College of the Holy Cross Scholarships (2026–2027)
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Last Updated on September 30, 2026- 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: ~18%
- Middle 50% ACT: 28-33
- Middle 50% SAT: EBRW 663-748, Math 630-720
- Average GPA: N/A
Holy Cross is a need-first school. It promises to meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need, and if your family’s total income is $100,000 or less with reasonable assets, tuition is covered in full. Merit money exists, but it is small and hand-picked. For most families, the number that decides whether Holy Cross is affordable is the financial aid offer, not a scholarship chart.
Comparing multiple schools? Try the Scholarship Tool to search by GPA, test scores, and state →
📌 College of the Holy Cross at a Glance
- There is no automatic merit. A 34 ACT and a 4.0 do not trigger a guaranteed award here. Merit is hand-picked by admissions or earned through a separate talent application.
- Your aid paperwork is due the same day as the application. The CSS Profile, FAFSA and your tax returns (uploaded to IDOC) are due November 15 for Early Decision I and January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. Late files get funded “as time and funds allow.”
- The price calculators leave out merit. Holy Cross’s Net Price Calculator and MyinTuition estimate need-based aid only, so don’t read a high estimate as “no chance of merit.”
- Early Decision is binding. ED I (November 15) and ED II (January 15) mean you can’t compare offers from other schools. Run the Net Price Calculator before your student signs.
- The interview matters more than most families think. Holy Cross rates it “very important.” ED I applicants must interview by November 15, everyone else by December 5, and alumni interviews aren’t available for ED.
- Two talent scholarships are skipping this year. The Organ Scholarship and the Freije Theatre Scholarship run every other year and are not offered to Fall 2026 applicants.
- Aid stays on campus. Holy Cross grants and scholarships can’t be used toward off-campus housing, and they stop after eight semesters.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. College of the Holy Cross is test-optional for admission.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 28-33; SAT: EBRW 663-748, Math 630-720.
Average net price? About $38,782/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity? No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.
Holy Cross Institutional Scholarships page (Freije Scholarship in Theatre section): https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships-grants
Holy Cross Music Scholarships page: https://www.holycross.edu/academics/program/music/music-scholarships
Holy Cross QuestBridge Applicants page: https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/how-to-apply/questbridge-applicants
Holy Cross Classics Scholarships page: https://www.holycross.edu/academics/department/classics/classics-scholarships
Holy Cross catalog financial aid page: https://catalog.holycross.edu/about/financial-aid/
CollegeScorecard / Admissions: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
💰 Cost of Attendance at College of the Holy Cross: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in September 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest College of the Holy Cross 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 $1,800 to $4,600 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
| Tuition & mandatory fees | $71,150 |
| Housing & meals (typical) | $20,590 |
| Total billed cost | $91,740 |
Average federal net price: $38,782 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
Holy Cross publishes the median grant offers it made to accepted students (Class of 2027) by family income. It is the most useful cost table on their site, because it shows the sticker price melting away for most families.
| Family Income | % Offered a Grant | Median Grant Range |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50,000 | 99% | $71,100 to $82,800 |
| $50,000 to $75,000 | 99% | $62,300 to $75,500 |
| $75,000 to $100,000 | 99% | $60,400 to $67,200 |
| $100,000 to $125,000 | 99% | $56,100 to $61,300 |
| $125,000 to $150,000 | 94% | $45,300 to $55,600 |
| $150,000 to $175,000 | 94% | $42,500 to $53,400 |
| $175,000 to $200,000 | 94% | $15,000 to $44,300 |
| $200,000 to $250,000 | 94% | $12,500 to $39,200 |
| $250,000+ | 27% | $10,000 to $20,000 |
Parent translation: if your family earns under about $200,000 and files complete paperwork on time, the odds of a meaningful grant are very high. Awards can run higher when more than one child is in college, and they depend on assets too, so treat these as a starting point and run the Net Price Calculator.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at College of the Holy Cross
What does a year at Holy Cross cost before financial aid?
For 2026-2027, the billed cost is $91,740: $70,220 tuition, $11,500 for standard housing, $9,090 for the resident food plan, and $930 in health and activity fees. If your student isn’t covered by your family’s health insurance, add $2,921 for the college plan. Books, travel and personal spending aren’t billed, so budget for those separately.
Is Holy Cross cheaper for Massachusetts residents?
No. Holy Cross is private, so every student pays the same price no matter where they live. The one in-state perk is on the aid side: Holy Cross expects Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont residents to apply for their state grant programs, and that money goes into the package.
Does Holy Cross take part in New England’s Tuition Break or any tuition reciprocity program?
No. Regional discount programs like Tuition Break are built for public colleges, and Holy Cross has no residency-based waivers. The discounts that matter here come from need-based grants.
