Quick note on the name: Manhattan College became Manhattan University in 2024. Same campus in Riverdale (the Bronx), same Lasallian Catholic roots, same scholarships. If you see either name on a form or an award letter, it is the same school.
The admissions picture in plain English: Manhattan admits about 4 out of 5 applicants and is test-optional in a very real way. Only 9% of last fall’s freshmen sent an SAT score and 2% sent an ACT. The average high school GPA for that class was 3.60. There is one early option, Early Decision on Nov 15, and it is binding. There is no Early Action.
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Manhattan University (Read This First)
Feb 15 is the money deadline. Admissions is rolling, but your application has to be in by Feb 15 to be considered for merit scholarships. Rolling admission does not mean rolling scholarships.
There is no merit chart. Manhattan ranks students against everyone else who applied that year (top 5%, top 15%, top 25%). You will not know the dollar amount until the award letter arrives.
The school-specific awards lock in the major. The Business, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Science, and Education awards end if your student moves to a major outside that school.
Moving off campus can cost real money. Switching from dorm to commuter shrinks the cost budget, which can cut need-based aid. Merit stays the same.
Outside scholarships can shrink Manhattan’s aid. All Manhattan aid combined is capped at tuition and fees, and big outside awards can reduce what Manhattan gives you. Report them early and ask how they will be applied.
Two different renewal bars. Trustee, Presidential, Dean’s, and Chancellor’s awards need a 3.0 GPA to renew. Provost and the school awards need a 2.0.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Manhattan University is test-optional for admission.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 23-28; SAT: 1008-1325.
Average net price? About $29,717/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Manhattan University: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in October 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Manhattan 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 $1,500 to $3,700 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
All students: billed cost per year
$74,530
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$55,000
Housing & meals (typical)
$19,530
Total billed cost
$74,530
Average federal net price: $29,717 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.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
Manhattan University (formerly Manhattan College) is a private Lasallian Catholic university that charges every undergraduate the same tuition no matter what state they come from. There are no nonresident waivers or regional reciprocity discounts. Instead, the Jasper Guarantee locks each entering class's tuition rate for eight consecutive semesters. Fees, housing, and meals are billed separately and can still change.
🔒 The Jasper Guarantee: Tuition That Does Not Go Up
Manhattan freezes tuition for eight straight semesters starting the day your student enrolls. Each entering class locks in its own rate. Students who started in Fall 2026 locked $50,000. Students starting in Fall 2027 lock in $52,500. The lock covers tuition only. Fees, housing, and meals can still rise each year, so budget a little extra for those.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Manhattan University
What does a year at Manhattan cost before aid?
For 2026-27, a student living on campus is billed $74,530: $50,000 tuition, a $2,800 program fee, a $2,200 comprehensive fee, $11,550 for a double room, and $7,980 for the standard meal plan. A commuter living at home is billed $55,445. Books, transportation, and personal costs come on top of that.
What will a Fall 2027 freshman actually be charged?
Tuition will be $52,500, locked for four years under the Jasper Guarantee. Fees and housing for 2027-28 have not been published yet. Use the 2026-27 fee and housing numbers above as a floor and expect a modest bump.
Is there out-of-state tuition?
No. Manhattan is private, so a student from New Jersey or Texas pays the same as one from the Bronx. New York residents may also qualify for the state’s TAP grant, and New York students with need may qualify for the HEOP program.
Is the average net price really about $29,700?
That is the federal average for first-time, full-time students who got grant aid in 2023-24. It is a useful middle-of-the-road number. Manhattan does not promise to meet full need. Last year it covered about 66% of need for first-years on average, so most families still have a gap to close with savings, work, or loans.
Does living at home lower our aid?
It can. When a student switches from resident to commuter, Manhattan rebuilds the cost budget and need-based aid usually drops. Merit scholarships stay the same. Talk to a financial aid counselor at Jasper Central before signing a lease or moving home.
What other costs should we plan for?
