How Georgetown works, in one breath: your student applies to one of six undergraduate schools (the College, Foreign Service, Business, Nursing, Health, or the Public Policy and Environment joint programs), using either the Common App or Georgetown’s own application. Every applicant gets an alumni interview. Early Action is nonbinding, but Early Action applicants can’t apply Early Decision anywhere else.
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Georgetown (Read This First)
There is no merit money. None. Georgetown says it plainly: it does not offer merit scholarships. A 1550 SAT earns admission consideration, not a discount. Every dollar of Georgetown aid is based on need.
February 1 is the money deadline for everybody. Early Action students hear about admission by mid-December, but the FAFSA and CSS Profile are still due February 1, and aid decisions don’t start arriving until the last week of March.
Both parents file, even after a divorce. Georgetown requires a separate CSS Profile from the noncustodial parent. Start that conversation early.
“100% of need” still includes some self-help. Georgetown’s own sample packages include a $3,500 federal loan and $3,000 of work-study, plus a minimum student contribution of $2,200 in the first year.
International families get one shot. Aid for international students is limited, and a student who isn’t offered a scholarship in year one won’t be offered one later.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? No. Georgetown University is test-required for admission.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 32-35; SAT: 1405-1530.
Average net price? About $40,815/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 Georgetown University: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in October 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Georgetown 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 $1,900 to $4,800 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
All students: billed cost per year
$96,912
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$74,732
Housing & meals (typical)
$22,180
Total billed cost
$96,912
Average federal net price: $40,815 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 Everybody (and What the Table Leaves Out)
Georgetown is private, so a student from Virginia and a student from Texas see the same sticker price. There’s no in-state discount and no regional exchange. Georgetown’s official first-year budget for 2026-2027 is $100,864 once you add books ($1,000), transportation ($780), and personal costs ($2,132) to tuition, housing, and food. Nursing students pay slightly more in tuition and fees ($75,091). Upperclass housing runs a bit higher too ($14,768 vs. $13,944 for first-years). Health insurance is required for full-time students unless your family’s plan qualifies for a waiver, and it isn’t in the budget above.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Georgetown University
Why do the in-state and out-of-state columns match?
Because Georgetown is a private university in Washington, D.C. Everyone pays the same rate. Even D.C. residents don’t get a tuition break, though students from D.C. high schools with financial need can be matched to the President’s Scholarship for D.C. Students.
Does Georgetown really meet 100% of financial need?
Yes, for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Just know how Georgetown defines it. “Need” is met with a mix of grant, a federal loan ($3,500 for first-years in Georgetown’s own examples), and work-study (about $3,000). On top of that, every student is expected to contribute at least $2,200 the first year and $2,600 each year after, no matter what the family earns.
Is the average net price really around $40,800?
That’s the federal figure: what first-year students who received grant aid actually paid after grants and scholarships. Families with high need often pay much less. A family that doesn’t qualify for need-based aid pays the full $100,000-plus budget, because there’s no merit money to soften it.
My parents are divorced. Does the other parent have to fill out forms?
Yes. Georgetown requires a CSS Profile from both parents, each filed separately and kept confidential from the other. Georgetown says filing doesn’t obligate that parent to pay, but it does need the information to calculate aid. If a parent truly can’t be reached, contact the aid office with a written explanation.
Do outside scholarships shrink my Georgetown aid?
They have to be reported, and Georgetown counts them. The good news is that Georgetown says outside scholarships can be used to lower your family’s contribution and to replace loans and work-study, so they often reduce what you borrow before they touch your grant.
Is health insurance included in the cost of attendance?
No. Full-time undergrads are enrolled in Georgetown’s student plan unless they waive it with comparable coverage, and the charge shows up on the bill. If that charge is a real hardship, talk to your financial aid counselor; Georgetown Scholars Program staff point students to a health insurance scholarship through financial aid.
Will the price go up after freshman year?
