You have big dreams. We help make them a reality. Wheaton scholarships make your education accessible and affordable. We offer merit- and need-based scholarships and grants. Much of this gift aid is fully funded through the generosity of our alumni and private donors and does not need to be repaid.
Merit aid is not based on financial need, and considers other factors such as academic and extracurricular achievement. Need-based scholarships are based on financial need, and consider several factors, such as family income as a qualifier. Many students are awarded both types of gift aid.
We Invest in Your Future
For new students in Fall 2024:
Most Common Scholarships and Grants
Wheaton offers generous gift aid to the majority of admitted students. Our most commonly awarded scholarships and grants are renewable all four years as long as you remain in good academic and social standing according to Wheaton’s Honor Code.
There is no special application needed. If you qualify, the Office of Admission will notify you in your college acceptance letter. Note: our need-based grant is re-evaluated annually based on your family’s financial information reported on the FAFSA.
Wheaton New England Regional Grant
As a leading higher education institution in New England, many of our students are from the region. Approximately half of our alumni stay in the area to pursue meaningful careers and remain close to family and friends. These alumni use their talents to contribute to the regional economy, culture and community. As a private New England institution, we’re committed to making a high-quality liberal arts and science education more accessible to regional students.
The New England Regional Grant effectively reduces the cost of tuition by half for students who reside in or complete their high school education in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont. Admitted first-year and transfer students automatically receive this grant and may qualify for additional merit and need-based aid. If a New England student is also eligible for one of Wheaton’s special scholarships (such as Posse, UWC Davis, Maine Davis, Refugee, Next Genius, Newbury, Tuition Exchange, or Tuition Remission) or other scholarships with a greater value than the N.E. Regional Grant, then they will be awarded that larger scholarship instead (and not in addition to the N.E. Regional Grant).
Supplemental Merit Scholarship
Students who receive the New England Regional Grant are also eligible for additional merit scholarship as part of our Merit Award Guarantee program. In addition to reducing tuition costs by half for New England residents, we also recognize students’ high school performance with a guaranteed total merit award amount.
Say for example the Merit Award Guarantee listed in the student’s college acceptance letter is $45,000. That would reflect the New England Regional Grant funded at half the rate of tuition ($32,490 for 2025-2026) and a Supplemental Merit Scholarship of $12,510 (for that year), for a total of $45,000. While the Regional Grant and Supplemental Scholarship values may change in any given year (based on tuition levels), the value of that student’s Merit Award Guarantee remains the same for all four years. Students may also qualify for need-based aid.
Wheaton Presidential Scholarship
The Wheaton College Presidential Scholarship is a merit-based award that recognizes incoming students for their high school academic achievement regardless of financial need. Most of our students from outside of New England qualify for this scholarship, with the majority of awards in Fall 2025 expected to be between $30,000-$45,000 per year. Please note that students may be awarded the Presidential Scholarship or the New England Regional Grant, but not both.
Wheaton Grant
The college funds need-based student grants with general scholarship resources, income from endowed funds, and annual gifts from alumni, parents and friends. Award amounts vary depending on each student’s financial circumstances.
Recipients of need-based financial aid must complete a FAFSA each year, providing updated family financial information. To the extent that a student’s financial situation does not change, the award will be renewed at the same amount from one year to the next.
Other Scholarships and Grants
Wheaton offers a select number of awards that range from partial scholarships to those that cover full tuition or even the full cost of attendance (including housing). Following are a mix of merit- and need-based awards that adhere to certain eligibility requirements. Some require a special application.
A collaboration between the Maine Seacoast Mission and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, the Davis Maine Scholarship benefits first-generation students from eastern Hancock and Washington counties in Maine. This renewable four-year scholarship covers the full cost of attendance including tuition, fees, housing and meal plan at a Davis Maine partner college. Wheaton College is one of several partner institutions for this program.
Wheaton College awards up to three need-based scholarships per year to graduates of the United World Colleges (UWC). This scholarship covers the full cost of attendance at Wheaton (including tuition, fees, housing and meal plan, plus other expenses). It is renewable for all four years.