Manhattan estimates about $1,200 a year for books and supplies, $900 for transportation for students living on campus, and $1,200 for personal expenses. Students also pay a one-time $300 housing security deposit.
Nov 15 (optional): Early Decision. It is binding, but ED applicants get their scholarship decision faster.
Feb 1: FAFSA in for incoming first-years. This is how Manhattan sees need for the school-specific awards and grants.
Feb 15: Application must be submitted to be considered for merit scholarships.
May 1: Deposit deadline. Compare award letters before then.
Kitchen-table rule: treat Feb 1 as your real deadline for everything. The FAFSA and the application both need to be in, and getting them in early never hurts.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Manhattan University
Every admitted first-year is reviewed for merit automatically. No separate form. Manhattan ranks applicants against the whole pool rather than using a GPA or test-score chart, and it does not publish dollar amounts. The best hard number available: first-years without financial need who got merit averaged about $32,000 a year last fall.
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 AidAutomaticstate residencyneed based
Tuition Assistance Program
📅 Deadline: FAFSA and TAP application; final cutoff June 30 after the aid year ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000–$5,665/yr
✔ Stackable
NY resident for 12 months; NYS net taxable income $125,000 or less for dependent students; full time at an approved NY college; FAFSA plus a separate TAP application every year
✚
Stacking & Combining
New York's main need grant, $1,000 to $5,665 a year on a sliding income scale, and it travels to private NY colleges. Stacks with Pell and with the college's own aid. Two forms every year: the FAFSA and the TAP application.
💡
Strategic Detail
State program, not a Manhattan University award. Rules and amounts are set by the state and can change with each budget. Full details on the CollegeReadyParent NY page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Families under $125,000 who finished the separate TAP application after the FAFSA. The TAP form is its own step on the HESC site, and the students who show up with Pell but no TAP are almost always the ones who stopped at the FAFSA confirmation screen.
State AidApp Requiredstate residency
NYS Scholarship for Academic Excellence
📅 Deadline: High school nomination; deadline set by the school ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
$500–$1,500/yr
✔ Stackable
Nominated by the high school based on Regents exam scores; no application; must enroll the fall right after graduation; public or private NY college
✚
Stacking & Combining
$500 or $1,500 a year for four years, awarded by Regents scores and nominated by the high school. Small but automatic and renewable at a C average. Stacks with TAP, Excelsior, and college aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
State program, not a Manhattan University award. Rules and amounts are set by the state and can change with each budget. Full details on the CollegeReadyParent NY page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Top Regents scorers whose high school submitted the nomination. There is nothing for a family to do except confirm with the guidance office that the nomination went in, and that is exactly the step nobody takes.
State AidApp Requiredny residentincome eligibleacademic criteria
Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
📅 Deadline: Indicate HEOP interest when you apply; confirm timing with the HEOP office. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ New York residents who meet state academic and income guidelines.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Built into your aid package alongside federal and state grants.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission, indicate interest in HEOP, file the FAFSA and New York TAP, and contact the HEOP office to confirm eligibility.
💡
Strategic Detail
New York State's Higher Education Opportunity Program helps NY residents who meet state academic and income guidelines and who might not otherwise be admitted. At Manhattan it combines extra aid from the university and the state with tutoring, advising, and a built-in support community. Eligibility is set by New York State, so talk to Manhattan's HEOP office before you apply.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
New York students with real financial need and a transcript that does not yet show their full potential.
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.
Top 5% of the first-year applicant pool, judged on GPA, course rigor, class rank, test scores if submitted, and involvement.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Students receive one merit tier. Total Manhattan aid is capped at tuition and fees, and large outside scholarships can reduce Manhattan's own aid, so report them early. Federal and New York State grants layer on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Manhattan's top merit award, reserved for admitted first-years in roughly the top 5% of the applicant pool. Manhattan does not publish a dollar amount or a GPA or test cutoff for any merit tier. For context, first-years without financial need who received merit aid averaged $32,083 in Manhattan's 2025-26 Common Data Set. Trustee Scholars are ordinarily invited into the James Patterson Honors Program. Renews for up to eight semesters with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Admitted first-years ranked in about the top 5% of the applicant pool. Think top grades in a demanding schedule; enrolled first-years averaged a 3.60 GPA, so Trustee winners sit well above that.