Is tuition really free if we make under $100,000?
Yes, if your family’s total income is $100,000 or less and your assets are “reasonable,” Holy Cross gives a full-tuition grant. The CSS Profile is how they judge assets, so it has to be filed on time. Housing and food aren’t part of that promise, but because Holy Cross meets 100% of demonstrated need, many lower-income families get help with those costs too.
We earn around $175,000. Will we get anything?
Quite possibly. Holy Cross’s own numbers show 94% of accepted students in the $150,000 to $250,000 range were offered a grant, with medians ranging from about $12,500 to $53,400 depending on the bracket. Assets, home equity and other kids in college all move that number.
What if we have two kids in college at the same time?
Tell them. Holy Cross has a “More Than One” grant that labels part of your need-based aid for families with more than one dependent in undergraduate college. It goes away once only one child is enrolled, so expect the package to shift in those years.
Why is the average net price about $38,800 if aid is so generous?
That federal figure averages every aided student, including families who qualify for smaller grants. It also includes housing and food. Your price can be far lower (or higher), which is why the income table above and the Net Price Calculator matter more than any single average.
How much do Holy Cross students borrow?
Holy Cross reports average debt at graduation of about $20,500. Parents should also know that starting July 1, 2026, new Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 per year and $65,000 total per student.
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/tuition-fees
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/estimate-your-costs
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships-grants
https://catalog.holycross.edu/about/financial-aid/
https://www.holycross.edu/about-holy-cross/at-a-glance
📅 Holy Cross Scholarship & Aid Timeline (Simple Version)
- Early fall of senior year: QuestBridge National College Match deadline (check questbridge.org). Finalists who rank Holy Cross send the Holy Cross supplement by November 1.
- November 15: Early Decision I aid deadline. CSS Profile, FAFSA and tax documents through IDOC.
- January 15: Early Decision II and Regular Decision aid deadline, plus the Brooks Music and Classics (Bean and FitzGerald) scholarship applications.
- About a week later: Classics scholarship recommendation letters are due.
- February: Ellis Scholarship finalist interviews for Worcester residents.
Parent rule of thumb: at Holy Cross, the financial aid deadline is the application deadline. Put the CSS Profile on the same calendar day as the Common App.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Holy Cross
This institution does not offer designated Automatic Merit scholarships at this time.
What Works Like “Automatic” Money Here
If you are used to schools that print a merit chart, here is the Holy Cross equivalent. These are the things your student gets simply by qualifying and filing on time:
- The $100K Full-Tuition Grant: total family income of $100,000 or less with reasonable assets means tuition is covered. No essay, no competition.
- 100% of demonstrated need met: Holy Cross promises to fill the gap its own formula finds, for every admitted student who applies for aid.
- The Holy Cross Grant: nearly 450 first-year students receive one each year, ranging from $2,500 to more than $60,000 depending on need.
Note: Holy Cross is test-optional (one of the first colleges in the country to go that way, back in 2005) and superscores both the SAT and ACT if you do send scores. But scores don’t unlock money on their own here.
Automatic Merit: FAQs (College of the Holy Cross)
Does Holy Cross give automatic scholarships for GPA or test scores?
No. Holy Cross has no published merit grid. Its merit awards (Magis, Faber, Brooks, Bean, FitzGerald and Ellis) are either chosen by admissions or require a separate talent application.
Is the Magis Scholarship automatic?
No separate application is needed, but it isn’t automatic either. Every applicant is considered, and admissions picks a small group of the strongest students in the pool. Holy Cross doesn’t publish the dollar amount.
Will sending test scores help us get merit money?
Only indirectly. Scores are optional and don’t trigger an award, but a strong score can help an application stand out when admissions is choosing Magis recipients. If your student’s scores are strong, send them; if not, they won’t be held against your student.
How many students actually get merit aid at Holy Cross?
Not many. In the most recent Common Data Set, 79 first-year students with no financial need received merit aid, averaging about $24,800. Compare that with nearly 450 first-years who get need-based Holy Cross Grants.
What is the one “automatic” award families should know about?
The full-tuition grant for families earning $100,000 or less. If you qualify and file the CSS Profile, FAFSA and tax documents on time, it is yours.
Do Holy Cross merit scholarships renew?
Yes. Merit awards renew for four years as long as your student keeps good academic progress and a satisfactory disciplinary record. Need-based grants are recalculated every year, so you reapply annually.