Plan on it. Tuition rose 4.75% for 2026-2027, the fifth straight annual increase. The good news is that need-based aid is recalculated every year. Continuing students file the FAFSA and CSS Profile by March 1 each spring so their package keeps pace.
November 1: Early Action application due (admission only).
January 1: Regular Decision application due (admission only).
February 1: FAFSA, CSS Profile, and federal tax returns due for both Early Action and Regular Decision families. This is the date that actually controls the money.
Last week of March: Aid decisions start going out to admitted students.
March 1, every year after: Continuing students refile so their aid is recalculated.
Parent rule of thumb: treat February 1 as the real deadline even if your student applied Early Action in November.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Georgetown University
Here’s the short version: Georgetown doesn’t offer automatic merit scholarships, or merit scholarships of any kind. There’s no GPA-and-test-score chart, no tier list, and no “apply by this date to lock in $20,000.” If the list below is empty, that’s accurate, not a glitch. We keep this section on the page so it updates if that ever changes.
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.
This institution does not offer designated Automatic Merit scholarships at this time.
So what takes the place of merit?
A need-based package. Georgetown subtracts what it calculates your family can pay from the full cost of attendance and covers the gap with grants, a modest federal loan, and work-study. Strong grades and scores matter for getting in, and a few nomination-based awards in the next section reward standout applicants, but those still run through financial need. For a family that won’t qualify for need-based aid, the honest planning number is the full sticker price.
Automatic Merit FAQs (Georgetown University)
Does Georgetown give any money for high grades or test scores?
No. Georgetown’s admissions office states directly that it does not offer merit scholarships. Aid is based only on financial need.
Is there a National Merit Scholarship package?
No. Since Georgetown doesn’t award merit money, there’s no institutional National Merit award. A National Merit Scholarship from the National Merit Corporation itself is an outside scholarship and would be counted in your aid package.
Does Georgetown superscore?
Georgetown requires scores from at least one full SAT or ACT sitting and doesn’t publish a superscore policy. Since there are no scholarship cutoffs, test scores only affect admission here, not money.
We applied Early Action. Do we get our aid offer in December?
No. Early Action admission decisions arrive by December 15, but the aid deadline is February 1 for everyone, and aid decisions start in the last week of March. Run Georgetown’s net price calculator in the fall so you’re not waiting blind.
Is aid guaranteed all four years?
Georgetown commits to meeting full demonstrated need for U.S. citizens and permanent residents each year, but the amount is recalculated annually. If your income goes up, your grant can go down. Continuing students file by March 1 every spring.
Can my student use the Common App?
Yes. Georgetown now accepts the Common App or its own Georgetown Application, and it doesn’t prefer one over the other. Either way, students write Georgetown’s four supplemental essays.
Georgetown’s “competitive” awards work differently from most schools. Your student mostly doesn’t apply for them. Instead, someone nominates them: the admissions office, a Jesuit high school, or the admissions committees reviewing international applicants. Almost all of them still depend on financial need. Their real value is in improving the shape of an aid package, swapping loans and work-study for grant.
✅ How These Awards Change a Georgetown Package
Award Type
Adds New Money?
Parent Translation
1789 Scholarship
Swaps
$3,000 a year of loan becomes grant. Same total aid, less debt at graduation.
Bellarmine & Ignatian
Swaps (or $1,000 once)
With need, the whole loan and work-study portion becomes grant. Without need, a one-year $1,000 honorary award.
Maguire Scholars
Fills the gap
“Last dollar” money for listed Philadelphia-area high schools. It covers what’s left after other aid.
Named need-based funds
No
A donor’s name gets attached to grant you were already getting. Nice to have, not extra cash.
Outside scholarships
Sometimes
Must be reported. Georgetown says they can lower the family contribution and replace loans and work-study first.
ROTC scholarships
Counts as a resource
Can cover full tuition, but Georgetown factors it in, so need-based grant can go down.
If your student is hunting for an essay-and-interview “full ride” competition, Georgetown isn’t the place for it. What Georgetown offers instead is a promise to cover demonstrated need, and the awards below make that package lighter on debt for the students who earn a nomination.
