Monmouth University Scholarships (2026–2027)

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Last Updated on October 4, 2026
What This Page Covers:
  • Tuition, housing, and average family net price
  • Automatic merit ranges and qualifier benchmarks
  • Flagship and hidden-gem awards
  • Honors and stacking strategy

📊 Admissions Snapshot

  • Acceptance Rate: ~89%
  • Middle 50% ACT: 24-29
  • Middle 50% SAT: 1140-1310
  • Average GPA: 3.6
The short version: Monmouth admits close to 9 out of 10 applicants, and every full-time freshman in the most recent federal data got some grant or scholarship money. So for most families, the real question is not “will we get in?” It is “what will the offer look like, and what is the bill after it?” This page walks through exactly that.

Comparing multiple schools? Try the Scholarship Tool to search by GPA, test scores, and state →

📌 Monmouth University at a Glance

🏆 NJ families with need: Monmouth Promise can cover full tuition and fees
Average Net Price
$34,072/year
Average paid.
Automatic Merit
Set at admission (amounts not published)
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
9 opportunities
3 automatic · 6 hidden gem
Merit Evaluation
Holistic Review / Varies
Merit depends on profile rigor.
Testing Policy
Test-optional
No superscore.
Key Deadlines
Priority: TBD • FAFSA: TBD
Full-Tuition / Full-Ride
Monmouth Promise (NJ residents, need-based)
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Financial Aid Forms
FAFSA Only
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Monmouth University (Read This First)

  • There is no merit chart. Monmouth’s Admission office sets your student’s scholarship when they are admitted, based on GPA (and test scores, only if you send them). Monmouth does not publish the dollar amounts or the cutoffs.
  • The first offer is the ceiling. Monmouth says plainly that academic awards are never increased after a student enrolls. If you have questions about the number, ask before you put down the deposit.
  • Merit money never touches housing. Every Monmouth academic award applies to tuition only. Housing and food run about $19,668 freshman year and jump to about $21,768 after that. The $2,000 Residency Grant helps, but the rest is on you.
  • There is no scholarship deadline, but timing still matters. Aid offers start going out in January to admitted students who have a FAFSA on file, and some Monmouth aid is limited. File the FAFSA as soon as it opens.
  • New Jersey families: Monmouth Promise is not in the Net Price Calculator. If your student has a 3.5+ weighted GPA and qualifies for Pell and NJ TAG, the calculator will understate your aid. Call Admission after you run it.

FAQ

Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Monmouth University is test-optional for admission.

What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 24-29; SAT: 1140-1310.

Average net price? About $34,072/year after aid.

Does this school use waivers/reciprocity? No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.

Sources:
Monmouth Promise admission page: https://www.monmouth.edu/admission/undergraduate/monmouth-promise/
Monmouth Academic Awards page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/monmouth-academic-awards/
Monmouth University Need Grant page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/monmouth-university-need-grant/
Residency Grant page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/residency-grant/
Educational Opportunity Fund page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/educational-opportunity-fund/
SOAR Grant financial aid page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/soar-grants/
Annual and Endowed Scholarships page: https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/sponsored-and-endowed-scholarships/
Dr. Kenneth & Ilamae Knapp Endowed Scholarships page: https://www.monmouth.edu/department-of-communication/knappscholarship/
CollegeScorecard / Admissions: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

💰 Cost of Attendance at Monmouth University: 2026–2027 Rates

Figures verified against official sources in October 2026.

📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Monmouth University has published. Colleges usually release next year's costs in the spring, and we update this page when they do.

Budgeting tip: costs typically rise 2% to 5% a year. For 2027–2028, plan on roughly $1,400 to $3,500 more than the total below.

✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.

All students: billed cost per year
$69,662
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees $49,994
Housing & meals (typical) $19,668
Total billed cost $69,662

Average federal net price: $34,072 per year. This is what first-time, full-time students who received grant aid paid after grants and scholarships, based on the most recent federal data. It counts books and living costs, so it can run higher than the billed total above. Families who got no grants are not in this average, so many middle-income families pay more. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.