Students receive one merit tier. Total Manhattan aid is capped at tuition and fees, and large outside scholarships can reduce Manhattan's own aid, so report them early. Federal and New York State grants layer on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Second-tier merit award for admitted first-years in roughly the top 15% of the applicant pool. Presidential Scholars are ordinarily invited into the James Patterson Honors Program (Manhattan's scholarship page still calls it the Honors Enrichment Program). No published amount. Renews for up to eight semesters with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Strong students in about the top 15% of applicants, usually with a rigorous schedule and grades comfortably above the 3.60 first-year average.
Top 25% of the applicant pool with outstanding extracurricular accomplishments.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Students receive one merit tier. Total Manhattan aid is capped at tuition and fees, and large outside scholarships can reduce Manhattan's own aid, so report them early. Federal and New York State grants layer on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Third-tier merit award for admitted first-years in the top 25% of the applicant pool who also show outstanding extracurricular accomplishments. Manhattan's catalog describes it as the award for students who fall just below Presidential range. No published amount. Renews for up to eight semesters with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Good students with real activity depth: varsity sports, jobs, leadership, or service that shows up clearly on the application.
Committee discretion: strong academics plus leadership, community service, and extracurricular involvement.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Students receive one merit tier. Total Manhattan aid is capped at tuition and fees, and large outside scholarships can reduce Manhattan's own aid, so report them early. Federal and New York State grants layer on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded at the Scholarship Committee's discretion to admitted first-years with strong academics, leadership, volunteer and community service, and extracurricular involvement. Manhattan says amounts vary. Renews for up to eight semesters with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students whose story goes beyond grades: solid academics paired with leadership roles and a record of service.
Committee discretion: academics, leadership, and extracurricular involvement.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Students receive one merit tier. Total Manhattan aid is capped at tuition and fees, and large outside scholarships can reduce Manhattan's own aid, so report them early. Federal and New York State grants layer on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Entry-level merit award given at the Scholarship Committee's discretion for academics, leadership, and extracurricular involvement. Its renewal bar is the friendliest of the tier awards: a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits for up to eight semesters. No published amount.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Admitted first-years with a solid record who land just outside the higher tiers.
⚠ O'Malley School of Business majors only; includes a financial need component.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but all Manhattan awards combined cannot exceed tuition and fees. Federal and New York State grants layer on top. Check your award letter to see how the pieces combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to incoming first-years in the O'Malley School of Business, based on academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Switch to a major outside the business school and the award ends. Renews with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits. Amounts are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted business, finance, accounting, and marketing students with good grades and documented financial need.
⚠ School of Engineering majors only; includes a financial need component.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but all Manhattan awards combined cannot exceed tuition and fees. Federal and New York State grants layer on top. Check your award letter to see how the pieces combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to incoming first-years in the School of Engineering, based on academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Switch to a major outside engineering and the award ends. Renews with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits. Amounts are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted engineering students with strong math and science grades and documented financial need.
⚠ Liberal arts majors in the Kakos School only; includes a financial need component.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but all Manhattan awards combined cannot exceed tuition and fees. Federal and New York State grants layer on top. Check your award letter to see how the pieces combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to incoming liberal arts majors, based on academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Manhattan's page still refers to the School of Liberal Arts, which is now part of the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. Leaving the eligible majors ends the award. Renews with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits. Amounts are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted humanities, social science, and communication students with good grades and documented financial need.
