Top Catholic Scholarships in November 2020
According to research from Pew, there are over 50 million Catholics in the United States. This makes Catholicism one of the most common religious denominations in the country. This also means that there are many Catholic scholarships out there to support Catholic students!
In this guide, you will learn about private Catholic scholarships, as well as some of the top Catholic colleges and universities that offer merit scholarships to prospective students.
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Top Catholic Scholarships
$2,500 Christian Connector Scholarship
- Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a current high school freshman, sophomore, or junior interested in attending a Christian university or college.
- Amount: $2,500
- Deadline: May 31st
Catholic United Financial Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students must be members of the Catholic United Credit Union for at least two years
- Amount: Up to $500
- Deadline: April 30th
Christian Colleges No-Essay Scholarship
- Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a current high school student interested in attending a Christian university or college.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: October 31st
Italian Catholic Federation Scholarships
- Eligibility: High school students living in California, Arizona, Nevada, or Illinois.
- Amount: Up to $1,000
- Deadline: March 15th
Young Christian Leaders Scholarships
- Eligibility: High school seniors or college student who are active in their churches and permanent residents of Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: Rolling through August 30th
Top Scholarships at Catholic Colleges
In addition to private scholarships, Catholic students should consider Catholic colleges and universities. Institutional financial aid can include generous merit scholarships, as well as need-based financial aid.
Some of the top Catholic Colleges are:
Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA)
- Boston College only offers one merit scholarship program, the Presidential Scholars Program, which is a full tuition scholarship that 15 students per year will receive.
University of Dayton (Dayton, OH)
- The University of Dayton considers all accepted students for merit scholarships. These awards range from $59,000 to $109,000 over four years.
Fordham University (Bronx, NY)
- Fordham offers a variety of merit scholarship programs ranging up to the Cunnliffe Presidential Scholarship which is a full ride scholarship that includes tuition, room, board, other fees, and up to $20,000 over four years for academic enrichment.
- Since Fordham is a test-optional college, students do not need to submit the ACT or SAT to be considered for merit scholarships.
Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
- Georgetown does not offer merit scholarships, but does meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students.
- To receive financial aid from Georgetown, students must submit both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile.
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA)
- While most of Holy Cross’ financial aid budget is focused on supporting need-based aid, there are some merit scholarships available (many of these merit scholarships also have a need-based component).
Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA)
- Loyola Marymount offers merit scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 per year. All students who apply and are accepted to LMU are considered for these scholarships so no additional application is needed!
University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN)
- Notre Dame offers the Notre Dame Scholars Program, which is a renewable scholarship worth $25,000 per year that 20 students will receive per year.
- Notre Dame also offers the Stamps Scholarship which is a full tuition scholarship that also includes $12,000 of additional funding for students.
University of San Diego (San Diego, CA)
- University of San Diego considers all applicants for merit scholarships that range from $18,000 to $25,000 per year.
- Since USD is test-optional, ACT and SAT scores are not required parts of the scholarship review process.
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA)
- Santa Clara merit scholarships include awards that are full ride, full tuition, and half tuition.
- There are also specific scholarships for legacy students, as well as for students talented in theater, art, and music.
Villanova University (Villanova, PA)
- The Villanova Presidential Scholarship is a full ride scholarship for high-achieving students who are also leaders in their communities.
- Villanova’s other merit scholarships also have a need-based component, so the only pure merit scholarship is the Presidential Scholarship.