One Price for Everyone (and Why New Jersey Families Still Pay Less)

Monmouth is private, so a student from Pennsylvania or Florida sees the same sticker price as one from Long Branch. There is no out-of-state premium and no regional reciprocity deal. Where New Jersey families do come out ahead is on the aid side: NJ Tuition Aid Grant (TAG), the Educational Opportunity Fund, and Monmouth Promise are all New Jersey only.

Budget for Year Two, Not Just Year One

Monmouth’s own 2026-27 budget lists housing and food at $19,668 for first-year students living on campus and $21,768 for continuing students. That is roughly $2,100 more per year starting sophomore year, before any normal yearly increase. Since merit money only covers tuition, that increase comes straight out of your pocket.

FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Monmouth University

Does Monmouth charge out-of-state students more?
No. Monmouth is a private university, so tuition is the same for everyone. Out-of-state students do miss out on New Jersey state aid like TAG and on Monmouth Promise, which is limited to New Jersey residents.

What does a freshman year at Monmouth cost in 2026-27?
Monmouth’s 2026-27 budget for a full-time freshman living on campus is $48,894 in tuition, $1,100 in fees, and $19,668 for housing and food. That is $69,662 billed by the university. Add Monmouth’s estimates for books ($1,000), travel ($800), personal expenses ($4,116), and loan fees ($78), and the full cost of attendance is $75,656.

What do families actually pay after aid?
The most recent federal figure is an average net price of about $34,072 a year (2023-24) for full-time freshmen who got grant aid. Income matters a lot here: families earning under $48,000 averaged roughly $19,000, families earning $75,001 to $110,000 averaged about $33,800, and families above $110,000 averaged about $39,000.

Why does the cost go up after freshman year?
Two reasons. Monmouth budgets housing and food about $2,100 higher for continuing students than for freshmen, and tuition typically rises a bit each year. Your student’s academic award does not go up to match, because Monmouth does not increase merit awards after enrollment.

Is nursing more expensive at Monmouth?
Yes, a little. BSN students pay the same tuition, but their fees are higher: $2,600 freshman year versus $1,100 for most majors, and $2,400 versus $900 in later years.

How much can we save if our student commutes?
A lot. For a freshman living at home, Monmouth bills only tuition and fees, which comes to $49,994 for 2026-27, versus $69,662 for a student living on campus. Keep in mind that commuters do not get the $2,000 Residency Grant.

Can scholarships be used for housing?
Monmouth’s academic awards, the Need Grant, and Monmouth Promise all apply to tuition only. The $2,000 Residency Grant is the Monmouth award aimed at students living on campus. Federal Pell, NJ TAG, and loans can help cover what is left.

Sources:
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/cost-of-attendance-budgets/undergraduate-students/
https://www.monmouth.edu/tuition/
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=185572

📅 Monmouth Money Timeline (Simple Version)

  • As soon as the FAFSA opens: File it. Monmouth has no FAFSA deadline, but the Need Grant, Monmouth Promise, and some other aid depend on it, and some funds are limited.
  • November 1: Apply by this date and Monmouth waives the $60 application fee.
  • December 1: Early Action. Also the deadline for Nursing (BSN), the 3+3 Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy tracks, and the 4+2 Speech-Language Pathology track.
  • January: Aid offers start going out by email to admitted students who have filed the FAFSA. Early Action decisions arrive by January 15.
  • Before May 1: Compare offers and ask any questions. After your student enrolls, the academic award will not go up.

Parent rule of thumb: Monmouth doesn’t have a scholarship deadline, so your real deadline is the day before you deposit. That’s your last chance to ask questions with any leverage.

