Loyola is one of the largest Jesuit Catholic universities in the country, and its money works differently than most families expect. There is no scholarship application for the big automatic awards. Your student’s admission application is the scholarship application. But almost everything else at Loyola, and there is a lot of it, requires a separate form submitted in a narrow window between January and mid-March, through a portal your student only gets access to after applying.
That gap between “we applied, we are done” and “the real scholarship round starts in January” is where families lose money at Loyola.
🏆 Full tuition available (Ignatian and National Merit)
Average Net Price
$35,196/year
Average paid.
Automatic Merit
$14,000–$34,000/yr
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
30 opportunities
4 automatic · 9 competitive · 17 hidden gem
Merit Evaluation
Holistic Review / Varies
Merit depends on profile rigor.
Testing Policy
Test-optional
Superscores ACT/SAT.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Dec 1 • FAFSA: Mar 1
Full-Tuition / Full-Ride
Ignatian Scholarship & National Merit / National Achievement Finalist Scholarship
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Financial Aid Forms
FAFSA Only
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Loyola Chicago (Read This First)
Three official Loyola pages quote three different merit ranges. The Financial Aid Office says $14,000 to $34,000 for students entering Fall 2026. The admissions site says $20,000 to $34,000. The Honors Program page still says $10,000 to $26,000. The Financial Aid Office number is the one to plan around. Do not assume $20,000 is a floor.
Scholarship review is first-come, first-served. Loyola states plainly that admission applications are reviewed for scholarship consideration in the order they arrive. Applying November 1 is not the same as applying November 30, even though both beat the December 1 priority date.
December 1 is the application deadline. February 1 is the scholarship deadline. Freshmen must be admitted by February 1 to be considered for academic scholarships. Since Loyola reviews on a rolling basis starting mid-October, applying late in the fall can push your admission decision past the cutoff.
The real money round happens on the portal in January. Loyola posts the scholarships that require separate applications to your student’s status page in early January. Most close March 1, 2, 3, or 16. If nobody logs in, nobody applies.
Winning full tuition can cost you money elsewhere. Loyola Scholarship Connection, the portal for donor and departmental awards, excludes any student who already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola.
The Honors Program has no scholarship attached. Loyola says so directly on their own page. Honors at Loyola is an academic experience, not a funding source.
Second bachelor’s degree students get nothing. Loyola explicitly excludes them from every merit scholarship the university offers.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes — Loyola University Chicago is test-optional.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 26–31; SAT: 1220–1390.
Average net price? About $35,196/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
No — private school; same rate for all.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Loyola University Chicago 2026-2027
📅 2027–2028 Planning Note: The costs below reflect the most recently published figures (2026–2027). Universities typically finalize the next year’s rates in the spring, and we’ll update this page once official 2027–2028 numbers are released.
Planning tip: At large public universities, tuition, fees, and housing usually increase modestly each year (often in the 2–5% range). For early budgeting, families may want to plan for roughly $1,000–$1,500 more in-state or $2,000–$3,000 more out-of-state in total direct costs once new rates are published.
Category (2026–2027)
In-State
Out-of-State
Tuition & Mandatory Fees (2 semesters)
$58,510
$58,510
Housing & Meals (typical)
$17,980
$17,980
Total (Direct Costs)
$76,490
$76,490
Average Federal Net Price: $35,196 — this is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships (no loans), based on the most recent federal data. Your specific cost could be significantly lower or higher depending on your financial aid eligibility and merit scholarships. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
⚠️ Nursing Costs More
Loyola charges nursing students a higher tuition rate: $58,180 versus $56,930 for everyone else, a difference of $1,250 per year or about $5,000 across four years. Nursing is one of Loyola’s signature programs and one of the biggest draws for out-of-state families, so this catches people off guard. If your student is heading into the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, build the higher number into your plan from day one.
📍 One Price for Everybody
Loyola is private, so there is no in-state or out-of-state tuition split. An Illinois family and a Texas family see the same sticker price. That cuts both ways: there is no residency discount to chase, but there is also no non-resident penalty, and roughly 45 percent of Loyola’s incoming class comes from outside Illinois. Illinois residents do have one real advantage, though, and it is the Illinois MAP Grant, which is need-based, awarded through the FAFSA, and first-come, first-served until the state’s money runs out.
FAQ — Cost of Attendance at Loyola University Chicago
Why do I see two different totals on Loyola’s own website?
Because two offices publish two slightly different housing figures. Loyola’s Common Data Set, which is the standardized report institutions file, lists food and housing at $17,980 for 2026 to 2027. The admissions marketing page lists room and board at $18,572 and a total direct expense of $77,082. The difference is about $600 and comes down to how each office defines a typical room and meal plan. We use the Common Data Set figure because it is the standardized one, but budget toward the higher number and you will not be surprised.
What is not in the table above?
Loyola estimates books and supplies at $1,600, transportation at $450 for students living on campus, and other personal expenses at $1,700. That is roughly $3,750 a year that never shows up on a bill but comes out of your pocket anyway. Commuters who are not living at home should plan on considerably more, since Loyola estimates housing at $9,908 and food at $6,180 for that group.
Is the average net price really around $35,196?
That is the federal figure, and it is what families actually paid on average after grants and scholarships with no loans counted. It is an average across all income levels, so it is a useful gut check and a terrible personal estimate. A family with real financial need will pay well under it. A family with no need and modest test scores will pay well over it. Run the net price calculator before you draw any conclusions.
How much does Loyola actually discount?
A lot, and it is worth saying out loud. Loyola’s own reporting shows that among first-year students with no financial need at all, 842 of them still received an institutional non-need award averaging $27,362. Among first-year students who did demonstrate need, the average need-based grant was $35,854 and Loyola met about 84 percent of demonstrated need on average. The sticker price and the price families pay are very different numbers here.