⚠ Science majors only; includes a financial need component.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but all Manhattan awards combined cannot exceed tuition and fees. Federal and New York State grants layer on top. Check your award letter to see how the pieces combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to incoming science majors, based on academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Manhattan's page still refers to a School of Science; science programs now sit in the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. Leaving the eligible majors ends the award. Renews with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits. Amounts are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Admitted biology, chemistry, physics, math, and related majors with strong science grades and documented financial need.
⚠ Education majors only; includes a financial need component.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but all Manhattan awards combined cannot exceed tuition and fees. Federal and New York State grants layer on top. Check your award letter to see how the pieces combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee to incoming education majors, based on academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Manhattan's own description is inconsistent (it names both the Kakos School and the School of Education and Health), so ask admissions which majors qualify. Leaving the eligible majors ends the award. Renews with a 2.0 cumulative GPA and at least 12 credits. Amounts are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Admitted future teachers with good grades and documented financial need.
Data last verified Oct 1, 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.
Note: The five tier awards (Trustee through Provost) are one-per-student. The school-specific awards are different: they look at financial need as well as grades, and they belong to the school your student enrolls in. All Manhattan aid combined is capped at tuition and fees.
Automatic Merit FAQs (Manhattan University)
What GPA or test score gets the Trustee Scholarship?
Manhattan does not publish one. Trustee goes to roughly the top 5% of applicants, Presidential to the top 15%, and Dean’s to the top 25%. Since last year’s freshmen averaged a 3.60 GPA, Trustee and Presidential winners typically sit well above that with a tough course load.
Should we send test scores?
Manhattan says merit is based partly on SAT or ACT scores, but very few students send them. Send a score if it is above the middle of the range (about 1240 SAT or 25 ACT). If it would pull your student down, leave it off.
Are the school-specific awards really automatic?
There is no separate form, but they are not pure merit. Manhattan awards them based on grades plus financial need, so file the FAFSA. They also end if your student moves to a major outside that school.
Do Trustee and Presidential Scholars get anything extra?
Yes. They are normally invited into the James Patterson Honors Program, which brings smaller honors classes, mentoring, priority registration, and paid summer leadership opportunities. See the Honors section below.
What does it take to keep the award?
Full-time enrollment (12+ credits) every semester for up to eight semesters. Trustee, Presidential, Dean’s, and Chancellor’s need a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Provost and the school awards need a 2.0.
Does applying Early Decision help with money?
ED applicants are reviewed for merit at acceptance, so you see the number sooner. It does not mean a bigger award, and ED is binding. Run the net price calculator first so you know the likely cost before you commit.
Manhattan does not run a big essay-and-interview full-tuition competition. The largest money comes through the automatic merit tiers. The competitive awards here are talent-based: Division I athletics, performing arts, the student newspaper, and a Resident Assistant grant for current students.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Manhattan?
Aid Type
Stacks with Merit?
Manhattan Parent Translation
Merit tiers
N/A
One tier per student: Trustee, Presidential, Dean’s, Chancellor’s, or Provost.
School-specific awards
Up to the cap
Can sit alongside other Manhattan aid, but every Manhattan dollar together cannot top tuition and fees.
Athletics, Performing Arts, Quadrangle
Usually yes
Talent awards add on, still under the tuition-and-fees cap.
Endowed funds
Often replaces
Named funds are folded into the existing package, so they often swap out part of a Manhattan grant instead of adding new money.
Outside scholarships
Sometimes
Large ones can reduce loans or Manhattan aid. Ask for loans to be reduced first.
Federal and NY state grants
Yes
Pell, SEOG, and New York TAP layer on top. File the FAFSA and TAP every year.
Yellow Ribbon (veterans)
No
Yellow Ribbon students cannot receive any other Manhattan institutional award.
App Requiredrecruited athlete
Division I Athletic Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Follows each team's recruiting calendar. Contact coaches early in junior year. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Recruited NCAA Division I athletes only.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Athletic aid counts toward your total package, and all Manhattan aid combined is capped at tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
Fill out the team's recruiting questionnaire at gojaspers.com, contact the coaching staff, and apply for admission. Coaches drive the offer.
