Rutgers University is an excellent university located in New Jersey. The university has three campuses, which are New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden campuses. Currently, there are approximately 40,000 undergraduate students as well as 20,000 graduate students studying on these campuses. In this article, we will be looking at scholarships and financial aid that are for incoming freshmen.
Cost of Attendance
Before we look at the financial aid, let’s discuss how much you actually have to pay. Because Rutgers is a public university, the tuition fee varies depending on your state residency. The tuition fee for undergraduate students is $12,000 per year, and room and board are $13,500 a year. Combined with personal expenses, the total cost of attendance is $34,000 a year.
For out-of-state students, the total cost of attendance is around $52,000 a year, and the increase is reflected in the non-resident tuition fees.
Rutgers University Scholarships
There are several awards that incoming freshmen at Rutgers are eligible for. Let’s take a look at these!
1. Rutgers First-Year Student Awards
These first-year scholarships are given to academically qualified students. The award is a maximum of $27,400 a year scholarship and is renewable for all four years. It is awarded based on merit, and things such as GPA and SAT/ACT scores are considered.
While these don’t have a separate application, you will have to apply to Rutgers University by December 1 deadline to be considered for these scholarships. While it is not needed, you are encouraged to submit FAFSA to be considered for need-based awards.
2. National Merit Scholarships
If you have been named as a National Merit Scholar, you are eligible to receive $1,000 a year award.
How to Apply For Rutgers Scholarships
As mentioned above, you will need to apply by December 1 deadline to be considered for these scholarships. Please note that this is a much earlier deadline than the Regular Decision deadline.
Rutgers Grants
There are many grants that are available for incoming freshmen at Rutgers.
1.University Grants
Rutgers provides grants from funds set aside for grants. These funds constitute part of university’s endowment and private donors. You can apply to these grants by applying for financial aid in general.
2. Federal Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants are grants that are given by the US government to students who are from low-income families. The maximum amount of award is $6,000 a year. A good thing about receiving this award is that it allows you to apply for different awards as well. Some outside scholarships and grants require students to be eligible for Pell Grants. Therefore, if you do receive Pell Grants, you will be eligible for these scholarships as well.
3. New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) Grants
Students from New Jersey are eligible to receive New Jersey Tuition Aid Grants. These awards are given to low-income families, and the maximum award is $10,700 a year. Please note that out-of-state students are not eligible.
4. Educational Opportunity Fund Programs
This award is given to educationally disadvantaged students whose residency is in New Jersey. The maximum award is $1,450 a year for undergraduate students.
There are other grants that are available as well. You can check these grants at the Grants Page.
How to Apply for Rutgers Grants
You can apply for grants in Rutgers by filing FAFSA by January 15. Then, you will be automatically considered to receive these grants that are listed above. FAFSA becomes available on October 15, so it is a good idea to apply as soon as the form becomes live. For more information on applying, visit Apply for Aid Page.
Loans
If the grants and scholarships listed above are not enough for you to finance your education. You can take out loans to help you to pay for the cost. You should borrow from the Federal Government first because these have lower interest than the private options and are subsidized. Subsidized loans simply mean that you don’t have to pay interest until after you graduate. If the lower interest rate and subsidized loans does not make any impact on your decision, you will need to rethink because these small things make huge difference at the end.
So, you should take out the federal loans first before taking out private loans. If you have to resort to private loans, I suggest looking at other universities and comparing their financial aid to Rutgers.
Student Employment
Students at Rutgers can work on-campus for part-time. You can expect to earn somewhere between $1,000 – $3,000 a year as a work-study by working easy jobs. However, you do need to have work-study as part of your financial aid package to be eligible.
This is a great way to earn extra money while you are studying. So if you are given the option, make sure to take advantage of it!
Conclusion
To be frank, Rutgers do not give great financial aid to out-of-state students. If you are not from New Jersey, you will have a hard time financing your education because of the financial aid system at Rutgers is not good for students not from New Jersey. If you are from New Jersey, you will have a better chance of getting a better financial aid. However, I highly recommend that you look at other universities because Rutgers financial aid might not be enough.
Rutgers University is infamous for having its students graduate with a lot of debt. So, I would apply to the university, but if your financial aid is not enough, you should attend another university. It is not worth having five to six figures debt for an undergraduate degree. If you do, you will spend years of your life trying to pay off your debt.
I hope that this article on Rutgers University Scholarships and Financial Aid was helpful. If you are from New Jersey, I highly recommend that you visit the New Jersey Scholarship Category to see the scholarships offered at universities in New Jersey. If you are not, it will still be worth your time to visit Authority Scholarships Website and see the scholarships in your state.
