Who Will get Institutional Advantage Grants At Personal Faculties?

Dad and mom of college-bound youngsters who're contemplating high-cost personal non-profit schools typically surprise easy methods to qualify for institutional advantage grants. These grants might or might probably not be primarily based on advantage, however quite operate as a reduction on the price of attendance.

College students who wish to enhance their probabilities of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a personal non-profit 4-year faculty ought to apply to reasonably selective schools (particularly higher-cost schools), have stellar grades and check scores, decide rich dad and mom, don't take a niche 12 months and enroll in faculty full-time.

We glance all of the statistics of which college students are getting institutional advantage grants.

Common Institutional Grants

Based mostly on knowledge from the 2015-16 Nationwide Postsecondary Pupil Support Examine (NPSAS), 80% of scholars at personal non-profit 4-year schools obtain grants, a median of $15,820 per recipient. However, this contains grants from sources aside from the faculty itself, corresponding to Federal Pell Grants.

Greater than half of the scholars (57%) obtain institutional grants, a median of $16,027. This contains institutional merit-only grants (36%, $12,060), institutional need-based grants (31%, $12,354) and institutional non-need grants (13.3%, $6,289). Combining the institutional merit-only and non-need grant classes, 44% obtain institutional non-need and merit-only grants, a median of $12,008.

The institutional non-need grants embrace institutional grants that aren't primarily based on want or advantage, corresponding to tuition and charge waivers for school and workers.

The institutional merit-only grants theoretically are primarily based on some sort of advantage, corresponding to tutorial or athletic expertise, however might also embrace different standards, corresponding to the scholar’s standing as a full-pay pupil.

So, greater than a 3rd (36%) of scholars at personal non-profit 4-year schools get institutional merit-only grants, a median of $12,060 per recipient. The median is $11,000. 1 / 4 of the scholars who obtain institutional advantage grants get $16,000 or extra and 10% cent $21,600 or extra.

Which Faculties Award Institutional Advantage Grants

Essentially the most selective schools, corresponding to Harvard, Princeton and MIT, don't award institutional advantage grants. All of their monetary help is awarded primarily based on monetary want, not advantage.

The following tier down, nonetheless, award some institutional advantage grants. They use the grants as a recruiting instrument to draw rich college students and gifted college students.

Of the scholars receiving institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year schools, 22% are enrolled at very selective schools, 69% at reasonably selective schools, 6% at minimally selective schools and three% at open admission schools.

The chances of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a personal non-profit 4-year faculty are 30% at very selective schools, 52% at reasonably selective schools, 19% at minimally selective schools and 9% at open admission schools. These figures are general averages. The chances of receiving advantage grants varies by faculty inside every class.

The typical advantage grant additionally varies by sort of faculty, from $13,853 at very selective schools to $7,730 at open admission schools, most likely correlating with the price of attendance.

Personal non-profit 4-year schools that provide on-line courses are much less more likely to provide institutional advantage grants (45% vs. 21%). That is very true of schools that present their complete program on-line (44% vs. 4%). 

Grants Based mostly On Tutorial Advantage

This desk reveals that greater than half of scholars with a 3.5 to 4.0 highschool grade level common (GPA) obtain institutional advantage grants. However, it additionally reveals that even college students with a lower than 2.0 GPA can obtain institutional advantage grants.

Of scholars who obtain institutional grants, greater than half (58%) have a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA, 1 / 4 (27%) have a 3.0 to three.4 GPA, 9% have a 2.5 to 2.9 GPA, 5% have a 2.0 to 2.4 GPA, and 1% have lower than a 2.0 GPA.

This desk reveals related statistics, however restricted to reasonably selective personal non-profit 4-year schools. The odds receiving institutional advantage grants are increased, though the typical advantage grant is analogous.

This desk reveals that SAT check scores don't correlate properly with the chance of receiving institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year schools. The typical grant does enhance with increased check scores, maybe as a result of the scholars enroll at costlier schools.

Of the scholars receiving institutional advantage grants, a 3rd (33%) have below-average SAT check scores, 40% have SAT check scores of 1000 to 1199, 22% have SAT check scores of 1200 to 1399 and 5% have SAT check scores of 1400 to 1600.

The decrease proportion of scholars with a 1400 to 1600 SAT check rating who obtain institutional advantage grants could also be resulting from these college students being extra more likely to enroll at extra selective schools.

This desk limits the information to reasonably selective schools, demonstrating that college students with higher check scores usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants.

Thus, college students with higher SAT check scores usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants, except they enroll at very selective schools.

These tables present that college students who take AP courses or college-level courses whereas in highschool are barely extra more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants. 


This desk reveals that college students who take extra superior math courses in highschool usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants. Additionally they obtain bigger grants.


This desk reveals that college students whose dad and mom have a extra superior schooling usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants and bigger grants.

Grants Based mostly On Revenue

College students from wealthier households usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year schools, as proven on this desk.


Of the recipients of institutional advantage grants, a 3rd (32%) are low-income, 1 / 4 (27%) are middle-income and 41% are high-income.

Grants Based mostly On Price Of Attendance

This desk reveals how the share receiving institutional advantage grants and the typical grant enhance as the price of attendance will increase. Wealthier schools have more cash obtainable to offer institutional grants. Nonetheless, a father or mother nonetheless pays extra at a high-cost faculty that provides out an institutional advantage grant of $10,000 or greater than at a lower-cost in-state public faculty.

The proportion receiving institutional advantage grants does lower at the costliest schools, which can embrace a few of the most selective schools that don't award institutional advantage grants, dragging down the share.

This desk reveals the identical knowledge restricted to reasonably selective schools. The proportion receiving institutional advantage grants nonetheless decreases at the costliest schools, however not as a lot.

Grants Based mostly On Gender And Race

Women and men are equally more likely to obtain institutional merit-only grants, and the typical award quantity is about the identical.

This desk reveals that White college students usually tend to obtain institutional merit-only grants than minority college students. Additionally they obtain bigger grants.

Grants Based mostly On Enrollment Standing

This desk reveals that college students who enroll full-time are more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants than college students who enroll part-time.


College students who take a niche 12 months are a lot much less more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants, and the grants are decrease.

Grants Based mostly On Dependency Standing

This desk reveals that dependent college students usually tend to obtain institutional merit-only grants than unbiased college students. Additionally they obtain bigger grants.

At reasonably selective schools, 66.8% of dependent college students and 18.9% of unbiased college students obtain institutional merit-only grants.

This desk reveals an identical consequence when the information relies on the age of the scholar. College students age 24 and older are routinely unbiased.


This desk reveals that veterans are much less more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants. Veterans are routinely unbiased. They're additionally much less more likely to enroll in Bachelor’s diploma packages. 


Associated: Information To VA And Army Schooling Advantages

The following two tables present that college students who're married are much less more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants. Married college students and college students with dependents are routinely unbiased.


This desk reveals that homeless college students are much less more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants. Homeless college students are routinely unbiased.

Grants Based mostly On Monetary Want

This desk reveals that college students who file the FAFSA usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants.


This desk reveals that college students whose monetary help exceeds their monetary want usually tend to have acquired institutional advantage grants.