Automatic Merit Scholarships at Monmouth University

Every admitted freshman is automatically reviewed for Monmouth’s three-tier academic award ladder. There’s no separate application. Admission looks at your student’s cumulative high school GPA, a recalculated academic GPA, and SAT/ACT scores only if you choose to send them. Monmouth does not publish the dollar amounts or the cutoffs, so the number shows up for the first time in the admission and aid offer.
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
Start with your state. The awards in this first group come from the state, not the college. They are decided by residency and the FAFSA, and they stack on top of whatever automatic merit award the college gives below. If you live out of state, use the toggle above and these will step aside.
State AidApp Requiredgeographicneed basedprogram participation
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)
📅 Deadline: Competitive application coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the EOF Program Director. Ask your admission counselor about it early in senior year.
✓ Renews (5 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  New Jersey residents from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are TAG-eligible and fall under the state EOF income and asset caps.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Designed to fill what is left after Pell, TAG, Monmouth grants, and federal loans. If a student declines federal loans, Monmouth EOF money does not replace them.
📄
How to Apply
1. Tell your Monmouth admission counselor your student wants EOF consideration. 2. File the FAFSA (or NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application). 3. Complete any EOF application materials Admission sends. 4. Confirm current income caps with the EOF office, since the state updates them each year.
💡
Strategic Detail
EOF students receive a New Jersey EOF grant ($3,050) plus extra Monmouth grant money beyond what a non-EOF student would get, along with counseling, tutoring, and academic support. Monmouth EOF grants can cover tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and meal costs left after other federal, state, and institutional aid, plus a book grant of up to $1,200. A limited number of students are invited each year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Low-income New Jersey students who show academic promise and are TAG-eligible. Renewable for up to five years (10 semesters) with full-time enrollment, satisfactory progress, and a FAFSA filed by April 15 each year.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic
Monmouth Academic Excellence Scholarship
📅 Deadline: No separate deadline. Monmouth's Office of Undergraduate Admission sets the award when your student is admitted.
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Applies to Monmouth tuition only (never housing), fall and spring only (not summer or winter), and requires 12+ credits every semester. It is packaged alongside the Monmouth University Need Grant, the $2,000 Residency Grant, Monmouth Promise, and federal and state aid, but cannot be combined with employee tuition remission or tuition exchange. Prorated during off-campus clinical semesters (Medical/Clinical Lab Science) and student teaching under 12 credits.
💡
Strategic Detail
Academic Excellence is the top tier of Monmouth's three-tier automatic merit ladder (Incentive Grant, Academic Grant, Academic Excellence Scholarship). Freshmen are evaluated on cumulative high school GPA, a calculated academic GPA, and SAT/ACT scores if submitted. Monmouth does not publish dollar amounts or GPA cutoffs for any tier; the amount appears in the admission and financial aid offer. Renewal requires full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and a 3.0 cumulative Monmouth GPA. Awards are never increased after a student enrolls.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
The strongest admitted students academically, judged on GPA and course rigor (and test scores if your student chooses to send them). There is no separate competition and no essay.
Automatic
Monmouth Academic Grant
📅 Deadline: No separate deadline. Monmouth's Office of Undergraduate Admission sets the award when your student is admitted.
✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Applies to Monmouth tuition only (never housing), fall and spring only, and requires 12+ credits every semester. It is packaged alongside the Monmouth University Need Grant, the $2,000 Residency Grant, Monmouth Promise, and federal and state aid, but cannot be combined with employee tuition remission or tuition exchange. Prorated during off-campus clinical semesters and student teaching under 12 credits.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Academic Grant is the middle tier of Monmouth's three-tier automatic merit ladder. Freshmen are evaluated on cumulative high school GPA, a calculated academic GPA, and SAT/ACT scores if submitted. Monmouth does not publish dollar amounts or GPA cutoffs; the amount appears in the admission and financial aid offer. Renewal requires full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and a 2.5 cumulative Monmouth GPA. Awards are never increased after a student enrolls.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students with solid, above-average academic records who fall just short of the Academic Excellence tier. No extra essays or interviews.
Automatic
Monmouth Incentive Grant
📅 Deadline: No separate deadline. Monmouth's Office of Undergraduate Admission sets the award when your student is admitted.
✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Applies to Monmouth tuition only (never housing), fall and spring only, and requires 12+ credits every semester. It is packaged alongside the Monmouth University Need Grant, the $2,000 Residency Grant, Monmouth Promise, and federal and state aid, but cannot be combined with employee tuition remission or tuition exchange. Prorated during off-campus clinical semesters and student teaching under 12 credits.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Incentive Grant is the entry tier of Monmouth's three-tier automatic merit ladder. Freshmen are evaluated on cumulative high school GPA, a calculated academic GPA, and SAT/ACT scores if submitted. Monmouth does not publish dollar amounts or GPA cutoffs; the amount appears in the admission and financial aid offer. Renewal requires full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and a 2.0 cumulative Monmouth GPA, the most forgiving bar on the ladder. Awards are never increased after a student enrolls.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students whose records show real promise but fall below the Academic Grant tier. Because Monmouth admits close to 9 in 10 applicants and reports grant aid for every full-time freshman, most admitted students land somewhere on this ladder.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.