💡
Strategic Detail
Manhattan competes in NCAA Division I in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Recruited athletes still have to meet regular admission standards, and the Athletics Department alone sets award amounts and renewal rules. In the 2025-26 Common Data Set, first-year athletes without financial need averaged $20,191 in athletic aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Athletes the coaching staff recruits. Walk-ons rarely start with aid.
App Required
Performing Arts Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Rolling: apply after you are accepted and the Director of Performing Arts schedules your audition. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds on top of merit aid; all Manhattan aid combined is still capped at tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
Get admitted, submit the Performing Arts Scholarship application form, then prepare two contrasting pieces, major and minor scales (instrumentalists), one song in a language other than English (vocalists), and a sight-reading excerpt.
🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Worth $2,000 per year for admitted first-years with strong instrumental or vocal ability. You must read music, have choir, band, orchestra, or chamber experience, submit Manhattan's application form, and audition in person (virtual in some cases). To keep it, stay in at least two performing arts ensembles and earn a good review from your ensemble director each semester. Renews for up to four years. You do not have to be a music major.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Singers and instrumentalists who read music and will commit to two ensembles every semester.
App Required
Quadrangle Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Last posted: May 1 (2024 cycle). Confirm the current date. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds on top of merit aid; all Manhattan aid combined is still capped at tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
After acceptance, email a letter of interest, your skills, contact info, and no more than two journalism samples to the Communication department faculty contact listed on Manhattan's scholarships page.
🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
For incoming first-years who want to work on The Quadrangle, Manhattan's weekly student-run newspaper published since 1924. Applicants email a letter of interest with up to two writing samples to the Communication department, and finalists interview in early June. The amount is not published. Manhattan's page still shows the 2024 cycle, so confirm the current deadline before applying.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with real clips from a school paper, blog, or local outlet who will commit to weekly production.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
Resident Assistant (RA) Grant
📅 Deadline: Spring selection for the following year; dates set by Residence Life. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
👥 ~Capped by the number of RA positions Residence Life fills each academic year. winners/yr🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Because it covers housing and meals, it can shrink need-based aid tied to those costs. Ask Jasper Central how it changes your package before you accept.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through Residence Life during the spring cycle and complete the interview process.
🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
Resident Assistants receive a grant equal to their room and board charges with the top meal plan. Residence Life and the Dean of Students choose RAs every spring through an application and interview. It is a job as much as a scholarship, open to current students.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Current students with good standing, campus involvement, and a reputation as someone others can count on.
Data last verified Oct 1, 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.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
Does Manhattan have a full-tuition or full-ride competition?
No. There is no published full-tuition merit award. For most families, the merit tier and need-based grants are where the real money is.
How much are Manhattan’s athletic scholarships?
The Athletics Department sets every amount. Last year, first-year athletes without financial need averaged about $20,000 in athletic aid. Manhattan plays NCAA Division I in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Does my student need to be a music major for the Performing Arts Scholarship?
No. It is $2,000 a year for strong singers and instrumentalists who read music, pass an audition, and stay in at least two ensembles. Any major can apply after acceptance.
Is the Quadrangle Scholarship still offered?
It is still on Manhattan’s scholarship page, but the posted instructions are from the 2024 cycle (letter, two writing samples, interview in June). Email the Communication department to confirm this year’s dates.
Are the Jasper Dancers and cheer team scholarship programs?
Manhattan lists them with its talent options and tryouts run through the coaches. The page does not promise money, so ask the coach directly whether an award comes with a spot.
What about ROTC?
Manhattan students can join Air Force ROTC through a partner school. Air Force ROTC scholarships can cover tuition, fees, a monthly stipend, and books, and you apply through the Air Force, not Manhattan.
🧠 Parent Strategy: Find the Money That Has Your Name on It
Most of Manhattan’s smaller awards are not found by searching a portal. They are tied to who your student already is. Run through this list before May 1:
Lasallian high school grad? Make sure the $2,000 Lasallian Scholars Award is on the award letter.