Automatic
1789 Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile); nomination happens during admission review ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This award reshapes the package instead of adding to it. Total aid still equals demonstrated need, but $3,000 a year moves from the loan column to the grant column, so there is less to repay after graduation.
💡
Strategic Detail
Named for the year Georgetown was founded. It swaps $3,000 a year of loan in the aid package for $3,000 of grant, and every recipient is also brought into the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP). There is no application. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions nominates candidates straight from their admission files.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students with financial need whose files stand out to the admissions committee, often first-generation or high-need students. The one thing a family controls is getting the FAFSA and CSS Profile in by February 1.
Automatic
Bellarmine & Ignatian Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (financial aid documents); nomination comes from the student's Jesuit high school ✓ Renews (8 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Jesuit high school nominees only
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
With need, the loan and work-study lines in the package become grant, so the student borrows and works less. Without need, it is a one-time $1,000 honorary award.
💡
Strategic Detail
Georgetown's link to the Jesuit high school network. Bellarmine Scholarships go to students nominated by their Jesuit high school who ranked first in their class. Ignatian Scholarships go to nominees from the top 5% of the class who reflect Ignatian ideals. For students with financial need, the award replaces the standard loan and work-study portion of the aid package. Nominees with no demonstrated need are named honorary scholars and receive a one-year, non-renewable $1,000 award.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Valedictorians and top-5% graduates of Jesuit high schools who are nominated by their school and admitted to Georgetown.
App Required
Maguire Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (Georgetown aid documents); Maguire application through Georgetown's Maguire page ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Listed Philadelphia-area high schools only
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Last-dollar means it is applied after your other grants and scholarships and covers the remaining gap up to your need. It does not push other aid out.
📄
How to Apply
Confirm your high school is on the list on Georgetown's Maguire page. Submit the Maguire application linked there, and file the FAFSA and CSS Profile with Georgetown by February 1. Once selected, keep a 3.0 GPA and stay involved each year.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Funded by the Maguire Foundation for graduates of a specific list of Philadelphia-area high schools, including St. Joseph's Prep, La Salle College High School, Roman Catholic, Cristo Rey, and several Mastery campuses. It is a last-dollar award for four years: it fills whatever gap is left after other aid. Scholars must keep a 3.0 cumulative GPA and stay active in school activities or community service.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students from the listed Philadelphia-area high schools who show financial need along with strong grades and real involvement.
Automatic
Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Scholarship for Peace
📅 Deadline: CSS Profile with the admission cycle; international aid offers arrive in early April ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ International admits with financial need
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
It is part of the need-based package for the international students who receive it, not money on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Named for Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., this donor-funded scholarship helps international students with financial need attend Georgetown. Recipients are chosen from admitted international students on the recommendation of the admissions committees. Aid for international students is limited, and a student who is not offered a scholarship in the first year will not be offered one later.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted international students with financial need who marked interest in aid on the admission application.
Data last verified Oct 10, 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
How does a student get the 1789 Scholarship?
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions nominates candidates from their admission files. There’s no form. Recipients get $3,000 a year of loan relief and automatic entry into the Georgetown Scholars Program.
What are the Bellarmine and Ignatian Scholarships?
Awards for students nominated by their Jesuit high school: Bellarmine for the student ranked first in the class, Ignatian for top-5% students who reflect Ignatian ideals. If your student attends a Jesuit high school, ask the counselor about nomination early in senior year.
Who can get the Maguire Scholarship?
Graduates of specific Philadelphia-area high schools listed on Georgetown’s Maguire page, including St. Joseph’s Prep, La Salle College High School, Roman Catholic, Cristo Rey, and several Mastery campuses. It requires a separate Maguire application plus Georgetown’s aid forms, and scholars must keep a 3.0 GPA.
Is there anything for international students?
The Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Scholarship for Peace helps international students with need. Recipients are chosen from admitted international students. Mark interest in aid on the admission application, because there’s no second chance after freshman year.