What It Takes to Keep the Award

Award (lowest to highest) GPA to Keep It Parent Translation
Incentive Grant 2.0 The most forgiving bar. Hard to lose if your student stays full-time.
Academic Grant 2.5 A rough first semester can put this one at risk. Watch the cumulative GPA.
Academic Excellence Scholarship 3.0 The biggest award with the highest bar. A B average across all four years.

Note: All three awards require 12+ credits every fall and spring, pay tuition only, and do not cover summer or winter classes. Your student receives one award from this ladder, and the amount stays the same for all four years.

Automatic Merit FAQs (Monmouth University)

Does Monmouth publish a merit scholarship chart?
No. Monmouth names its three academic awards (Incentive Grant, Academic Grant, and Academic Excellence Scholarship) but does not publish the dollar amounts or the GPA cutoffs for each one. The amount shows up in your student’s admission and financial aid offer.

Do we need to send SAT or ACT scores to get a scholarship?
No. Monmouth says every student is considered for merit and need-based scholarships whether or not they submit scores. If your student sends scores, Admission will factor them in. If their scores are strong for Monmouth (the middle range of students who submitted was about 1140 to 1310 on the SAT), sending them can only add to the picture.

Can the merit award go up after my student enrolls?
No. Monmouth states that academic awards are never increased after a student enrolls, even if their college GPA is excellent. That’s why the time to ask questions is before the May 1 deposit, not after.

What happens if my student’s GPA drops below the renewal bar?
The award can be reduced or cancelled. Monmouth gives students a chance to appeal before any reduction for academic progress, so if a semester goes badly, contact the Financial Aid Office right away.

Can Monmouth’s merit award pay for housing?
No. It applies only to Monmouth tuition. It does not cover housing, meals, or summer and winter classes.

Does the award stack with need-based aid?
Yes. Monmouth packages it alongside the Monmouth University Need Grant, the $2,000 Residency Grant, Monmouth Promise, Pell, and NJ TAG. The only limit is that total grants, scholarships, and need-based loans cannot go over your student’s direct costs.

What about student teaching or clinical semesters?
Education majors who drop below 12 credits during student teaching get a prorated award. Medical and Clinical Lab Science students get a prorated award during off-campus clinical semesters.

Sources:
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/monmouth-academic-awards/
https://catalog.monmouth.edu/undergraduate-catalog/financial-aid/funding-sources/
https://www.monmouth.edu/admission/undergraduate/how-to-apply/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/financial-aid-timeline/

🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)

Monmouth’s published aid list has no essay-based scholarship competition for incoming freshmen. No finalist weekend, no interview, no separate scholarship application. Nearly all of Monmouth’s own money flows through two automatic channels: the academic award ladder set by Admission and the need-based grants triggered by the FAFSA. That’s actually good news for busy families: the work is getting the application and the FAFSA in, not writing ten extra essays.

✅ How Monmouth Aid Stacks Together

Aid Type Stacks with Merit? Monmouth Parent Translation
Academic Award Ladder This is the base One award per student, set at admission, tuition only, never increased later.
Monmouth University Need Grant Yes Automatic from the FAFSA for freshmen with unmet need. Tuition only.
Residency Grant ($2,000) Yes Automatic for every new student living in University housing.
Monmouth Promise (NJ only) Yes, added last Tops up everything else until tuition and fees are covered, after the federal subsidized loan.
SOAR Grant Yes Discretionary money from the Director of Admission. No application.
Pell, NJ TAG, EOF Yes Federal and state money layered on top. TAG and EOF are for New Jersey residents only.
Athletic Scholarships (NCAA Division I) Check your offer Offered and renewed at the head coach’s discretion with Athletics and Financial Aid approval.
Outside Scholarships Usually Monmouth may adjust the aid offer when outside money arrives. Report it and ask how it will be applied.