New York resident with need? File TAP and ask about HEOP.
Parent works at another college? Ask that college’s HR office about Tuition Exchange.
Veteran in the family? Compare Yellow Ribbon to your merit package. You cannot have both.
Every year after: File the FAFSA on time. The Patterson scholarships and many endowed funds look at need.
Kitchen-table translation: the merit tier sets the base. These are the pieces that can make Manhattan affordable for a family that falls just short.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These awards are easy to miss because they are tied to background, family, major, or later years of college rather than the admissions application. Some are automatic, some need an invitation, and a few are only for specific groups.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
James Patterson '69 Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Invitations go out by email during the school year. Watch your Manhattan inbox. ✓ Renews (2 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
👥 ~About 20 per year winners/yr🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds on top of your existing aid, subject to Manhattan's tuition-and-fees cap on institutional aid.
📄
How to Apply
Keep your GPA up, file the FAFSA every year, and get involved in service and campus life. If you qualify, you will receive an email invitation with essay instructions.
Selection criteria: Competitive selection based on academic excellence, financial need, mission-related engagement, and strength of submitted essays.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Funded every year since 2012 by bestselling author James Patterson, Class of 1969. About 20 juniors and seniors from all of Manhattan's schools receive $5,000 per academic year, chosen for academic excellence, financial need, and involvement in mission-driven activities. Students who meet the GPA and financial criteria are invited by email to apply with an essay. Seniors can also compete for one of four extra $2,500 awards with an essay about their post-graduation plans.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Juniors and seniors with strong GPAs, real financial need, and a visible record of service or campus leadership.
Automaticlasallian school graduate
Lasallian Scholars Award
📅 Deadline: Awarded automatically after admission. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Graduates of Lasallian middle or high schools.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds on top of merit aid, subject to the tuition-and-fees cap on Manhattan aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
Worth $2,000 per year for admitted first-years who graduated from a Lasallian (De La Salle Christian Brothers) middle or high school. Financial Aid adds it automatically with no extra application, and recipients get a Lasallian mentor. Manhattan announced this version in 2022 and its 2026-27 catalog still lists Lasallian awards, but it is not on the main scholarships page, so confirm it appears on your award letter.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Every admitted first-year from a Lasallian school, such as La Salle Academy, Christian Brothers Academy, or other De La Salle schools.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Endowed Scholarships & Special Category Awards
📅 Deadline: FAFSA deadline for incoming first-years: Feb 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✘ Not stackable
👥 ~Varies by endowed fund and annual funding levels. winners/yr🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Usually replaces part of an existing Manhattan award instead of adding new money.
💡
Strategic Detail
Manhattan holds dozens of named endowed funds that provide tuition help, mostly to students with financial need. Where a fund lists no special criteria, the university weighs need, academic achievement, and campus involvement. These are folded into your existing aid package, so they often replace part of a Manhattan grant rather than raising your total.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with financial need, solid grades, and campus involvement, plus anyone whose major or background matches a specific donor fund.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlymajor specificstudy abroad
Rodney Rodríguez Memorial Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies by study abroad term; ask the department. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Spanish majors or minors studying in a Spanish-speaking country.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
A department award; total Manhattan aid is still capped at tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
Talk to the Department of English, World Languages, and Literatures as soon as you start planning a semester abroad.
💡
Strategic Detail
A newer restricted fund from the Department of English, World Languages, and Literatures that helps a Spanish major or minor pay for study in a Spanish-speaking country. The amount is not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Spanish majors or minors with a study abroad plan in place.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlymajor specific
Brother Patrick Horner Memorial Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Ask the department about the current cycle. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ English majors only.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
A department award; total Manhattan aid is still capped at tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
Declare the English major and ask the department chair how and when recipients are chosen.
