There are a range of options to help you finance your education at Arcadia
Scholarships and Grants
Awarded based on academic performance or financial need. You rarely have to pay back scholarships and grants.
Loans
Borrowed money that you need to pay back over a number of years, almost always with interest and other fees. Interest amounts vary.
Student Employment (Work-Study)
Students may be eligible to apply for a job on campus and be paid for the hours they work.
Merit Awards for Undergraduate Students
Merit scholarships—which apply toward tuition costs only—are automatically renewed, provided you remain a full-time student and are in good academic standing. These awards are made possible through generous gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of Arcadia. If another scholarship, award, or funding from an outside entity/organization covers all or part of your tuition, the merit scholarship will be replaced or reduced.
The Arcadia University Distinguished Scholarship
Applicants are automatically considered for academic excellence, outstanding leadership, and community service. First-year students are evaluated on their grades, SAT/ACT scores (if submitted), high school grades, high school rank (if applicable), and involvement for up to $28,000 annually (2022-23). Transfer students are evaluated on their cumulative GPA and coursework for up to $20,000 per year (2022-23).
The Arcadia University Achievement Award
Applicants are automatically considered for their involvement in school activities, community service, volunteer work, and/or notable achievements as recognized by the scholarship committee. Awards range from $1,000 to $4,000 per academic year.
Portfolio Review and Acting Audition Awards
Prospective Fine Arts majors may receive these awards (ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 annually) based on the quality of their portfolio or audition.
The Arcadia University Campus Achievement Award for Returning Students
Full-time undergraduates who have completed at least one semester of study at Arcadia can apply if they demonstrate financial need, are involved on campus, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. The committee also looks for a demonstrated willingness to take student loans. For spring consideration, the application goes live Nov. 1 and is due Dec. 1; for fall, the application goes live May 1 and is due June 1.
Alumni Legacy Grant
To receive this annual $2,000 grant, students must be the “dependent” (according to federal guidelines) children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of Arcadia University (Beaver College) alumni. Indicate your relationship to alumni on both your admission and financial aid applications.
Sibling Grant
New for students entering fall 2022 and later, this $2,000 annual award is for the sibling(s) of a currently enrolled Arcadia undergraduate student who enroll at Arcadia as a full-time undergraduate student..
Distance Grant
New for students entering fall 2022 or later, this $2000 tuition specific award is for students who file a FAFSA and live in one of the following states at the time they apply for admission: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Federal Financial Aid for Undergraduate Students
You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident enrolled as a degree seeking student and file the FAFSA.
Federal Direct Loan
Most students borrow the Federal Direct Loan—available to all students, regardless of financial need—first, before all others. If your loan is subsidized, the government will pay the interest while you are in school. If unsubsidized, you have the option of capitalizing the interest or paying it quarterly during the in-school period.
On both, payment of your principal does not begin until six months after graduation, provided you remain enrolled on at least a part-time basis (six credits). Stafford Loans have a variable-fixed interest rate, meaning the rate will be set each year, effective July 1. Once set, it will remain fixed for the life of that particular loan. The repayment period is ten years.
Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
Credit-worthy parents of dependent students, regardless of financial need, can apply for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan (up to the cost of attendance, minus other financial aid received) through the U.S. Department of Education (no lender/bank required). Repayment begins within 60 days of the second disbursement (typically made to student accounts in January). Deferments are available upon request for up to four years while the student is enrolled. The repayment period is ten years.
Federal Pell Grant
A need-based grant determined by the FAFSA-calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC), Pell Grants are awarded for a maximum of 12 equivalent full-time semesters (the number of semesters will vary for part-time students). Pell Grants are adjusted to reflect changes in enrollment status (if made prior to the fifth week of classes). After, amounts will not be adjusted based on changes to enrollment status (i.e. course load).
The Federal TEACH Grant
The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. Find specific details here.
Federal Work-Study
Awarded based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA, Work-Study provides opportunities to work on campus for an hourly wage. Awards range from $100 to $1,850 annually and are not applied directly toward tuition or room and board charges, as the student receives a monthly paycheck (which can be directly deposited into the student's bank account).
Need-Based Grant Aid
Domestic, full-time undergraduate students are evaluated for an Arcadia University Grant based on their financial aid and information provided on the FAFSA. This grant can change from year to year based on financial need (impacted by changes to income, enrollment status, and housing). FAFSA is required for consideration and renewal.
State Aid
PA State Grants are awarded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to state residents demonstrating financial need, based on federal Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and annual cost of attendance. You must file the FAFSA by May 1 for consideration. First-time applicants will be required to complete a supplemental form, which you can link to when completing the FAFSA.
You must take at least six credits per semester to be considered. If you are enrolled in a fully online program, in a program that is more than 50% online, or you are taking more than 50% of your credits online in any given term (regardless of program), you are not eligible for that term. If you are not from Pennsylvania, check with your state agency to determine your eligibility.
Outside Scholarships
Scholarships can be found through community organizations, religious groups, foundations, and companies. If you are awarded an outside scholarship, you are required to send a copy of your award notification to the Office of Financial Aid. Whenever possible, we make an effort to add it to your existing aid package. If doing so creates an over-award situation, we will reduce loans and work-study before institutional aid. Remember: Merit scholarships can only be used toward tuition, so external scholarships can impact these awards if the two combined exceed the cost of tuition.
SAGE Tuition Discount Program
Arcadia is a member of the SAGE Tuition Discount Program, a component of the Pennsylvania Tuition Account Program (TAP). Arcadia’s reward cap is $15,600 divided equally over four years.
Tuition Exchange
To be considered for tuition exchange at Arcadia University:
- The parent must meet their home institution’s criteria for eligibility.
- The parent must file the formal online application for the Tuition Exchange scholarship through their sponsor institution prior to Arcadia’s deadline of January 31
- The student must apply and be admitted to Arcadia
Arcadia selection process:
- Students are selected by a committee in the Office of Enrollment Management. Students are selected based on their academic achievement and potential contributions to Arcadia’s campus
- Students will be notified via email of their selection beginning in March
- Recipients are selected from the first-year applicant pool. Should any position go unfilled with a first-year student, then a currently enrolled and/or transfer student who has not received Tuition Exchange in the past but is otherwise eligible may be offered the spot. This situation is rare, and if there is a spot for currently enrolled student(s), they will be notified as soon as possible, which could be as late as May
Support for Transfer Students
Transfer Partner Scholarship
Full-time transfer students who complete an approved associate's degree through one of our Community College Dual Admission/Core-to-Core agreements (with a cumulative 3.5 GPA from all institutions attended) are eligible for an annual award of $5,000 (that can be added to your Distinguished Scholarship). Arcadia has agreements with Bucks County Community College, Burlington County College, Cecil College, Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware County Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Montgomery County Community College, and Northampton County College.
Phi Theta Kappa
Members of Phi Theta Kappa receive a $1500 PTK award per year for full-time undergraduate study. Your cumulative transfer GPA (from all institutions combined) must be a 3.5, and you must have completed at least 30 credits (with coursework from at least two general academic disciplines) on a full-time basis.
