Scholar and Noyce Professional. The Noyce Scholar is an undergraduate with a major in mathematics or an area of science or engineering with an overall GPA of at least 3.0. The scholarship is $10,000 per year for two years. The Noyce Professional is a graduate student/post-baccalaureate student with a major in mathematics or an area of science or engineering with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Teacher's Incentive Grant: available to new graduate students enrolled in the on-campus master's program in the Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum-Teacher Certification Track.
Drexel University is pleased to partner with City Year to offer a 25 percent annual scholarship. This scholarship is renewable throughout the length of the academic program (not to exceed four years).

Need-Based Aid: Complementing Merit Scholarships

In addition to merit-based scholarships, Drexel University offers need-based financial aid to students who qualify. Domestic students seeking need-based aid are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). International applicants are encouraged to complete the CSS Profile to be considered for need-based grants.

Need-based aid can come in the form of grants, which, like scholarships, do not need to be repaid. Drexel Grant is one such example, although named scholarships may reduce or replace it in some cases.

External Scholarship Opportunities

While Drexel University offers a variety of scholarships, exploring external scholarship opportunities can further reduce college costs. Websites like Scholarships.com and Unigo.com provide comprehensive databases of corporate and private scholarships. These scholarships often have specific eligibility criteria, such as minimum GPA or affiliation with certain organizations.

Important Considerations

Scholarship Displacement: In most cases, named scholarships will either reduce or replace your Drexel Grant. Be sure to understand how outside scholarships may affect your overall financial aid package.
Maintaining Eligibility: Most scholarships require students to maintain full-time status and a minimum cumulative GPA (typically 2.0 or 3.0) to remain eligible.
Financial Aid Package Limits: A student's total financial aid package, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study, cannot exceed the University's cost of attendance.
Adjustments to Financial Aid: Drexel reserves the right to adjust financial aid awards and packages at any time to ensure compliance with all institutional, state, and federal regulations.
Outside Funding: Any outside funding received must be taken into account when eligibility is determined for need-based financial aid.

The Liberty Scholars Program: A Comprehensive Scholarship for Philadelphia Residents

The Liberty Scholars program is a unique and highly competitive scholarship opportunity specifically for graduates of Philadelphia high schools. This program covers 100% of tuition and general University fees, providing comprehensive support to students with significant financial need.

Eligibility Requirements

The Liberty Scholars program is open to all new first-year applicants from Philadelphia in all on-campus, full-time, undergraduate programs.

Application Process

In addition to the general admission application, applicants must submit a separate Drexel Liberty Scholarship application and a 500-word essay. The supplemental application can be found in Discover Drexel under the Enrichment & Scholarship Applications tab. The Liberty Scholars application, FAFSA, and CSS Profiles are all due by February 1. Final candidates will be invited to participate in an interview.

Program Benefits

As a Liberty Scholar, you will receive a scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and general University fees. Federal financial aid offered to you can be used to pay for the costs not covered by the Liberty Scholarship. Pennsylvania residents may also be eligible to receive state financial aid. The program also fosters student success through holistic support, programming, and active engagement with campus life.

ROTC Scholarship Opportunities

Drexel University students have access to ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) scholarship opportunities through partnerships with other institutions. Army ROTC is hosted at Drexel, while Navy ROTC is hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. These programs offer tuition and fees scholarships to eligible cadets.

Tuition Exchange Program

The Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) partners Drexel with other colleges and universities to offer scholarships. Students must research and apply for these scholarships independently.

Leveraging Online Resources for Scholarship Searches

The internet offers a wealth of resources for finding and applying for scholarships. However, it's crucial to be cautious when reviewing information online. Start by exploring organizations that you or your family members have an affiliation with, such as employers or religious organizations.

Scholly, a mobile app created by Drexel University students, provides a fast and simple way to find scholarships for college. Scholly streamlines the scholarship search process by using parameters such as grade, state, and GPA to instantly match students with scholarships they may qualify for.

Understanding Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

The US government uses a standardized formula to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is an estimate of how much a family can afford to pay for college without assistance. Colleges use this number as a guideline to determine how much aid to offer, but it's just a guideline.

You can use online tools to estimate your EFC and compare it to Drexel University's Net Price. If the Net Price is higher than the EFC, the school will cost more than you can typically afford.

Evaluating Drexel University's Value

When considering college options, it's important to evaluate the value of the education you'll receive. Drexel University generally ranks between #100 and 200 on college ranking lists, placing it roughly in the top 20% of schools. However, it may have a higher net price and offer less competitive financial aid compared to other schools of similar reputation.

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