Does the scholarship amount go up as tuition goes up?
No. Loyola merit scholarships are awarded as fixed dollar amounts and they stay fixed. Tuition rose 4.4 percent for 2026 to 2027 and residence hall rates rose an average of 3.7 percent. That means your gap grows a little every year even if nothing else changes. Plan for roughly $2,000 to $2,500 more in total direct costs by senior year.
What if we take a study abroad semester?
Read the fine print first. Loyola states that for some study abroad programs, Loyola aid may be reduced to reflect the same percentage of tuition coverage rather than transferring at full value. The Rome Center is treated differently from third-party programs. Ask the Financial Aid Office specifically about the program your student is considering before you assume the scholarship travels.
Are there in-state or regional tuition waivers?
No. Loyola is a private university, so regional reciprocity programs and out-of-state waivers do not apply here. The way an out-of-state family lowers the cost at Loyola is merit aid and need-based aid, full stop.
August 1: Application opens. Loyola begins reviewing October 15 on a rolling basis.
December 1: Priority application deadline. Earlier is genuinely better here.
Early January: Loyola posts the separate-application scholarships to your student’s portal.
February 1: The hard one. Freshmen must be admitted by this date to be considered for academic scholarships.
March 1 through 20: Nearly every competitive and departmental deadline lands in this three-week window.
May 1: Enrollment deposit.
Parent rule of thumb: December 1 is when your student’s job ends and yours begins. Put a reminder on your own calendar for the first week of January to make sure somebody logs into that portal.
Automatic Merit Scholarships — Loyola University Chicago
These awards come with admission. There is no separate scholarship form, no essay, and no interview. Loyola reads the admission application and assigns a scholarship based on grades, course rigor, and test scores if your student submits them. Awards for students entering Fall 2026 ranged from $14,000 to $34,000 per year, and they renew for four years with full-time enrollment and a 2.0 GPA.
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.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic
Presidential Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
$28,000–$34,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with federal and state grants and outside private scholarships. The ceiling to know: all Loyola tuition-restricted funds combined cannot exceed the cost of tuition.
💡
Strategic Detail
Top tier of Loyola's automatic freshman merit scholarship grid (Presidential, Damen, Loyola, Trustee, Dean, Regent's). The full range for entering Fall 2026 students runs $14,000–$34,000 per year, and this tier sits at the high end. No separate application needed your admission file is your scholarship application.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
The strongest academic admits in the incoming class students who loaded up on challenging coursework and earned outstanding grades throughout high school.
Automatic
Damen & Trustee Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
$24,000–$27,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with federal/state grants and private outside scholarships. Total Loyola tuition-restricted aid across all sources cannot exceed tuition charged.
💡
Strategic Detail
Mid-to-upper tier of Loyola's automatic freshman merit grid. The full scholarship range for Fall 2026 entrants runs $14,000–$34,000 per year; the Damen and Trustee awards typically fall in the $24,000–$27,000 band. Your admission application is your scholarship application.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Above-average academic admits with strong GPAs and a rigorous high school curriculum students who land in the solid upper-middle band of Loyola's incoming class.
Automatic
Loyola, Dean & Regent's Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
$14,000–$23,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with federal/state grants and private outside scholarships. Total Loyola tuition-restricted aid cannot exceed tuition charged.
💡
Strategic Detail
Entry tiers of Loyola's automatic freshman merit grid the Loyola, Dean, and Regent's awards. The full scholarship range for Fall 2026 runs $14,000–$34,000 per year; this tier covers the $14,000–$23,000 band. Still a substantial award, and it renews all four years as long as your student stays full-time with a 2.0 GPA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students with solid college-prep academic records a good GPA and a challenging course load will put your student in the running for meaningful tuition support from day one.
Automatic
Catholic Heritage Award (incl. Jesuit Heritage Award)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Tuition-restricted award that stacks with other Loyola merit and federal/state aid, subject to the standard rule that total tuition-restricted funds cannot exceed tuition charged.
💡
Strategic Detail
A loyalty-to-mission award for incoming freshmen from Catholic high schools in Loyola's home dioceses. If your student attended a Jesuit high school in Chicago specifically, they receive the Jesuit Heritage Award version of this same recognition. Both are tuition-restricted and renewable for four consecutive years of full-time enrollment. Award amount not publicly listed contact the Financial Aid Office for current figures.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: New freshmen graduating from a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Chicago or Diocese of Joliet. Chicago Jesuit HS grads receive the Jesuit Heritage Award variant instead.
Data last verified Jun 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
🔍 Which Merit Range Is Real?
You will find three different answers on Loyola’s own website, and it matters:
$14,000 to $34,000 on the Financial Aid Office’s undergraduate scholarships page, explicitly for students entering Fall 2026.
$20,000 to $34,000 on the undergraduate admissions FAQ.
$10,000 to $26,000 on the Honors Program’s scholarship page, which appears to be several years out of date.
What we would do: plan around $14,000 as the realistic floor. The Financial Aid Office is the office that actually cuts the award, and their page carries the current entering-class year. If your student comes in at the bottom of the grid and you budgeted from the admissions page, you are $6,000 a year short.
Note: Loyola does not publish GPA or test score cutoffs for any merit tier. Review is holistic and based on the whole academic record. Anyone quoting you a specific ACT score that “guarantees” a specific Loyola award is guessing. Loyola does superscore both the ACT and the SAT, so multiple sittings work in your student’s favor.
Automatic Merit — FAQs (Loyola University Chicago)
Do we have to apply for these separately?
No. The Presidential, Damen, Loyola, Trustee, Dean, and Regent’s scholarships all come from the admission application. Submit it and your student is considered.
What is the actual deadline?