When is the deadline for these awards?
February 1, the same date as the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Missing it doesn’t disqualify you, but your aid decision may arrive after you have to choose a college.
What should students prepare?
Since most of these come from nominations, the application itself does the work: strong essays, a thoughtful alumni interview, and a complete aid file. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder help with the first two.
The tuition package is only half the story. Once your student is enrolled, Georgetown has a separate pool of money for the things that make college pay off (unpaid internships, summer research, study abroad, interview travel) that normally only wealthier families can afford.
Freshman year: look at Laidlaw Scholars (open to first-years and sophomores).
Freshman spring: Royden B. Davis Fellowships for College of Arts & Sciences students are due March 1.
Junior year: if your student has need-based aid, Penner Awards open three times a year.
GSP members: Stahl Summer Scholars pays $10,000 for a summer experience.
Parent translation: the first-year aid letter is the floor, not the ceiling. Put these dates on the family calendar now.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
Some of these are named funds Georgetown matches automatically from your aid application. Others are enrichment awards students apply for once they’re on campus. Many depend on need, and a few are limited to specific majors, schools, or programs.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
John Carroll Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Not new money. It labels a portion of the need-based grant you already receive.
💡
Strategic Detail
Named for Georgetown's founder, Father John Carroll. These are named funds inside Georgetown's need-based scholarship pool. If you are matched, part of the Georgetown grant you already qualify for carries the John Carroll name. Award size follows your demonstrated need. Recipients may be invited to write an optional Scholarship Impact Statement for donors, which does not affect aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Undergraduates with demonstrated need for Georgetown scholarship aid.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Peter F. Karches (B'74) Memorial GU Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Part of the need-based package rather than an add-on, but aimed at students where reducing debt matters most.
💡
Strategic Detail
Created by Susan A. Karches in memory of her husband Peter (B'74) for undergraduates who are the first in their family to attend college or who face significant financial challenges. The stated goal is helping recipients graduate with little or no student debt.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-generation students and students facing serious financial hardship who have demonstrated need for Georgetown scholarship aid.
Automatic
President's Scholarship for D.C. Students
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Graduates of D.C. high schools only
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
A named part of the need-based package, not a separate top-up.
💡
Strategic Detail
Need-based awards for students from high schools located in the District of Columbia, set up by former President Leo J. O'Donovan, S.J. in recognition of Georgetown's partnerships with the city. Funded by the Father Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Scholarship Fund, the Ellen S. Devine Scholarship Fund, and the President's D.C. Scholarship Fund.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students from D.C. high schools with demonstrated financial need.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Kalsi Family Hilltop Presidential Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ McDonough School of Business students
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
A named portion of need-based grant aid, not extra money on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Donated by Karamji Singh Kalsi (B'90) for McDonough School of Business undergraduates who demonstrate need for Georgetown scholarship aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
McDonough students with demonstrated financial need.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Named Undergraduate GU & NHS Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (FAFSA and CSS Profile) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Named funds replace general Georgetown grant dollars inside the package. They are still need-based aid, not merit money added on top.
💡
Strategic Detail
Hundreds of donor-named funds sit inside Georgetown's need-based scholarship pool. Georgetown says its need-based scholarships range from $1,000 to more than $60,000 a year depending on need, and together with small loan and work-study awards they meet 100% of demonstrated need.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Undergraduates with need whose background, school, major, or class year matches a donor's preferences.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP)
📅 Deadline: Selected during admission; Necessity Grant requests reviewed weekly year-round ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ GSP members (selected during admission)
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Necessity Grants sit on top of the regular aid package and do not reduce Georgetown scholarship aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
GSP supports 650+ first-generation and low-income students. Nobody applies; students are selected during the admission process. Members can request Necessity Grants for costs outside the aid budget such as medical or dental bills, mental health care, and DACA fees. Tutoring grants go up to $400 per semester, and juniors and seniors can get up to $300 a year for professional development like interview travel or grad school application fees.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
High-achieving first-generation and low-income students selected into GSP at admission, about 150 per incoming class.
