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Boston College Scholarships & Financial Aid in 2025-2026
By
Will Geiger
Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.
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Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is the Director of Content at Scholarships360. He has written over 300 articles on college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships, in addition to spearheading research projects for Scholarships360's Top Colleges resource. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.
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Boston College is a medium-sized research university that is not technically located in Boston. Instead, the campus is actually in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (which is right outside of Boston). Boston College is a member of the Atlantic Athletic Conference and competes at a high athletic level. Boston College also offers strong financial aid opportunities to incoming freshman students. Keep on reading to learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities at Boston College!
Boston College tuition & cost
As a private institution, Boston College’s rates for tuition are the same for both in-state and out-of-state residents. You can see the most current tuition rates on the BC financial aid website.
Boston College merit scholarships
The majority of BC financial aid is dedicated to their need-based financial aid program. This is how BC is able to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for every single student who is admitted.
With this said, BC offers one merit scholarship and it is a big one! Keep on reading to learn more!
Apply to these exclusive scholarships
See all opportunitiesBoston College Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program
Boston College offers only one merit scholarship program (the majority of their financial aid is dedicated to need-based aid). While small in the number of awards, the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program is very generous. Each Presidential Scholar receives a full tuition merit scholarship at Boston College (regardless of financial need). Each year, Boston College awards 18 students the Presidential Scholarship Program (PSP).
To apply to this scholarship, students must apply early action to Boston College. The deadline is Boston College’s EA deadline of November 1. While there isn’t technically a minimum GPA or test scores to apply, Presidential Scholars typically fall in the top 1-2% of the national pool of applicants.
After applying, finalists for the scholarship are notified between December 18-20th and invited to a Scholars Program Weekend at BC, where they will be interviewed. Applicants are typically notified of final decisions in March.
QuestBridge National College Match
While there is technically only one merit scholarship offered directly from Boston College, BC is also a partner of one of the most prestigious scholarship programs in the country. The Questbridge National College Match scholarship offers a full tuition scholarship for four years. Students apply through QuestBridge and, based on their application and how they rank participating colleges, QuestBridge matches them with a partner school, often allowing them to attend at no cost. This scholarship has a rigorous application process and the college ranking system makes it unique to other national merit scholarships, so check out our Ultimate QuestBridge Scholarship Guide!
BC need-based financial aid
Boston College meets full demonstrated need for all students applying for financial aid. This means that the difference between your Student Aid Index (SAI) and the total cost of attendance will be completely covered in your financial aid package. This package can include grants that do not need to be repaid, as well as student loans andwork study.
In order to be eligible for need-based scholarships, students must submit the CSS Profile and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA).
If you are a Massachusetts student, you might be eligible for the Mass Grant or the Gilbert Grant. These are both Massachusetts state sponsored grants for students who demonstrate financial need. BC also accepts the Pell Grant, which is a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, and students are automatically considered when they fill out the FAFSA.
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Frequently asked questions about Boston College merit scholarships
Does Boston College give merit scholarships?
Is Boston College generous with financial aid?
What is the average tuition at Boston College?