Two dates matter. Apply by December 1, and be admitted by February 1. The second one is the binding condition for scholarship consideration, and since admission is rolling, a late application can push the decision past it. Transfer students must be admitted by June 1.
Does applying early really help?
Yes, and Loyola says so. Their scholarship page states that admission applications are reviewed for scholarship consideration on a first-come, first-served basis. That is unusual and worth acting on. October and early November beat late November.
Does Loyola superscore?
Yes, both tests. Loyola reviews the highest subscore from each section across multiple exams. They are also test-optional, and only 39 percent of enrolled students submitted an SAT and 15 percent submitted an ACT. If your student’s scores help, send them. If they do not, the application stands on grades and rigor.
Can these stack with other Loyola scholarships?
Partly. They stack with federal and state grants and with outside private scholarships. The ceiling to know is that all Loyola tuition-restricted funds combined cannot exceed the tuition charged. Loyola also adjusts the merit award first when that ceiling is hit, which means an outside scholarship can quietly reduce your Loyola award rather than adding to it.
What about the Catholic Heritage Award?
If your student graduates from a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Chicago or the Diocese of Joliet, it is automatic on top of academic merit. Students from a Jesuit high school in Chicago receive the Jesuit Heritage Award version instead. Loyola does not publish the dollar amount for either, so call the Financial Aid Office at 773.508.7704 and ask.
Are they renewable?
Yes, for four consecutive years of full-time enrollment at 12 or more credit hours per semester, with a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Transfer students get up to six consecutive semesters. Drop below full-time and the award is prorated, and that prorated semester still counts against your total.
Is anyone excluded?
Yes. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree are ineligible for any merit scholarship from Loyola. Students who study abroad outside the Rome Center or an approved exchange forfeit the scholarship for those terms.
Loyola’s flagship award, the Ignatian Scholarship, is invite-only. Your student cannot apply for it. Loyola identifies its strongest admitted candidates and sends an invitation, and invited students then sit for an in-person interview with faculty and administrators in late March. Everything else in this section does require a separate application, and almost all of it lives on the admitted student portal.
🧭 How the Competitive Round Actually Works
Apply for admission by December 1.
Get admitted by February 1. This is the gate for scholarship consideration.
In early January, Loyola posts the scholarships requiring separate applications to your student’s status page.
Your student logs in, reads what is there, and applies. Most deadlines are March 1, 2, 3, or 16. Gannon is earlier, at February 1. The Jesuit and BVM nomination is later, at March 20.
Finalist interviews run late March, in person for Ignatian and Gannon semi-finalists, virtually for Cristo Rey.
Decisions land early to mid-April, just ahead of the May 1 deposit.
Parent translation: the portal is not a status page you check twice. It is where the second half of the money lives, and it opens while your student is on winter break and not thinking about college applications.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Loyola?
Aid Type
Stacks with Merit?
Loyola Parent Translation
Automatic Merit
N/A
One award from the grid, the highest your student qualifies for.
Ignatian Scholarship
Replaces
Full tuition supersedes the automatic award. It does not add to it.
School of Education Half-Tuition
Replaces
Loyola says outright this award cannot be combined with another academic award and will replace any previously awarded scholarship. Do the math before celebrating.
Gannon, Cristo Rey, Prasse, Svaglic
Generally yes
These sit on top of automatic merit, subject to the tuition ceiling.
Outside private scholarships
Careful
If the outside award is tuition-restricted and the total exceeds tuition, Loyola reduces its own merit award first. Your outside win can become a wash.
Need-based grants and MAP
Yes
Layered after merit up to cost of attendance. File the FAFSA early, since Illinois MAP money runs out.
Full TuitionApp Required
Ignatian Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
tuition
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Full-tuition award that replaces Loyola's automatic merit scholarships. Can still be paired with outside private aid and need-based grants up to the full cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit your Application for Undergraduate Admission; top academic admits receive an invitation directly from Loyola. Invited candidates must participate in an in-person interview with faculty and administrators in late March.
Selection criteria: Holistic review emphasizing exceptional academics, leadership, service record, and in-person interview performance.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Loyola's flagship merit award invite-only, full tuition, renewable for four years. Students cannot apply directly; Loyola identifies and invites the strongest admitted candidates. If your student receives an Ignatian invitation, it's worth clearing the calendar for the late-March in-person interview day.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: A small, elite group of incoming freshmen who stand out not just academically but in leadership and service and who make a strong impression in the face-to-face interview process.
Full TuitionApp Requirednational merit
National Merit / National Achievement Finalist Scholarship
The full-tuition award replaces Loyola automatic merit scholarships for the one selected recipient. Other eligible finalists who do not receive the full-tuition award receive a Loyola-sponsored $2,000 scholarship instead. Both are subject to standard tuition caps.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted as an incoming freshman and be named a National Merit or National Achievement Finalist. Name Loyola University Chicago as your first-choice institution with the National Merit Corporation. Submit a copy of your award letter from the National Merit Corporation to scholarfinaid@luc.edu by March 1.
Selection criteria: Committee review of admission application, writing sample, and transcript for the full-tuition award; all other finalists automatically receive the $2,000 Loyola-sponsored scholarship.
💡
Strategic Detail
Two-tier structure: one full-tuition scholarship is awarded to a single National Merit or National Achievement Finalist selected by committee; all other qualifying finalists receive a $2,000 Loyola-sponsored award. Both require designating Loyola as first-choice with the National Merit Corporation and submitting the award letter by March 1. Renewal requires maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Questions? Email scholarfinaid@luc.edu.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: National Merit and National Achievement Finalists who designate Loyola as first-choice with the National Merit Corporation and submit their award letter by March 1. One student receives the full-tuition award; all other eligible finalists receive the $2,000 Loyola-sponsored scholarship.