App Required
Stahl Summer Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: Applications due in early September (2026 deadline was September 8) Non-Renewable
$10,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ Georgetown Scholars Program members only
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Separate from the academic-year aid package. The award may be reduced if another source is funding the same experience.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the GSP Stahl page by the September deadline. An interview may be requested. Unsuccessful applicants are automatically considered for a Penner Award.
💡
Strategic Detail
Ten rising juniors in the Georgetown Scholars Program each receive $10,000 for a summer internship, research project, or community-engaged experience, in the U.S. or abroad, paid or unpaid. Funded by GSP alumna Shakila Guevara Stahl (B'15) and her husband. $7,500 is paid once the opportunity is confirmed; the rest comes after a reflection at the end of the summer.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
GSP students heading into junior year who can show the experience would matter for their career or scholarship and could not happen without help.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Penner Family Experiences Award
📅 Deadline: Three windows each year: early August (fall), December 1 (spring), early April (summer) Non-Renewable
$4,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ Need-eligible juniors and seniors
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Separate from the tuition package. It covers living and travel costs tied to the experience, not tuition.
📄
How to Apply
Apply on the Provost's Penner page during the window for the term you need. The opportunity does not have to be confirmed when you apply, but it must be before funds are released. Late applications are not accepted.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Pays for the costs of unpaid or low-paid experiences that extend a Georgetown education: internships, research, field work, community projects, or study abroad. Summer awards go up to $4,000 (average about $2,000); fall or spring awards go up to $1,500. Applicants must be eligible for need-based Georgetown scholarship aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Juniors, seniors, and rising juniors with need-based aid who have a specific opportunity lined up and can explain how it connects to their studies.
App Required
Royden B. Davis Fellowship
📅 Deadline: March 1 for the following summer Non-Renewable
$1,000–$5,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ College of Arts & Sciences students
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Summer money outside the academic-year package.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the Davis application by March 1. Research applicants also need their faculty mentor to submit the mentor form by the deadline. An information session is held in late January.
💡
Strategic Detail
Summer funding of $1,000 to $5,000 for continuing College of Arts & Sciences students. Research Fellowships fund lab work, fieldwork, and independent research with a faculty mentor. Experiential Learning Fellowships fund service work, community projects, and unpaid internships tied to a student's studies. The amount depends on the project length, budget, other funding, and financial need. It cannot pay tuition for credit courses.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
College students with a well-planned summer project and, for research, a faculty mentor ready to back it.
App Required
Laidlaw Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: See the Laidlaw application information page for the current cycle Non-Renewable
$4,500–$9,000
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stipends are summer support outside the academic-year aid package and cannot be used for course credit.
📄
How to Apply
Attend a Center for Research & Fellowships information session, set up a Georgetown Supplier ID, and submit the application during the window posted on the Laidlaw page.
💡
Strategic Detail
A two-summer research and leadership program run with the Laidlaw Foundation. Summer one is a six-week research project with a faculty mentor; summer two is a leadership project with a nonprofit or community group, often outside the U.S. Scholars get a $4,500 stipend each summer, with extra sliding-scale funding available for the second summer. No prior research experience is needed.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-year and sophomore students from any major who are curious, motivated, and ready to commit two summers.
App Required
Alvarez Memorial Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Check with the SFS Dean's Office for the current cycle Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ School of Foreign Service students
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Supports a specific internship or research project rather than tuition.
📄
How to Apply
Get information and the application from the SFS Dean's Office.
💡
Strategic Detail
Established by the Alvarez family in memory of Pedro Antonio Alvarez for School of Foreign Service undergraduates who could not otherwise afford unpaid public interest internships or research projects.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
SFS students with limited financial resources who have an unpaid public interest internship or research plan.
Automatic
Steven de Balmaseda Champion Memorial Scholarship for Study Abroad
📅 Deadline: Selected through Georgetown's international programs office Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Study abroad students with need
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Helps with study abroad costs on top of the regular package.