The UWC experience brings students from around the world to live and learn together in one of 18 locations on five continents. Each school selects students from different backgrounds and cultures to help them embrace different ways of thinking and promote social change through diversity. We believe diversity advances our liberal arts mission to empower our students to become critical thinkers and empathetic leaders in the global workforce.
The Newbury Scholarship, funded by the Newbury College Foundation, provides one to two full-tuition scholarships to eligible Boston-area students. Before its closure in 2019, Newbury College in Boston fostered the success of first-generation college students and other historically marginalized students from Boston and nearby communities. As a nationally recognized “FirstGen Forward” institution, Wheaton College is proud to continue Newbury College’s legacy.
There is no application necessary. The Office of Admissions considers all potential candidates when reviewing applications to the college. In addition to this scholarship, we provide unparalleled first-generation student support to help students thrive at Wheaton.
Wheaton College partners with Next Genius, a Mumbai-based educational initiative that seeks to support high-performing students from South Asia to attend leading colleges in the United States. As Next Genius’ original U.S. partner, Wheaton College has awarded full-tuition scholarships to top students in India since 2014. Each year we select one of the top candidates who participate in the nationwide competition, which includes thousands of students. With nearly 40 countries represented in our student body, we are pleased to have India so well represented in our incoming classes. Since the partnership began in 2014, over 50 students from India have joined the Wheaton community.
In partnership with the Posse Foundation, Wheaton College awards 10 full-tuition Posse scholarships to students in the New York City area each year.
This cohort of students attends Wheaton College together as a “posse.” Through this partnership, Wheaton expands its pool of outstanding and diverse student leaders.
For over 20 years, many of our Posse Program scholars have been recognized as some of the top leaders on campus and have earned national awards including Watson Fellowships, Marshall Scholarships and Fulbrights. The Posse Foundation also has offices in and recruits students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.
Wheaton is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive community where students of all backgrounds and identities can thrive. The Wheaton Pride Scholarship, established by President Michaele Whalen, is open to all LGBTQ+ and allied students (both newly admitted and currently enrolled). To be considered, students must demonstrate financial need, service or leadership in the LGBTQ+ community, and a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Recipients do not have to identify as LGBTQ+ to receive the scholarship. Wheaton awards two Pride Scholarships per year.
Each year, Wheaton College awards more than $40 million in aid to our domestic and international refugee students seeking to advance their education. The Wheaton Refugee Scholarship does not detract from our commitment to others in our need-based applicant pool. Rather, it further expands our commitment to creating a global, inclusive and equitable community—making a liberal arts education affordable and accessible.
Wheaton College is a member of Tuition Exchange (TE), a national reciprocal scholarship exchange program. Tuition Exchange covers a substantial portion of tuition costs for eligible faculty and staff dependents at all 700+ TE member schools. If you or an immediate family member are an employee of a participating TE school, you may qualify for a significant tuition reduction at Wheaton. Visit your employers’ Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer (TELO) to inquire about eligibility.
Wheaton College is also a member of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). Through the CIC’s Tuition Exchange Scholarship program (CIC-TEP), students of full-time employees at other member institutions are eligible to receive free tuition at Wheaton College. Unlike the national Tuition Exchange program, CIC scholarships are offered to a limited number of students each year.
International students are eligible for the merit-based Wheaton Presidential Scholarship. Additionally, Wheaton offers some need-based financial aid to international students in the form of the Judy Purdy Grant. International students seeking need-based aid must complete the International Student Financial Aid Application after you apply for admission to Wheaton. This form will be located in your admission portal.
In addition to merit- and need-based scholarships and grants funded by Wheaton College’s own financial resources, students also may be eligible for federal and state-funded aid. Need is determined by the financial information that you and your family provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We encourage you to visit our Financial Aid Process and Deadlines page for more information or contact Student Financial Services.
Affordable Liberal Arts and Sciences Education
Earning a degree at Wheaton College is more affordable than you might think. In fact, Wheaton scholarships and other gift aid allow many of our students to graduate with little to no student loans. As a private liberal arts college with endowments funded by alumni and other donors, we’re able to offer larger scholarships and grants than public institutions. Find out how a Wheaton College education is within your reach.
Wheaton Scholarships and Awards FAQ