The ceiling on all of this is your student’s direct cost (tuition, fees, and University housing). Monmouth will not stack aid past that number. The one combination that’s ruled out entirely: Monmouth awards can’t be used together with employee tuition remission or tuition exchange benefits.

This institution does not offer designated Competitive scholarships at this time.

❓ Competitive Scholarship FAQs (Monmouth University)

Does Monmouth have a competitive scholarship for incoming freshmen?
Not one that Monmouth publishes. Freshman merit money comes from the automatic academic award ladder, which Admission sets when your student is admitted. There is no separate scholarship application, essay, or interview.

What is the SOAR Grant?
It’s a discretionary grant that Monmouth’s Director of Undergraduate Admission awards to incoming full-time students. There’s no application, and the Director sets the amount. It renews with full-time enrollment and a 2.0 GPA.

Can we ask Monmouth to reconsider the aid offer?
Monmouth does not publish a merit appeal process. What it does publish is that academic awards are not increased after enrollment. If your family’s finances have changed or another school’s offer looks very different, talk to the Financial Aid Office before the May 1 deposit, not after.

Does Monmouth offer athletic scholarships?
Yes. Monmouth competes in NCAA Division I. Athletic grants-in-aid are offered and renewed at the head coach’s discretion, with approval from the Director of Athletics and the Director of Financial Aid.

Does Monmouth require the CSS Profile?
No. Monmouth uses only the FAFSA for all of its aid and does not require or accept the CSS Profile. That’s one less form (and one less fee) for your family.

Sources:
https://catalog.monmouth.edu/undergraduate-catalog/financial-aid/funding-sources/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/soar-grants/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/the-application/

🧠 Parent Strategy: At Monmouth, the FAFSA Is the Scholarship Application

Monmouth doesn’t run a scholarship portal where your student hunts for awards. Almost every hidden gem below is awarded automatically, and the FAFSA is what turns most of them on. Miss it, and your student gets the academic award and not much else.

  1. File the FAFSA as soon as it opens and list Monmouth (school code 002616).
  2. New Jersey residents: if money is tight, ask your admission counselor about the EOF program early in senior year.
  3. Plan on living on campus freshman year if you can. It unlocks the $2,000 Residency Grant.
  4. Refile the FAFSA every year. The Need Grant and Monmouth Promise both depend on it.

Parent translation: the extra money at Monmouth isn’t hidden behind essays. It’s hidden behind paperwork. Do the paperwork early.

💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships

These are the awards most families don’t hear about on the campus tour. A few are big (Monmouth Promise can cover full tuition and fees for qualifying New Jersey students), and most stack right on top of the academic award.