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships-grants
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/financial-aid
https://www.holycross.edu/document/common-data-set-20232024
https://magazine.holycross.edu/stories/holy-cross-will-cover-tuition-cost-families-earning-under-100000
🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)
🗓 Which Awards Are Open This Cycle (Fall 2026 Applicants)
| Scholarship | Value | How to Get Considered | This Year? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magis | Not published | Regular application | ✅ Yes |
| Faber | Not published | Regular application + aid forms | ✅ Yes |
| Brooks (Music) | Full tuition, 4 years | Music portal by Jan 15 | ✅ Yes |
| Bean (Classics) | Full tuition, 4 years (two per year) | Classics application by Jan 15 | ✅ Yes |
| FitzGerald (Classics) | Full tuition, 4 years (every 4th year) | Same Classics application | ✅ Yes, Class of 2031 |
| Organ | Full tuition, 4 years | Oct 15 materials in an offer year | ❌ Next expected Fall 2027 |
| Freije (Theatre) | Half tuition, 4 years | Theatre application in an offer year | ❌ Next cycle Fall 2027 |
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Holy Cross?
| Aid Type | Stacks? | Holy Cross Parent Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Merit + Need-Based Grant | Yes, up to the cost of attendance | Both go into one package. If a full-tuition scholarship covers tuition, your need-based grant shifts toward housing and food instead of disappearing. |
| Outside Scholarships | Usually helpful | Holy Cross uses outside money to cover any unmet need first, then to reduce loans and work-study. Holy Cross grants get cut only in rare cases. |
| ROTC Incentive Grant | Yes | A full ROTC scholarship plus Holy Cross paying your standard room charge is one of the strongest combos on campus. |
| Off-Campus Living | No | Holy Cross grants and scholarships can’t be used for off-campus housing. Moving off campus junior or senior year can raise your bill. |
The honest read: if your student isn’t a musician or a classics lover, their merit chances at Holy Cross rest almost entirely on Magis, which only a small group receives. That’s okay, because for most families the need-based side is where the real money is. Just don’t plan your budget around a merit award here.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
When are the Holy Cross scholarship deadlines?
The Brooks Music Scholarship and the Classics scholarships (Bean and FitzGerald) are due January 15. Magis and Faber have no separate deadline, but Faber depends on your aid forms being in by November 15 (ED I) or January 15 (ED II and Regular Decision).
Does my student need to know Latin or Greek for the Classics scholarships?
No. The department says it wants students with a proven interest in any part of the ancient world it teaches, including Egypt, ancient Israel, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome. Latin and Greek help, but a student who has gone deep on ancient history or archaeology is a real candidate too.
What’s special about the FitzGerald Scholarship this year?
It is awarded only once every four years, and Holy Cross says this is a FitzGerald year (entering Class of 2031). That means three full-tuition Classics awards are available this cycle instead of the usual two Bean Scholarships.
What does the Brooks application involve?
A music resume, an essay about your connection to the pieces you’re submitting, two recommendation letters (one from your private teacher), and either two contrasting performance videos or two original compositions. Recordings must be unedited, and AI-generated scores aren’t allowed.
Can my student apply for the Organ or Freije scholarships this year?
No. Both run every other year. Holy Cross lists the next Freije cycle as the Fall 2027 application season, and the Organ Scholarship’s last cycle was Fall 2025, so it is expected again in Fall 2027. A current junior could be a great fit.
Can we apply Early Decision I and still go for Brooks or Classics?
The scholarship deadlines are January 15, while ED I decisions come out December 15. If your student wants both, email the music or classics department early to confirm how they handle ED I applicants.
How much is the Magis Scholarship worth?
Holy Cross doesn’t publish a figure. For a rough sense of scale, the most recent Common Data Set shows first-year merit recipients without financial need averaged about $24,800.
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships-grants
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/program/music/music-scholarships
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/department/classics/classics-scholarships
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/program/theatre
https://catalog.holycross.edu/about/financial-aid/
Honors Programs at Holy Cross
Holy Cross doesn’t have an honors college, and there’s no honors program your student applies to as a high school senior. That surprises families coming from big state schools, but it makes sense here: with an average class size of 18 and a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the small, seminar-style experience other schools reserve for honors students is simply how Holy Cross works for everyone.
What Holy Cross does have are programs students grow into once they’re on campus:
- Montserrat (every first-year student): a year-long seminar program where small groups of first-years explore big questions together, often living near classmates from the same cluster.
- College Scholars Program: an interdisciplinary honors thesis program. Students apply in the spring of sophomore year and begin in the fall of junior year, taking an honors seminar, a scholars colloquium, and writing a senior thesis.
- Fenwick Scholar Program: the college’s highest academic honor. A small cohort of seniors is selected during junior year to spend most of senior year on an independent research or creative project they design with faculty.
Honors Scholarships & Fellowships
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
None of these programs comes with separate scholarship money. They’re academic opportunities, not financial awards. The money at Holy Cross lives in the need-based and merit sections above.