App Required
Rachel Carson Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
👥 ~4 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Program award covering specific LUREC May session costs; may stack with standard Loyola merit and federal/state aid for the academic year.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission and be admitted as a first-year student in an eligible environmental major. Submit the Rachel Carson Scholars application by March 16. Contact the Undergraduate Admission Office at (773) 508-3075 or admission@luc.edu with questions.
Selection criteria: Holistic review emphasizing passion for environmental studies and field-based research; up to 4 scholars selected.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A standout experiential award for incoming environmental majors up to four scholars are selected each year. Each recipient gets full tuition, room, and board covered for two May session courses held at Loyola's Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC), plus access to exclusive scholar events. Eligible majors include Environmental Science (all B.S. concentrations), Environmental Studies, Environmental Policy, and Environmental Economics and Sustainability. Application deadline is March 16.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-year students majoring in an environmental field who have a clear passion for field-based ecological study and want an immersive residential learning experience at Loyola's Retreat and Ecology Campus.
App Required
School of Education Half-Tuition Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✘ Not stackable
👥 ~2 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
This scholarship may not be combined with another Loyola academic award and will replace any previously awarded merit scholarship. May still stack with federal/state aid and outside private scholarships.
📄
How to Apply
Apply and be admitted as an incoming freshman to the School of Education. Complete the School of Education scholarship application found in your admitted student status page and submit by March 1. Selected finalists will be required to complete an interview.
Selection criteria: Selection based on academic achievement, commitment to education as a field, leadership potential, and interview performance.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
Two half-tuition scholarships for incoming freshmen entering the School of Education. Recipients are expected to serve as leaders in the School of Education through committee participation and school events. Important stacking note: this award replaces any previously awarded Loyola merit scholarship rather than stacking on top. Application is through the admitted student status page; deadline is March 1.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming School of Education freshmen who show exceptional academic potential and leadership in the classroom and who make a strong case in the interview that they'll step up as leaders within the School of Education community.
App Required
Gannon Scholars (Women & Leadership)
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 · 📢 Results: Semi-finalist notification in early March; final decisions in early April. ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
$8,000/yr
✔ Stackable
👥 ~10 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Generally stacks with Loyola automatic merit awards, subject to standard tuition caps. Renewal requires active participation in the Gannon Scholars Leadership Program each year.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission and submit the Gannon Scholars application by Feb 1. Semi-finalists are notified in early March and must complete an interview either on campus or via Zoom during Loyola Weekend. Final decisions are communicated in early April. Contact the Gannon Center at gannoncenter@luc.edu with any questions.
Selection criteria: Holistic review emphasizing leadership record, service, commitment to women's leadership, and interview performance.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
Ten $8,000 per year scholarships awarded annually through the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership. The award is renewable for three additional years based on active participation in the Gannon Scholars Leadership Program. Application deadline is Feb 1; semi-finalist interviews (on-campus or Zoom) take place during Loyola Weekend in early March. Questions? Reach out to gannoncenter@luc.edu.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Women with a genuine record of leadership and service who can articulate how they'd advance the mission of the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership and who make a strong impression in the interview round.
App Required
Jesuit / BVM / Sisters of Christian Charity High School Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Half-tuition award; interacts with other Loyola merit awards subject to tuition caps. Full-tuition awards like the Ignatian would supersede this scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission and be admitted as a freshman. Your high school principal or their designate must submit a nomination form to Loyola by March 20 nomination forms are sent directly to eligible schools in January. Only one student per school may be nominated.
Selection criteria: Principal-nominated; selection emphasizes academics, service, and leadership among nominees from eligible Catholic high schools.
💡
Strategic Detail
Half-tuition scholarship for graduates of Jesuit, BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary), and Sisters of Christian Charity high schools across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Each eligible school may nominate exactly one student. Nomination forms are mailed to schools in January; the submission deadline is March 20. Candidates must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be nominated by their principal or designate students cannot self-apply.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: The single student nominated by their principal from each eligible Jesuit, BVM, or Sisters of Christian Charity high school typically the standout academic and service leader in the senior class with at least a 3.0 GPA.
App Required
Martin J. Svaglic Humanities Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.8+ GPA👥 ~2 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Tuition-restricted competitive award; may stack with Loyola merit and federal/state aid subject to standard tuition caps.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission and be admitted as a freshman or transfer student in an eligible humanities major. Access the Svaglic Scholarship application through your admitted student portal and submit by March 3. Contact the Undergraduate Admission Office at (800) 262-2373 or admission@luc.edu with questions.
Selection criteria: Academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to the humanities; reviewed holistically via application materials.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Two scholarships awarded annually to qualified new freshmen or transfer students entering one of Loyola's humanities disciplines: Art History, Classical Studies, Dance, English and Creative Writing, Fine and Performing Arts, French, History, Italian, Latin, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Spanish, Theatre, Theology, and Visual Communications. Requires a minimum 3.8 cumulative GPA. Application available in the admitted student portal deadline is March 3. Award amount not publicly listed; contact Admission for current figures.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
High-achieving new freshmen and transfer students in the humanities think 3.8+ GPA who are genuinely passionate about their field and make a compelling case in the application.
Cohort award that stacks with Loyola merit and need-based aid, subject to standard tuition and cost-of-attendance limits.
📄
How to Apply
Apply and be admitted as a freshman by Feb 1. Submit the Cristo Rey Scholars Program application by March 2. Selected finalists will be invited to a virtual interview in late March. Scholarship recipients are notified by mid-April.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of academics, work-study performance, leadership, community engagement, financial need, and virtual interview.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
A competitive cohort program exclusively for graduates of Cristo Rey Network schools. The program begins the summer before freshman year and wraps students in academic, social, spiritual, and professional support throughout college. Award amounts vary; the program includes mentoring and community programming beyond the financial component. Virtual finalist interviews are held in late March, with decisions by mid-April.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Graduates of Cristo Rey Network high schools who combine strong academics, work-study performance, and a demonstrated commitment to leadership and community and who interview well in the virtual finalist round.