💡
Strategic Detail
A newer memorial scholarship from the Department of English, World Languages, and Literatures that supports English majors, honoring a longtime professor. It started as a restricted fund with the goal of becoming endowed. The amount is not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: English majors who stand out to department faculty.
App Requiredemployee dependent
Tuition Exchange Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Set by the Tuition Exchange liaison at your parent's employer; start in fall of senior year. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✘ Not stackable
⚠ Children of employees at Tuition Exchange member colleges.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Ask Manhattan how Tuition Exchange combines with merit before you commit.
📄
How to Apply
Have your parent contact the Tuition Exchange liaison at their own college, confirm eligibility, and contact Manhattan's Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
A tuition-only grant for dependents of eligible employees at Tuition Exchange member colleges. Manhattan's catalog does not publish the amount or how many awards it offers each year, so ask how it combines with merit before you commit.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students whose parent works at a participating college and who apply through that school's Tuition Exchange liaison on time.
Data last verified Oct 1, 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.
Money the college does not control. Federal programs, city promise funds, foundations, and employers. The college may help you apply, but someone else writes the check, and these almost always stack with the college's own awards.
Outside MoneyApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlyveteran
Yellow Ribbon Program
📅 Deadline: Apply for GI Bill benefits after acceptance; send your Certificate of Eligibility to Manhattan. ✓ Renews
Varies
✘ Not stackable
⚠ Veterans and eligible dependents at the full Post-9/11 GI Bill rate.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be combined with any other Manhattan institutional award.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits through the VA, get your Certificate of Eligibility, and send it to Manhattan's VA certifying official after you apply for admission.
💡
Strategic Detail
Manhattan matches the VA dollar for dollar on tuition the GI Bill does not cover. Manhattan says eligible undergraduate veterans can attend with no out-of-pocket tuition. The catch: Yellow Ribbon recipients cannot receive any other Manhattan institutional award.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Veterans and transferred-benefit dependents eligible for the maximum Post-9/11 GI Bill rate.
Data last verified Oct 1, 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
What is the James Patterson ’69 Scholarship?
Bestselling author James Patterson, a Manhattan graduate, has funded about 20 scholarships a year since 2012. Juniors and seniors with strong grades, financial need, and service involvement get $5,000 a year. Students who qualify are invited by email to write an essay, and seniors can compete for four extra $2,500 awards.
Is the Lasallian Scholars Award automatic?
Yes. If your student graduated from a Lasallian (Christian Brothers) middle or high school, Financial Aid adds $2,000 a year with no extra application. It is not on Manhattan’s main scholarship page right now, so check your award letter and call if it is missing.
What is HEOP?
It is a New York State program for NY residents who meet academic and income guidelines. It comes with extra grant money plus tutoring and advising. Contact Manhattan’s HEOP office early, because eligibility rules are set by the state.
Do endowed scholarships add new money?
Usually not. Manhattan folds named endowed funds into the package you already have, so one may replace part of a Manhattan grant. It is still worth asking whether a fund matches your student’s major or background.
Are there awards for specific majors after freshman year?
Yes. The English department has two newer memorial scholarships: one for Spanish majors or minors studying abroad and one for English majors. Ask the department about the current cycle.
The James Patterson Honors Program at Manhattan University
Manhattan’s honors program is named for, and co-led by, bestselling author James Patterson, who graduated from Manhattan in 1969. It launched with the Fall 2025 class. It is less about extra homework and more about building polished, confident professionals: writing, speaking, leadership, and access to New York City mentors.
How students get in: By invitation. Trustee and Presidential Scholars are normally invited when they are admitted. Invited students have to save their spot when they commit to Manhattan.
What it asks: Four honors courses, a capstone or industry project senior year, speaker series events, workshops, and the mentoring program.
What it gives: Priority course registration, honors recognition on the transcript, multiple mentors, and the chance to apply for paid summer leadership scholarships.
Staying in: A 3.2 GPA. Students who dip below work out a plan with the program director.