💡
Strategic Detail
Established in 1986 to help undergraduates with financial need study abroad. Recipients are selected by Georgetown's Office of International Programs.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with need who are planning to study abroad.
Automatic
Michael Jurist Memorial Overseas Studies Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Selected through Georgetown's international programs office Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Preference for Sciences Po Lyon participants
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Study abroad support on top of the regular package.
💡
Strategic Detail
Established in memory of Michael Evan Jurist (F'07) for undergraduates with financial need, with a preference for students in the Sciences Po Lyon program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with need heading to Sciences Po Lyon.
App Required
E.J. McCarthy Overseas Studies Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Applications through the GU French Department Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Junior year in France
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Study abroad support on top of the regular package.
📄
How to Apply
Get the application from the GU French Department.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the French Department to undergraduates who want to study in France during junior year, based on both academic merit and financial need.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Strong French students with need planning a junior year in France.
App Required
E.J. McCarthy Tours Summer Study Abroad Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Applications through the GU French Department Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Tours, France summer program
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Summer program support outside the academic-year package.
📄
How to Apply
Get the application from the GU French Department.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded each year to undergraduates in Georgetown's summer program in Tours, France, based on academic merit and financial need.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with need enrolled in the Tours summer program.
App Required
Rev. Daniel Power Memorial Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Separate application; check the Volunteer and Public Service Center Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Juniors and seniors with need
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Part of the aid picture for upperclass students with need.
📄
How to Apply
Pick up the separate application from the Volunteer and Public Service Center or the Alpha Phi Omega office.
💡
Strategic Detail
Established by Alpha Phi Omega in memory of their advisor, Daniel E. Power, S.J. Awarded each year with preference to juniors and seniors with need whose records show community service, leadership, and scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Juniors and seniors with need and a real service and leadership record.
Automatic
Sally and Nat Lefkowitz Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Selected by the aid office with the College Dean and Theology chair Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Junior or senior Theology majors
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Part of the aid package for the selected student.
💡
Strategic Detail
Established in honor of Pearl Bailey Bellson, with preference for a junior or senior majoring in Theology in the College. Recipients are chosen by the Office of Student Financial Aid with the Dean of the College and the chair of the Theology department.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: A junior or senior Theology major in the College.
Automatic
Sultan Qaboos bin-Said Arabic Language and Culture Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Check with the Arabic Department Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Arabic majors
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Separate from need-based Georgetown grant aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
Created by Sultan Qaboos bin-Said of Oman to support selected Arabic majors.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Arabic majors selected by the department.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
ARCS Foundation Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for the current cycle Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Juniors and seniors in the hard sciences
🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
A research award rather than a tuition replacement. Like any outside resource, it is reported to the aid office.
📄
How to Apply
Talk with your faculty mentor and the Office of Student Financial Aid about nomination timing in the spring of sophomore or junior year.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Listed among Georgetown's incentive scholarships, the ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation Scholarship goes to juniors and seniors whose research in the hard sciences could lead to a breakthrough technology or discovery.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Upperclass science students doing serious, faculty-mentored research.
Automatic
Georgetown Athletics Grants-in-Aid
📅 Deadline: Through the recruiting process with Georgetown Athletics ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Recruited varsity athletes
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Coordinated with need-based aid by the aid office.
💡
Strategic Detail
Awarded by the Department of Athletics based on athletic and academic potential. Many are tied to demonstrated financial need as well as participation in a specific sport.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Recruited varsity athletes.
Full TuitionApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
ROTC Scholarships (Army, Navy, Air Force)
📅 Deadline: Set by each service branch's national scholarship cycle; apply during junior year or early senior year ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
ROTC tuition or room-and-board scholarships with book and stipend benefits
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
ROTC money is an outside resource. Georgetown counts it when calculating need, so need-based grant aid can go down when an ROTC scholarship comes in.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for the national scholarship through the service branch, list Georgetown, and apply to Georgetown for admission on its own track. Contact the Military and Veterans Resource Center with questions.