Full TuitionAutomaticgeographicneed based
Monmouth Promise
📅 Deadline: No separate application or deadline. Evaluated automatically once your student is admitted and Monmouth receives the FAFSA.
✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
Tuition and fees (last-dollar grant)
✔ Stackable
⚠  New Jersey residents only, 3.5+ weighted GPA, Pell and TAG eligible (or family AGI of $65,000 or less with some Pell/TAG). Covers tuition and fees after the subsidized loan; housing not included.
🏫 3.5+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Promise is added last, on top of federal, state, and institutional grants. If your student declines the subsidized loan or loses Pell/TAG eligibility, Promise will not replace that money. Students who live on campus also receive the $2,000 Residency Grant toward housing. Not combinable with tuition remission, Tuition Exchange, or CIC-TEP. Fall and spring only.
💡
Strategic Detail
Started with the Fall 2025 freshman class. Monmouth Promise is a last-dollar grant: after Pell, NJ TAG, other Monmouth grants, and the student's federal Direct Subsidized Loan ($3,500 freshman year, $4,500 sophomore, $5,500 junior and senior) are applied, Promise fills the rest of tuition and fees. Requirements: student and parents NJ residents for the 12 months before enrolling, a 3.5 weighted high school GPA (calculated by Admission), full-time enrollment, and either full Pell and full TAG, or parent AGI of $65,000 or less with some Pell or TAG. It does not cover housing or food, and Monmouth's own Net Price Calculator does not include it.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: New Jersey high schoolers with a 3.5+ weighted GPA from lower-income families who qualify for Pell and TAG. Renewal requires a 2.0 cumulative GPA, full-time enrollment, and at least $1 of Pell or TAG each year, so the FAFSA has to be filed every year.
Automaticneed based
Monmouth University Need Grant
📅 Deadline: No separate application or deadline. Evaluated automatically once Monmouth receives the FAFSA, but some aid is limited, so file early.
✓ Renews (2 GPA)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Packaged alongside Monmouth's academic merit awards, the Residency Grant, and federal and state aid; total grants, scholarships, and need-based loans cannot exceed direct cost. A change in housing status or in unmet need can change the award. Not combinable with tuition remission or tuition exchange.
💡
Strategic Detail
Started with the Fall 2025 freshman class and replaced the Great Lawn Grant for new first-years. Monmouth's own need-based grant for full-time first-year students, based on financial need as shown by the FAFSA. Monmouth does not publish award amounts. Tuition only (not housing), fall and spring only.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Full-time freshmen with unmet financial need on the FAFSA. Renewal requires full-time enrollment, a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and continued need, so the FAFSA must be filed every year. NJ Dreamers qualify through the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application; international students are not eligible.
Automatichousing
Residency Grant
📅 Deadline: No application. Added automatically to the aid record of new students living in University housing.
✓ Renews (2 GPA)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with merit, need-based, and Promise aid, up to direct cost. Not available to tuition remission or tuition exchange recipients.
💡
Strategic Detail
Since Fall 2023, every newly enrolling freshman and transfer who lives in University-owned or University-sponsored housing receives a $2,000 Residency Grant. Not available for summer or winter housing.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Any new student who lives on campus. It renews as long as your student stays an undergraduate in University housing, full-time, with a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Moving off campus ends it.
Automatic
SOAR Grant
📅 Deadline: No application. Awarded at the discretion of the Director of Undergraduate Admission.
✓ Renews (2 GPA)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other grants, scholarships, and need-based loans up to direct cost (tuition, fees, and housing for residents; tuition and fees for commuters). Not available with employee tuition remission or tuition exchange. Prorated for off-campus clinical semesters and student teaching under 12 credits.
💡
Strategic Detail
SOAR Grants go to incoming full-time students at the discretion of Monmouth's Director of Undergraduate Admission, who also sets the amount. There is no application. The award applies only to Monmouth tuition, fall and spring only.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Incoming students the Admission office wants to bring in. Monmouth does not publish the criteria, so the practical move is to ask your admission counselor whether your student was considered. Renewal requires full-time enrollment and a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Endowed Scholarships
📅 Deadline: No application. All enrolled students are automatically considered.
✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Added on top of the rest of the aid package, subject to the direct-cost cap. Whether it renews, and on what terms, is set by each donor; Financial Aid says it tries to renew where the donor allows.
💡
Strategic Detail
Monmouth offers a small number of donor-funded annual and endowed scholarships. There is no student application: the Financial Aid Office builds a candidate pool for each fund and picks the student who best matches the donor's criteria. Winners are told in their financial aid offer letter. Monmouth does not publish amounts.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students whose major, academic record, background, or activities line up with a specific donor's criteria. Because selection is invisible, the only lever a family has is a complete, accurate FAFSA and an up-to-date major on file.
Automatic⚠ Sophomore Onlymajor specific
Knapp Endowed (Communication)
📅 Deadline: Selected by the Department of Communication; winners are announced at the department's annual awards banquet. Contact the department chair for timing.
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.5+ GPA🎓 SophomoreFull-time Communication majors classified as sophomores, juniors, or seniors in the award year, with a 3.5+ cumulative GPA and demonstrated excellence in oral performance (stage, podium, on air, or on camera).
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other Monmouth aid, but students who are already fully funded through other sources are not considered.
💡
Strategic Detail
Merit awards run up to $3,000; full Knapp Scholarships (above $3,000) recognize sustained excellence. The award is split evenly across the fall and spring bills. More than 50 have been awarded since 2001. The department also lists two smaller named awards: the Richard Corliss Memorial Scholarship (communication majors with a film emphasis) and the Raymond Michelli Sports Scholarship Award (sports announcing).
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Communication majors who are visible in campus media, debate, theatre, or student organizations and keep a 3.5+. Outstanding students can win it again in later years.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.