Honors Scholarships
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
Straight talk: The honors program does not come with its own scholarship check. The money comes from the Trustee or Presidential award that earns the invitation. The paid piece inside the program is the summer leadership scholarship, where students are paid to build a community project with a faculty or staff member. Manhattan does not publish that amount.
Why the speaker series matters
Honors students sit in small rooms with people most college students only read about. Recent guests have included a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter, a retired four-star admiral, Meta’s chief marketing officer, and Patterson himself. For a student headed into business, media, or law in New York, those rooms are a real advantage.
Honors Program FAQs (Manhattan University)
Can my student apply to the honors program?
Incoming freshmen are invited at admission rather than applying. Manhattan has said current honors-level and otherwise outstanding students may also be invited to apply after they enroll.
Does Manhattan have an Honors College?
No. It is an honors program that runs across all three schools: Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, O’Malley School of Business, and the School of Engineering. Some older Manhattan pages still call it the “Honors Enrichment Program.”
Is it worth it if it does not add scholarship money?
For many students, yes. Priority registration alone helps engineering and business students get the classes they need, and the mentoring and networking are hard to find at a school this size.
What happens if my student’s GPA drops below 3.2?
They are not automatically removed. They build an action plan with the program director to stay in.
Manhattan is a small university, about 2,400 undergrads, sitting in a quiet corner of the Bronx with a 35-minute subway ride to Midtown. That combination is the whole pitch: small classes where professors know your kid’s name, and New York City close enough for internships during the school year. More than a quarter of Manhattan’s bachelor’s degrees go to engineers, and about one in five goes to business majors.
Nationally Known Program: School of Engineering: Engineering is Manhattan’s signature. Its programs are ABET-accredited, and 18 graduates have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the top honors in the field. Civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical, and computer engineering students have the city’s utilities, transit agencies, and construction firms practically next door.
O’Malley School of Business: AACSB-accredited, with a strong pipeline into Wall Street, accounting firms, and corporate New York. The current CEO of American Express is a Manhattan graduate.
Communication: One of the larger majors in the Kakos School, helped by the city’s media industry. The student-run Quadrangle newspaper has published since 1924.
Computer Science and Psychology: Two fast-growing majors that each award a meaningful share of Manhattan’s degrees.
Education: Teacher preparation is part of Manhattan’s Lasallian roots (the Christian Brothers founded it as a teaching order), and it is a steady pipeline into New York-area schools.
Academic standing: Manhattan is one of fewer than 300 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, and it cites strong rankings for graduate salaries.
It is also a place built for first-generation students. About 29% of students are the first in their family heading to a four-year degree, and Manhattan is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.
🔗 Official Manhattan University Links
Use Manhattan’s official pages below to double-check admissions details, scholarship rules, costs, and data. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines, award terms, and the latest numbers.
Manhattan University is a small, down-to-earth school that punches above its weight in engineering and business, with New York City a train ride away. On money, it plays it close to the vest: no published merit chart, no big full-ride contest, and a scholarship number you will not see until the award letter shows up.
What it does offer is predictability. The Jasper Guarantee means the tuition your student starts with is the tuition they finish with. Most students who apply on time get some merit, and the top students also get an honors program with real New York connections. For the best shot: get the application and FAFSA in by Feb 1, make sure every bit of hidden money that fits your family (Lasallian, TAP, HEOP) lands on the letter, and keep that GPA above 3.0 so the award renews all four years.
Your kid did everything right. That does not mean the money follows.
Most families build a college list first and think about scholarships second, which is backwards. This free four-part series shows you where the money actually comes from, and how to build a list around it.
After the series, about once a month, sometimes twice during application season. No drip funnels, no affiliate pitches, and we never sell your information. Unsubscribe anytime.
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Leo Dimilo
Leo is the founder of CollegeReadyParent. He went through the college money maze with his own daughter and built this site so other middle-income and first-generation families can see the real numbers without a paywall or a sales pitch. More about Leo →
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