App Required
David Prasse Community Schools Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
👥 ~5 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award amounts vary; stacks with Loyola merit and federal/state aid. Filing the FAFSA is strongly recommended to maximize the full package including Illinois MAP grants.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted to Loyola as an incoming student and graduate from Senn High School by the summer term. Access the application through your admitted student status page and submit by March 1. Filing the FAFSA is strongly encouraged to also qualify for Illinois MAP grant funding.
Selection criteria: Selective process based on academic achievement, community engagement, and financial need; five awards given.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A community-partnership scholarship offering five awards of varying amounts to admitted students from Senn High School in Chicago. Undocumented students are explicitly invited to apply. Recipients engage in a structured program supporting their academic, social, spiritual, and professional growth throughout college. Application is accessed via the admitted student status page; deadline is March 1. Filing the FAFSA early is strongly encouraged to layer in additional state aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students who graduate from Senn High School in Chicago including undocumented students, who are explicitly welcome to apply. Five awards are available annually through a selective process.
Data last verified Sep 7, 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
Can my student apply for the Ignatian Scholarship?
No. It is invite-only. Loyola selects from its strongest admitted candidates and reaches out directly. The only thing your student controls is being an obviously strong admit, and applying early enough to be evaluated in the first-come, first-served review. If an invitation arrives, clear the calendar for the late-March in-person interview.
How does the National Merit award work at Loyola?
Two tiers, and the difference is enormous. One Finalist gets a full-tuition scholarship, selected by committee after reviewing the admission application, a writing sample, and the transcript. Every other qualifying Finalist gets a Loyola-sponsored $2,000 award. Both require naming Loyola as first choice with the National Merit Corporation and emailing the award letter to scholarfinaid@luc.edu by March 1. Do not budget for the full-tuition version.
Which competitive awards are actually open to a general applicant?
Realistically, four: the Svaglic Humanities Scholarship for humanities majors with a 3.8 GPA, the Rachel Carson Scholars Program for environmental majors, Gannon Scholars for women with a leadership record, and the School of Education half-tuition award. The rest are tied to a specific high school, network, or neighborhood. That is not a knock on Loyola, it is just how their competitive money is structured, and it is worth knowing before your student spends December writing essays for awards they cannot win.
What is the single most overlooked one?
The Jesuit, BVM, and Sisters of Christian Charity high school scholarship. It is half tuition, one student per eligible high school across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and it requires a 3.0 GPA and a principal’s nomination. Students cannot self-apply. Nomination forms go out to schools in January and are due March 20. If your student attends one of these schools, go talk to the principal in the fall, before the form arrives.
Do these require essays and interviews?
Most do. Ignatian requires an in-person interview. Gannon requires an interview on campus or over Zoom during Loyola Weekend in early March. School of Education finalists interview. Cristo Rey finalists interview virtually in late March. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder can help your student get organized before the January portal opens.
Is Loyola a Stamps or QuestBridge partner?
No to both. Loyola does participate in National Merit.
What happens if we miss a March deadline?
Generally that award is gone for the cycle. These are not priority dates with a soft edge. The one exception worth asking about is the Loyola Scholarship Connection general pool, which stays open until June 1 for continuing students, though priority consideration closes April 15.
🧠 Parent Strategy: Loyola Has Two Separate Scholarship Portals
This trips up almost everyone. Loyola runs two different application cycles through two different places, and missing one costs you real money.
The admitted student status page (January to March). This is where incoming freshmen find Svaglic, Rachel Carson, School of Education, Prasse, and the rest of the competitive awards. Opens early January, most deadlines March 1 to 16.
Loyola Scholarship Connection (February to June). This is the donor and departmental pool. Incoming freshmen use it for Zolp and Immaculata after January 1, with a March 1 deadline. Continuing students use it for everything else, opening February 2, priority April 15, closing June 1.
Parent translation: your student needs to check both, in different months, in different systems. Set two calendar reminders.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These are the awards that rarely make it into a campus tour. Some are tiny, some are life-changing, and several are so specific that almost nobody applies. That last part is exactly why they are worth reading through.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Loyola Grant
📅 Deadline: Mar 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with merit scholarships and state/federal grants up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Institutional need-based grant; amount varies by family financial situation and remaining need. Requires annual FAFSA submission.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Families with remaining financial need after federal/state grants and Loyola merit aid.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Zolp Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (admission deadline for scholarship eligibility) Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Endowed tuition scholarship; stacks with Loyola merit and federal/state aid subject to standard tuition caps. Award amount varies by fund availability and number of eligible recipients in a given year. Important: Loyola Scholarship Connection excludes any student who has already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola. If your student wins the Ignatian or the full-tuition National Merit award, they lose access to this pool entirely.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted to Loyola by Feb 1. Apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection at luc.academicworks.com after January 1. Submit a copy of your birth certificate and a baptismal or confirmation certificate confirming both the last name Zolp and Catholic faith. Application deadline is March 1.
Selection criteria: Identity-verified endowed scholarship; award distributed among eligible Zolp recipients based on fund availability.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Wm. Zolp Scholarship is an endowed fund reserved for Catholic undergraduate students whose last name is Zolp. If that's your student, this is free money on the table apply. Amounts vary depending on endowment fund availability and the number of eligible Zolp recipients in a given year. Requires documentation of both the Zolp surname and Catholic faith (birth certificate + baptismal or confirmation certificate). Apply via Loyola Scholarship Connection after January 1; deadline is March 1.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Any Catholic Loyola student whose legal last name is Zolp one of the most delightfully specific scholarships in higher education. Award amounts fluctuate each year based on endowment returns and how many Zolp students are enrolled.