Selection criteria: National ROTC boards consider academic achievement, leadership potential, physical fitness, and suitability for commissioning as an officer.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Georgetown students can do Army, Naval, or Air Force ROTC. Army ROTC trains on campus with the Hoya Battalion. National ROTC scholarships can cover full tuition and fees, and contracted cadets also get a monthly stipend and book money. Georgetown does not publish any extra room and board grant for ROTC scholars.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who win a national ROTC scholarship board and are separately admitted to Georgetown.
Data last verified Oct 10, 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 Only
Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Early February each year (window usually opens in December) ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be combined with VA benefits and other aid up to the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the Pat Tillman Foundation during its winter window. The Military and Veterans Resource Center holds an information session each year.
Selection criteria: Holistic external review based on service, leadership, academic potential, and fit with the Tillman Scholars mission.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Georgetown is a Pat Tillman Foundation University Partner and has enrolled 24 Tillman Scholars. Awards are set case by case and can cover tuition, books, and living costs.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Veterans, service members, and military spouses with strong records of service and leadership.
Data last verified Oct 10, 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
Do we apply for the named scholarships like John Carroll or Karches?
No. Filing the FAFSA and CSS Profile by February 1 puts your student in the pool, and the aid office matches students to funds based on donor preferences. Getting one means part of your grant carries a donor’s name; it doesn’t add new money.
What is the Georgetown Scholars Program, and can we apply?
GSP supports 650+ first-generation and low-income students with mentoring, community, and small grants for things the aid budget misses, like medical co-pays or interview clothes. There’s no application. Georgetown selects about 150 students per class during admission.
How much can the Penner Award pay?
Up to $4,000 for a summer experience (about $2,000 on average) and up to $1,500 in fall or spring. Students must qualify for need-based Georgetown aid and be juniors, seniors, or rising juniors. No late applications are accepted.
We’re from D.C. Is there anything specific for us?
Yes. Students from high schools in the District who show financial need can be matched to the President’s Scholarship for D.C. Students automatically through the normal aid process.
Does Georgetown add a housing grant for ROTC scholarship winners?
We couldn’t find that anywhere on Georgetown’s websites. National ROTC scholarships can cover full tuition, and Georgetown counts that money when calculating need. Army ROTC trains right on campus with the Hoya Battalion, and Georgetown students can also do Naval or Air Force ROTC.
Are there awards for specific majors or study abroad?
A handful: E.J. McCarthy awards through the French Department, the Sultan Qaboos award for Arabic majors, the Lefkowitz award for Theology majors, the Alvarez award for Foreign Service students doing unpaid public interest work, and two need-based study abroad funds. They’re small and specialized, which is exactly why few people apply.
Georgetown doesn’t have an honors college. There’s no separate dorm, no honors application at admission, and no honors scholarship. At a school where nearly everyone admitted was at the top of their class, the “honors” experiences happen after students arrive, through selective programs they apply to once they’ve found their footing.
Baker Scholars: College of Arts & Sciences sophomores apply in January for this small business-leadership cohort.
Laidlaw Scholars: first-years and sophomores from any major apply for two funded summers of research and leadership.
Mortara Undergraduate Research Fellows: six first-year Foreign Service students a year become paid research assistants to faculty, through graduation.
Honors-Style Programs & Scholarships
App Required⚠ Sophomore Only
Baker Scholars Program (CAS)
📅 Deadline: Late January of sophomore year (application opens in early January) · 📢 Results: Applicant status notifications in early March; semi-finalist interviews mid-March; finalist interviews and selection announcements in April ✓ Renews (3.5 GPA)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 Sophomore
✚
Stacking & Combining
Baker Scholars who show financial need can receive Baker scholarship dollars through a family of endowed funds, awarded through Georgetown's normal FAFSA and CSS Profile process. There is no separate scholarship form.