❓ Hidden Gems FAQ (Monmouth University)

Who qualifies for Monmouth Promise?
New Jersey freshmen (student and parents NJ residents for the 12 months before enrolling) with at least a 3.5 weighted high school GPA, as calculated by Admission, who either receive the full Pell Grant and full NJ TAG, or have parent income (AGI) of $65,000 or less and qualify for some Pell or TAG. Your student must enroll full-time.

Does Monmouth Promise really cover full tuition?
It covers tuition and fees, but with one catch: it counts your student’s federal subsidized loan first ($3,500 freshman year, rising to $5,500 by junior year). If your student declines that loan, Promise won’t fill the gap. It also doesn’t cover housing or food, though students who live on campus get the separate $2,000 Residency Grant.

Why doesn’t the Net Price Calculator show Monmouth Promise?
Monmouth says its calculator does not include Promise right now. If you think your student might qualify, run the calculator anyway, then call the Admission office so they can check eligibility.

What happened to the Great Lawn Grant?
Monmouth stopped offering it to new freshmen starting in Fall 2025 (transfers can still get it). The new Monmouth University Need Grant took its place for incoming first-year students, and it’s awarded automatically from the FAFSA.

How does my student get an endowed scholarship?
There’s no application. Monmouth’s Financial Aid Office builds a candidate pool for each donor fund and picks the student who best matches the donor’s criteria. Winners find out in their financial aid offer letter.

What is the EOF program, and how do we apply?
The Educational Opportunity Fund supports New Jersey students from low-income, educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Students get a state EOF grant, extra Monmouth grant money, and tutoring and counseling. It’s competitive, with a limited number of spots, and the application runs through Monmouth’s Admission office and the EOF director, so ask your counselor about it early.

Is there a FAFSA deadline at Monmouth?
Monmouth itself has no FAFSA deadline, but some aid is limited, so earlier is better. New Jersey residents also need to meet the state’s TAG deadlines: new TAG applicants by September 15 for the fall and spring, and returning TAG students by April 15.

Are there scholarships for students already at Monmouth?
Yes. The Knapp Endowed Scholarship goes to Communication majors from sophomore year on, and Monmouth also offers Activity Scholarships to students in major campus leadership roles (like newspaper or yearbook editor, radio station manager, or Student Government president).

Sources:
https://www.monmouth.edu/admission/undergraduate/monmouth-promise/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/monmouth-university-need-grant/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/residency-grant/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/sponsored-and-endowed-scholarships/
https://www.monmouth.edu/finaid/undergraduate-aid/grants-and-scholarships/educational-opportunity-fund/
https://www.monmouth.edu/department-of-communication/knappscholarship/
https://catalog.monmouth.edu/undergraduate-catalog/financial-aid/funding-sources/

The Honors School at Monmouth University

Monmouth calls it the Honors School, not an Honors College, and the way in is a little different from most schools. Your student doesn’t fill out a separate honors application up front. Every first-year applicant is automatically considered, and the result shows up in the Admission Portal in one of two ways: a direct offer to join, or an invitation to submit an Honors School application.

  • Direct offer: Your student still has to choose to join. It isn’t automatic enrollment, so check the portal.
  • Invitation to apply: Your student submits the Honors School application through the portal.
  • Neither? Students who think they’re a good fit can contact Undergraduate Admission once admitted and ask to submit the application.
  • Test-optional is fine: Test-optional applicants can still be considered, though a separate application may be required.

Honors Scholarships & Fellowships

This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.

Money Note: Monmouth does not publish a separate scholarship tied to the Honors School. Your student’s merit money comes from the same academic award ladder everyone is reviewed for. Think of Honors here as an academic upgrade (smaller classes, a thesis, closer faculty mentoring), not a second scholarship.
What Honors Students Actually Get
  • Smaller classes: Honors sections are smaller than regular classes, so professors actually know your student.
  • A real research project: The program ends with an honors thesis or creative capstone, presented at Monmouth’s Honors Research Conference.
  • A transcript and diploma notation: Graduates are noted as Honors School graduates, which helps on grad school and job applications.
  • Peer mentoring: Upper-level honors students mentor first-years through the transition.