App Requiredpipelineneed basedidentity based
Leadership Scholars Program (LSP)
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (admission) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✘ Not stackable
⚠ Limited to first-generation and/or limited-income students.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Award amounts are not published. LSP is a cohort program, so the scholarship arrives bundled with advising, mentorship, and career programming rather than as a standalone line item. Ask the Financial Aid Office how an LSP award interacts with your automatic merit scholarship before you commit.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for admission by Feb 1; submit LSP program application by Mar 1. Program selection includes review of academic record, leadership, and service potential.
Selection criteria: Holistic review emphasizing first-generation or low-income status, leadership potential, and service commitment.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A signature student success program funded by the Schreiber Family's $100 million gift to Loyola in May 2022. LSP supports first-generation college students and limited-income students with both scholarship dollars and a full leadership development program. Loyola does not publish the award amount, which varies by student. Apply for admission by Feb 1 and submit the LSP application by Mar 1.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-generation and limited-income students who can point to real leadership and service in their own communities, not just a long activities list.
App Requiredpipelinestem
Greer Scholars
📅 Deadline: Dec 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Runs alongside Loyola automatic merit rather than replacing it. Award amounts are not published.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for freshman admission to Loyola in a STEM major and contact Undergraduate Admission at 773.274.3000 to ask about Greer Scholars consideration. Selection happens alongside admission review.
Selection criteria: Commitment to a STEM field plus the academic profile to succeed in it.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Funded in partnership with the Greer Foundation and built around keeping STEM students in STEM. Roughly 33 Greer Scholars are enrolled at any given time. The money comes with an assigned academic advisor and program coordinator who meet with scholars regularly, which is arguably the more valuable half of the award. Loyola does not publish the dollar amount, so ask Admission directly.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming freshmen genuinely committed to a STEM major who will benefit from structured advising through the tough first two years.
Full RideApp Requiredpipelinepartner high schoolneed based
Hope Chicago Scholars
📅 Deadline: Set by Hope Chicago, not by Loyola. Confirm with your high school. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Ride
tuition, room and board, plus campus support
✘ Not stackable
⚠ Limited to students from Hope Chicago partner high schools.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Because the package covers tuition plus room and board, it functions as a full ride and supersedes Loyola merit scholarships.
📄
How to Apply
Attend one of Hope Chicago''s partner CPS high schools and work through your school''s Hope Chicago scholar selection process. Loyola admission is separate. Contact the Scholars Programs office once selected.
Selection criteria: Selection is run by Hope Chicago through its partner high schools.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
The single largest award on this page for the students who qualify. Hope Chicago Scholars receive tuition, room and board, and dedicated campus resources. The partnership grew out of Hope Chicago''s 2022 promise to provide debt-free higher education to 4,000 students and one parent or guardian from five CPS high schools on the South, Southwest, and West Sides. Loyola is now welcoming its fourth cohort. If your student attends one of those five schools, this is the first thing to chase.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students from Hope Chicago''s five partner CPS high schools. If your student is not at one of those schools, this award is not available, and no amount of applying will change that.
App Required⚠ Transfer Onlypipelinetransfer
Arrupe Continuing Scholars
📅 Deadline: Jun 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Limited to students continuing from Loyola's Arrupe College.
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Layers on top of transfer merit aid and federal or state grants. Amounts are not published.
📄
How to Apply
Complete your associate degree at Arrupe College, then apply to continue into a Loyola bachelor''s program. Visit luc.edu/finaid/scholarships/undergraduate or call Undergraduate Admission at 773.274.3000.
Selection criteria: Academic performance at Arrupe College plus readiness for the four-year program.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Built for students finishing Loyola''s own two-year Arrupe College and moving into a bachelor''s degree. Beyond the scholarship, scholars get a program coordinator, graduate-intern academic support, peer mentorship, career-readiness workshops, an alumni network, and an orientation course covering degree planning. Worth knowing about early if Arrupe is on your radar as a lower-cost entry point.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Arrupe College graduates moving into a Loyola bachelor's program.
App Requiredservice commitmentteaching
Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois
📅 Deadline: Set by the Golden Apple Foundation. Check goldenapple.org for the current cycle. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$23,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Externally funded, so it layers on top of Loyola merit aid rather than replacing it.
📄
How to Apply
Apply directly to the Golden Apple Foundation, not to Loyola. Open to high school seniors and to first and second-year college students. Contact Golden Apple at scholars@goldenapple.org or (312) 407-0006, and Assistant Dean Nancy Goldberger at ngoldberger@luc.edu for the Loyola side.
Selection criteria: Demonstrated promise and drive to teach in a school of need, assessed by the Golden Apple Foundation.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
An outside program, not a Loyola award, but Loyola is a partner campus and up to $23,000 in tuition assistance is available on top of other benefits. Open to U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens, and DACA recipients. The catch that matters: Golden Apple Scholars commit to teaching five years in an Illinois school of need after graduation. That is a real obligation, not a suggestion, so treat it as a career decision rather than a financial one.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who already know they want to teach in Illinois and are comfortable committing five post-graduation years to a high-need school.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlyservice commitmentstemteaching
LUC-Noyce Scholars
📅 Deadline: Feb 4 ✓ Renews
$30,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ Carries a teaching service obligation that converts to a loan if unmet.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Federally funded through the National Science Foundation, so it stacks with Loyola merit and need-based aid.
📄
How to Apply
Be a Loyola student pursuing a bachelor''s or master''s in education with teacher licensure in math or science. Submit the Noyce application by Feb 4 for early decision or Apr 2 for general decision. Finalists interview. Notification comes Feb 28 or Apr 25. Contact Dr. Lara Smetana at lsmetana@luc.edu.