📄
How to Apply
As a College sophomore, attend at least one information session. Submit the online application in January with a one-page PDF resume and one letter of recommendation emailed to bakerscholars@georgetown.edu. Semifinalists interview with current Baker Scholars in March; finalists interview with Trustees in April.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Baker Scholars is a small, selective program in the College of Arts & Sciences built on the idea that liberal arts students make strong business leaders. Scholars get mentoring from working business leaders who serve as Baker Trustees, company visits, and trips. Students must be on campus for at least three semesters in the program, so anyone spending all of junior year abroad is not eligible. The money side runs through need-based aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: College of Arts & Sciences sophomores with strong academics, a real interest in business or its social impact, a service record, and the kind of character that comes through in interviews.
Data last verified Oct 10, 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.
Baker Scholars’ financial support runs through Georgetown’s need-based aid process. Students who are admitted to the program and show need receive Baker-funded grant aid.
Timing Note: Baker Scholars has one window, sophomore year. The application opens in early January and closes at the end of January, and students must be on campus for at least three semesters afterward. Anyone planning a full junior year abroad isn’t eligible.
Support Programs Worth Knowing
Community Scholars Program: a five-week summer program before freshman year, then advising and mentoring for first-generation students.
Regents STEM Scholars: built for first-generation and underserved students heading into science majors.
Georgetown Scholars Program: mentoring plus small grants for first-generation and low-income students, chosen at admission.
Honors FAQs (Georgetown University)
Does Georgetown have an honors college?
No. There’s no honors college or honors admission track. Selective programs like Baker Scholars and Laidlaw Scholars fill that role once students are enrolled.
Who can apply to Baker Scholars?
Sophomores in the College of Arts & Sciences. The program is built on the idea that liberal arts students make strong business leaders, so business majors in McDonough aren’t the audience.
Do these programs pay?
Some do. Laidlaw pays a $4,500 stipend for each of two summers, and Mortara fellows earn an hourly wage. Baker support flows through need-based aid.
What helps a student get selected?
Building a real relationship with at least one professor in freshman year. Nearly every selective program at Georgetown asks for a faculty mentor, a faculty recommendation, or both.
Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the country, and its location explains a lot about what it does best. It sits a short ride from Congress, the State Department, embassies, and the World Bank, and the curriculum leans into that. If your student is drawn to government, diplomacy, policy, or business where it meets public life, few campuses put those doors this close.
Nationally Known Program: Walsh School of Foreign Service: a full undergraduate school devoted to international affairs, with majors such as International Politics, International Economics, Global Business, and Science, Technology, and International Affairs. Students apply to SFS directly when they apply to Georgetown.
McDonough School of Business: a business degree with a global and ethical focus, plus easy access to Washington’s finance, policy, and consulting world.
Public Policy: a joint degree with the McCourt School. Students spend two years on the main Hilltop campus, then two years at the Capitol Campus downtown.
Government and Economics: two of the most popular majors in the College of Arts & Sciences, and natural fits for law school or policy careers later.
Berkley School of Nursing: a four-year BSN with clinical training in the nation’s capital.
School of Health: newer degrees in Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, and Human Science.
🔗 Official Georgetown University Links
Use Georgetown’s official pages below to verify admissions details, financial aid policies, costs, and data. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines and award terms.
Georgetown is the rare elite school that’s completely upfront about how it pays: no merit money, no scholarship tiers, just a promise to cover what your family can’t. That makes the math simple, even if the sticker price isn’t. If your family qualifies for need-based aid, the package can be generous, and a nomination for the 1789 or Bellarmine awards can turn loans into grant. If you don’t qualify, plan on the full price, because there’s no merit discount waiting at the end.
The real Georgetown advantage shows up after move-in: an alumni network that runs through Washington, and a second pool of money (Penner, Davis, Laidlaw, Stahl, GSP grants) that pays for the internships and research other families have to self-fund. Run the net price calculator this fall, get both parents’ CSS Profiles in by February 1, and put those enrichment deadlines on the calendar the day your student commits.
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.
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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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