Cornell University is a prestigious private university located in Ithaca, New York. It is part of the Ivy League Schools, which an elite group of private universities known for their academic excellence and prestige. You can see the academic excellence by just looking at their alumni and faculty profile. There are 47 Nobel laureates, 33 Marshall Scholars, 33 Rhodes Scholars, and 25 Truman Scholars among its alumni and faculty. These are very prestigious awards that are only given to those best in their field.
Before we look at the specifics, I would like to say that Cornell University scholarships is very generous, especially if you are from a low-income family. However, if your family makes above $250,000, your scholarships will not be much. You should look into state schools both in-state and out-of-state that give generous merit scholarships if your family is not comfortable paying the majority of the cost of attendance.
Cost of Attendance
The cost to attend Cornell University without financial aid is expensive. Per year, the tuition fee is over $56,000 and room and board is over $15,000. In total, the estimated cost of attendance is over $75,000 a year before Cornell University scholarships. However, there is generous aid that is provided by Cornell. There are even some students who attend the university for free because they are from a low-income family.
So, let’s take further look.
Cornell Scholarship Overview
Now, let’s see how Cornell University gives scholarships. Like many of the Ivy League Schools, Cornell gives scholarships only based on need. This means that no matter how exceptional you are, you will not be given scholarships based on merit. Because of the high competition rate of Cornell, the university views all of its accepted students to be academically qualified and sees no need to compare exceptional students against each other. Therefore, once you are accepted, you are given scholarships based on need.
I hope that the method on how Cornell awards scholarship is clear. They do meet 100% of the demonstrated need calculated in FAFSA and CSS Profile. These documents will calculate your need according to the answers that you provide, and Cornell will cover the difference between the cost of attendance and your demonstrated need with scholarships, grants, and loans.
If you want to get merit scholarships, many lower-tiered universities and state universities provide generous merit scholarships, which are awarded based on academic achievements. I highly recommend attending these schools if your parents make a lot of money each year.
You can learn more about Cornell University policies by going to Grant and Scholarships Page.
There are ways that are you can even get more scholarships. You can apply for private scholarships that are not offered by Cornell. These are awarded by different organizations and companies looking to give money away to high-school seniors and currently enrolling college students. You can view these scholarships at different scholarship websites. Also, Google will be your best help.
Grants in Cornell
There are three major types of grants offered in Cornell. These are Cornell Grants, Federal Grants, and State Grants.
The Cornell Grants are the biggest type of grants offered to prospective students and are funded by private donors, alumni, endowments, etc. You will be automatically eligible for these types of grants by applying for admissions and filling out the financial documents.
The second biggest types of grants available are federal grants. These grants are for low-income families and include the Pell Grant. To be eligible, you need to file FAFSA.
The third biggest type of grants is state grants. These differ by each state, and you need to seek detailed information for your state of residency. They might have grants that you can apply or they might not.
Applying for Cornell Scholarships and Aid
I hope that the above information was informative. The biggest takeaway is that financial aid in Cornell is awarded based on need and not merit. Now, let’s take a look at how to apply for Cornell University scholarships and financial aid.
You need to file FAFSA, CSS Profile, and IDOC to apply for financial aid. These documents are required by other universities, so it is convenient for you to apply to multiple universities when you fill those out. Basically, FAFSA is for federal aid, CSS Profile is a very detailed version of FAFSA, and IDOC is where you can submit your financial documents to show that the information that you’ve provided in FAFSA and CSS Profile is accurate.
If you want to know detailed information, visit the Prospective Applicants Applying for Aid.
Financial Aid Deadlines
So, when should you submit these documents by. If you are applying for Early Decision, the deadline is November 21, and if you are applying for regular decision, the deadline is February 15. However, it is recommended that you leave some room so that you won’t be rushed into filling these documents out.
Appealing Financial Aid
When you’ve received your aid package, if you think that there are financial circumstances that haven’t been addressed, you can appeal the decision. This can include unforeseen circumstances such as your house burning, one of your family member passing away, your parents’ business failing, etc. There are many students who have appealed the financial aid package and got the financial package that they needed. The financial office is more than happy to help so that all of their admits can financially attend Cornell. If you got into Cornell and need to appeal your financial package, you can learn more about it on this page.
Family Profiles
Cornell University has put a useful page of Family Profiles so that you can understand how Cornell University scholarships system works better. These explain case-by-case the financial aid package that a particular family with certain family income and assets would get. If you are interested, visit the in-state family profile and out-of-state family profile page.
I hope that this article on Cornell University scholarships was helpful. If you are interested, I highly suggest that you visit New York Scholarships if you are from New York, and to visit Authority Scholarships Site and look at the scholarships that are provided from your state. Universities that are in your state tends to award students with more scholarships.