- Magis Scholarship: the closest thing to an “honors scholarship,” chosen from the regular application.
- Brooks Music Scholarship: full tuition for a strong musician or composer who will major in music.
- Bean & FitzGerald (Classics): full tuition for students passionate about the ancient world. Three awards are available this cycle.
- Fulbright and national fellowships later on: Holy Cross produced 16 Fulbright Scholars in its most recent count.
Honors: FAQs (College of the Holy Cross)
Does Holy Cross have an honors college?
No. There’s no honors college and no honors admission for incoming students. Honors-level work happens through the College Scholars and Fenwick Scholar programs once students are enrolled.
When can my student join an honors program?
Students apply to the College Scholars Program in the spring of sophomore year. Fenwick Scholars are chosen during junior year for their senior-year project.
Do these programs come with scholarships?
No. They’re academic distinctions. For money, focus on the need-based aid, the Magis Scholarship, and the talent scholarships in music and classics.
What is Montserrat?
It’s Holy Cross’s first-year program. Every first-year takes a Montserrat seminar each semester, grouped around a shared theme, so students build a small community with classmates and faculty from day one.
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/support-resources/awards-honors-fellowships/scholar-programs
https://catalog.holycross.edu/experiential-learning/
https://www.holycross.edu/about-holy-cross/at-a-glance
⭐ College Specialty
Holy Cross is a Jesuit liberal arts college of about 3,300 students on a hill in Worcester, 44 miles west of Boston. It’s undergraduate-only, so every professor’s attention goes to undergrads. A quarter of students finish with two majors, and about 40% of juniors study abroad. U.S. News recently ranked it #22 among liberal arts colleges, the highest in school history.
Health Professions Advising is where Holy Cross quietly shines. There’s no premed major, and students can major in anything, but Holy Cross reports that over the past decade more than 80% of its applicants got into at least one medical school, about twice the national average. A faculty and alumni committee coaches students through medical, dental, veterinary and PA applications.
- Economics: the most popular major, with about one in five graduates. It feeds a strong pipeline into finance, consulting and law.
- Political Science & pre-law: the second most popular major, backed by a Washington semester program and pre-law advising.
- Psychology and Biology: big, well-supported majors that are the backbone of the health professions track.
- Classics: one of the most respected undergraduate classics departments in the country, with two to three full-tuition scholarships a year to prove how seriously the college takes it.
- English and History: each graduates about 6% of the class, and they’re classic launchpads for law school, teaching and writing careers.
- The alumni network: more than 41,000 alumni, and over 12,000 of them gave back last year. That loyalty shows up in internships and first jobs.
🔗 Official College of the Holy Cross Links
Use Holy Cross’s official pages below to check admission details, financial aid deadlines, scholarship rules and costs. Always treat these pages as the final word on dates and award terms.
-
How to Apply (Deadlines & Requirements):
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/how-to-apply -
Scholarships & Grants:
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships-grants -
Financial Aid (Forms & Key Deadlines):
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/financial-aid -
Tuition & Fees 2026-2027:
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/tuition-fees -
Estimate Your Costs (MyinTuition & Median Grants by Income):
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/estimate-your-costs -
Net Price Calculator:
https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/holycross -
Music Scholarships (Brooks & Organ):
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/program/music/music-scholarships -
Classics Scholarships (Bean & FitzGerald):
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/department/classics/classics-scholarships -
QuestBridge Applicants:
https://www.holycross.edu/admissions-aid/how-to-apply/questbridge-applicants -
Naval ROTC at Holy Cross:
https://www.holycross.edu/academics/program/naval-reserve-officer-training-corps-nrotc -
Holy Cross at a Glance (Facts & Figures):
https://www.holycross.edu/about-holy-cross/at-a-glance -
Common Data Set (2023-2024):
https://www.holycross.edu/document/common-data-set-20232024
✅ Wrapping It Up
Here’s the kitchen-table version of Holy Cross. The sticker price is over $91,000 a year, and there’s no merit chart to chase. But this is one of the few colleges in the country that promises to meet every dollar of demonstrated need, and it covers full tuition outright for families earning $100,000 or less. For a lot of middle-income families, that makes Holy Cross cheaper than the state flagship that looked like the “safe” choice.
The catch is that everything runs through paperwork and timing. The CSS Profile, the FAFSA and your tax documents are due the same day as the application, and Early Decision is binding, so run the Net Price Calculator before your student commits. If your student is a musician or loves the ancient world, the Brooks and Classics scholarships are real shots at full tuition, and this is a rare year with three Classics awards on the table. And if you live in Worcester, the Ellis Scholarship is sitting right in your backyard.
What you get for the effort is a small, tight-knit Jesuit college with a remarkable track record in medicine, law and business, and an alumni network that actually picks up the phone.
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