Selection criteria: STEM content strength, commitment to high-need classrooms, and interview performance.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
Funded by the National Science Foundation to get strong math and science graduates into high-need high school classrooms. Students can earn up to $30,000, with $20,000 of that as tuition support. In exchange, each year of funding obligates one year of teaching in a Chicago Public School high school or another eligible high-need district. Read this part twice: if the service obligation is not fully completed, the balance of support converts to a loan the student must repay.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Math and science students who want to teach and are clear-eyed about the repayment clause. This is excellent money for the right student and a trap for a student who is not sure about teaching.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Ratner Endowment for Future Teachers
📅 Deadline: Continuing students apply via the General Scholarship Application. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Departmental endowed award. Stacks with Loyola merit and need-based aid subject to the standard tuition cap.
📄
How to Apply
Continuing students apply through the General Scholarship Application on Loyola Scholarship Connection and answer the supplemental questions for the School of Education. Incoming students should contact the Financial Aid Office at 773.508.7704 or lufinaid@luc.edu.
Selection criteria: Academic promise plus a demonstrated orientation toward service through teaching.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
An endowed fund named for Audrey Ratner, BSEd ''78, supporting School of Education students headed into teaching. Award amounts are not published. Notable because it is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, so it can follow a student who stays at Loyola for a master''s in education.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
School of Education students who can write convincingly about why they want to teach.
App Required⚠ Sophomore Only
Ricci Scholars Study Abroad Program
📅 Deadline: Sophomore year application cycle. Check luc.edu/ricci for current dates. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 Sophomore
✚
Stacking & Combining
Program funding on top of Loyola aid. Note the standard study abroad caveat: for some programs Loyola aid is reduced to match the same percentage of tuition coverage.
📄
How to Apply
Apply as a sophomore with a research proposal. Scholars spend fall of junior year at the Loyola Rome campus and spring in East Asia, then present their project senior year through a one-credit seminar. Work with the Fellowship Office early, since Ricci students routinely stack Gilman and Freeman-Asia awards on top.
Selection criteria: Quality and originality of the comparative research proposal.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Launched in 2007 and funded by a donor gift, this is one of the most distinctive things Loyola offers and almost nobody outside the university has heard of it. Scholars design their own comparative research project, spend fall in Rome and spring in East Asia, and graduate with the formal honor of Ricci Scholar. The program includes dedicated seminars, a Ricci-specific study abroad advisor, and heavy fellowship application support. Not a freshman award, but worth knowing about before your student picks a college.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Sophomores with a genuine comparative research question and the nerve to spend a year abroad on two continents.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Mulcahy Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: Varies by year. Contact the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office. Non-Renewable
$1,000–$2,000
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Research stipend and project funding sit on top of merit and need-based aid up to the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Be enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in the hard sciences. Contact the Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Sciences at (773) 508-3500 for the current application and deadline.
Selection criteria: Strength of the proposed project and the faculty sponsor relationship.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Pairs a student with a faculty member on a real scholarly project. Each recipient gets a $1,000 stipend and can receive up to $1,000 more in project support. Open to College of Arts and Sciences students majoring in the hard sciences. This is one of several funded research programs that sit under the LUROP umbrella, which centralizes all funded undergraduate research at Loyola.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Science majors who found a faculty mentor early and can describe a specific project rather than a general interest in research.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Music Ensemble Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$300–$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Loyola merit and need-based aid up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Audition required for music ensemble participation; awards determined by music department based on talent and ensemble need.
Selection criteria: Musical talent, ensemble needs, and commitment to participation.
💡
Strategic Detail
Small awards for students participating in university music ensembles. Open to non-music majors. Requires audition and continued ensemble participation.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who audition successfully and participate in Loyola music ensembles; open to all majors.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
ROTC Scholarships + Loyola Housing Grant
📅 Deadline: Feb 15 ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$3,500
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
ROTC scholarship covers full tuition, fees, books, and monthly stipend. Loyola adds a $3,500/semester housing grant on top of ROTC benefits. ROTC tuition benefit replaces Loyola merit scholarships.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for Army, Air Force, or Navy ROTC scholarship through the respective military branch by national deadlines. File FAFSA by Mar 1 to be considered for Loyola housing grant supplement.
Selection criteria: National ROTC boards evaluate academic achievement (GPA 3.0+), leadership, physical fitness, and commitment to military service.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Federal ROTC scholarships cover tuition, fees, $1,200/yr books, and $420/month stipend. Loyola provides an additional $3,500/semester housing grant for ROTC recipients. Requires ROTC contract and service commitment.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: ROTC scholarship recipients with strong academic records (3.0+ GPA), leadership experience, and physical fitness; service commitment required.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
Deloitte Accounting Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies Non-Renewable
$7,500
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Tuition reimbursement award payable over three semesters; stacks with other Loyola merit and need-based aid subject to cost-of-attendance limits. Important: Loyola Scholarship Connection excludes any student who has already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola. If your student wins the Ignatian or the full-tuition National Merit award, they lose access to this pool entirely.
📄
How to Apply
Access the application through the ABL Area scholarship form at luc.edu/quinlan/accounting/abl_scholarships.shtml. Select the Deloitte Accounting Scholarship on the form and provide all required documentation. Contact Department Chair KC Rakow, Ph.D., CPA at (312) 915-6327 or krakow@luc.edu with questions.