Honors School FAQs (Monmouth University)

Does Monmouth have an Honors College?
Monmouth’s program is called the Honors School. It works like an honors college: your student takes honors courses alongside their major and finishes with a thesis or capstone project.

How does my student get into the Honors School?
Every first-year applicant is considered automatically. Based on academics, your student may get a direct offer (which they have to accept in the Admission Portal) or an invitation to submit an Honors School application.

Does the Honors School come with a scholarship?
Monmouth doesn’t publish one. Honors students receive the same academic award they would have gotten anyway, plus the academic perks of the program.

Can my student join after starting at Monmouth?
Yes. Current students with at least 12 Monmouth credits and a 3.5 cumulative GPA can join with the Honors School Director’s approval. Transfers need at least 30 credits and a 3.5 GPA.

Can test-optional applicants get into Honors?
Yes. Monmouth says qualified test-optional applicants can be considered, though they may need to submit a separate Honors School application.

Sources:
https://www.monmouth.edu/honors-school/
https://www.monmouth.edu/honors-school/join-the-honors-school/
https://www.monmouth.edu/admission/undergraduate/how-to-apply/

⭐ College Specialty

Monmouth is a mid-sized private university (about 3,700 undergrads) in West Long Branch, New Jersey, about a mile from the beach and roughly an hour from New York City. With a 12-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, it feels more like a small college than a big campus. Where it really earns its price tag is in a handful of career-focused programs, plus some genuinely unusual opportunities that come from its spot on the Jersey Shore.

Nationally Known Program:
Leon Hess Business School: Business is Monmouth’s biggest undergraduate program by far. The school has held AACSB accreditation (the top business school accreditation) since 1999, and it’s home to the Kislak Real Estate Institute and a Center for Entrepreneurship. A real estate focus is something few schools this size offer.
  • Health Studies and the Fast-Track Health Programs: Monmouth’s second-largest undergraduate major feeds 3+3 tracks into Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy (OTD) programs, plus a 4+2 Speech-Language Pathology track. Note the December 1 application deadline for these.
  • Nursing: The Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies offers a CCNE-accredited BSN. It also has a December 1 deadline and higher fees than other majors.
  • Communication: A large, active department with its own named scholarships for students who shine on stage, on air, or on camera.
  • Marine and Environmental Biology: The Urban Coast Institute and the ocean down the road turn this major into hands-on fieldwork. Science students can also apply for paid summer research jobs with faculty, and a few spots sometimes open to incoming freshmen.
  • Music Industry: Billboard named Monmouth one of its Top Music Business Schools for 2025. The campus is also home to the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music.
  • Criminal Justice and Homeland Security: Together these are one of Monmouth’s larger undergraduate pathways.
  • Education and Psychology: Steady, popular majors with clear routes into teaching, counseling, and graduate study.

✅ Wrapping It Up

Monmouth is a school where almost everyone gets in and almost everyone gets money, but nobody gets to see the price list ahead of time. Your student’s academic award gets decided when they’re admitted, it covers tuition only, and it won’t grow later. So treat the offer letter like the final number, and ask your questions before the deposit, not after.

The family that comes out best at Monmouth is usually a New Jersey family that files the FAFSA early. Pell, NJ TAG, the Need Grant, and the $2,000 Residency Grant can stack on top of the academic award, and for students with a 3.5+ GPA and real financial need, Monmouth Promise can take tuition and fees off the table almost entirely. Out-of-state families pay the same sticker price, but without the state money, so run the Net Price Calculator before you fall in love with the beach.

And if your student is headed toward business, health sciences, nursing, or music industry, Monmouth has real strengths to match the price: an AACSB-accredited business school, fast-track PA and OT pathways, and a campus that houses the Bruce Springsteen Archives, about a mile from the ocean.

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Leo Dimilo
Written by Leo Dimilo
I started CollegeReadyParent while working through college costs for my own kid, and quickly figured out that the number a school advertises and the number a family actually pays are two very different things. Since then I’ve gone school by school pulling apart award letters, scholarship pages, and cost sheets to find what families are supposed to just know. This site is the version of that research I wish someone had handed me. More about Leo →

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