Selection criteria: Need-based with preference for ESL and first-generation students; reviewed via ABL scholarship application process.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A career-pathway award from Deloitte for Quinlan School of Business accounting students. Offers up to $7,500 in tuition reimbursement spread across three semesters. Open to Sophomores and Juniors with a 3.0+ GPA who demonstrate financial need and interest in public accounting. ESL students and first-generation college students receive application preference. Apply via the ABL Area scholarship form; contact KC Rakow at krakow@luc.edu.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Sophomore and Junior accounting majors in the Quinlan School of Business who maintain a 3.0+ GPA, demonstrate financial need, and have a clear interest in public accounting with preference given to students for whom English is a second language and/or who are first-generation college students.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
SIM Chicago Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (2 yrs)
$2,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Loyola merit and federal/state aid subject to standard cost-of-attendance limits. Award covers up to two years. Important: Loyola Scholarship Connection excludes any student who has already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola. If your student wins the Ignatian or the full-tuition National Merit award, they lose access to this pool entirely.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection at luc.academicworks.com. Must be entering sophomore year or above and have declared a major in a computer science-related field.
Selection criteria: Need-based with emphasis on CS-related major and interest in IT leadership; reviewed via Loyola Scholarship Connection.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A tech-industry partnership scholarship funded by SIM Chicago, a professional organization connecting technology and business leaders. Awards up to $2,500 per year for up to two years. Open to Sophomores and above who have declared a CS-related major and demonstrate financial need. A great hidden gem for tech students looking to connect with Chicago's IT leadership community beyond the classroom. Apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Upperclassmen in computer science or a related tech field who can make a compelling case for their interest in IT leadership and who demonstrate financial need.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
CAS Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Check with the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office for the current cycle. Non-Renewable
$1,000
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPA👥 ~10 (2 per academic area) winners/yr🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Small one-time award. Stacks with merit and need-based aid.
📄
How to Apply
Be a rising junior or senior majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences with at least a 2.5 overall GPA. Contact the College of Arts and Sciences Dean''s Office at (773) 508-3500 to confirm the award is running and get the current application.
Selection criteria: Reviewed within each of five broad CAS academic areas.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Ten $1,000 awards each year, two in each of five areas: computational sciences and technology, fine and performing arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The 2.5 GPA floor is unusually low for a named scholarship, which makes this one of the more reachable awards on the page for a solid-but-not-spectacular student. Confirm with the Dean''s Office before counting on it, since programs structured this way have been in flux across higher education.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Rising juniors and seniors in Arts and Sciences who clear a 2.5 GPA and take fifteen minutes to actually ask about it.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Immaculata High School of Chicago Alumnae Association Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Must be accepted to Loyola by May 1; apply via Loyola Scholarship Connection. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Need-based award that stacks with Loyola merit and federal/state aid subject to cost-of-attendance limits. Important: Loyola Scholarship Connection excludes any student who has already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola. If your student wins the Ignatian or the full-tuition National Merit award, they lose access to this pool entirely.
📄
How to Apply
Be accepted to Loyola by May 1. Complete the general scholarship application through Loyola Scholarship Connection (luc.academicworks.com) and answer the supplemental questions specifically for the Immaculata Scholarship.
Selection criteria: Need-based award reviewed through Loyola Scholarship Connection supplemental application.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A true hidden gem for anyone with a family connection to Immaculata High School of Chicago. Eligible family members include children, stepchildren, adopted children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren of alumnae, and descendants of alumnae spouses. Award amounts vary and are based on financial need. Apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection at luc.academicworks.com after being accepted to Loyola by May 1.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Alumnae of Immaculata High School of Chicago, or their children, stepchildren, adopted children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and descendants of spouses of alumnae who demonstrate financial need and apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Onlyrural residencyneed based
O'Brien-Vrba Scholarship Trust
📅 Deadline: Set by PNC Bank as trustee. Check the eligible county list and current cycle. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Requires rural county residency in IL, IN, IA, WI, or MI.
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Externally administered trust, so it stacks with Loyola merit and need-based aid.
📄
How to Apply
Confirm your home county appears on the trust''s approved rural county list. Be a current junior or senior planning full-time enrollment for the full upcoming year, hold a 3.0 GPA, and approve release of your documents to PNC Bank, N.A. as trustee. Upload official transcripts from every college attended.
Selection criteria: Rural residency, academic record, school and community involvement, and family income.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
A genuinely overlooked award for rural families. The trust was set up to help rural high school graduates from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan continue their education. Students who attended high school in DeKalb, Illinois automatically satisfy the rural residency test. Requires a family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, and applicants of the Catholic faith receive additional consideration. Loyola does not publish the dollar value because PNC Bank administers it, not the university.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Juniors and seniors from small towns in the upper Midwest with a 3.0 GPA and a real record of school and community involvement. If you grew up rural, check the county list before you assume you do not qualify.
Data last verified Sep 7, 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.
⚖️ The Full-Tuition Trade-Off Nobody Mentions
Loyola Scholarship Connection has an eligibility rule that surprises families: students who have already received a full-tuition scholarship from Loyola are not eligible for the donor and departmental pool at all.
So if your student wins the Ignatian Scholarship or the one full-tuition National Merit award, they are locked out of Zolp, Immaculata, SIM Chicago, Deloitte, and every other Scholarship Connection award for the rest of their time at Loyola. In almost every case full tuition is still the better outcome by a wide margin, since the Connection pool runs $500 to $5,000 in one-time awards. But it does mean a full-tuition student cannot chip away at housing and meal costs through that channel, and housing and meals are roughly $18,000 a year here.
Two more things about that pool: the awards are one-time and not guaranteed to renew, and Loyola states that receiving one may reduce your need-based Loyola Grant or your merit scholarship. Ask for the arithmetic in writing before assuming a win is new money.
📌 Departmental Deadlines That Beat the General One
Loyola Scholarship Connection’s general priority deadline is April 15, but three areas close earlier and their applications are inside the same system:
School of Communication: March 9
Polish Studies: March 15
Dance and Fine and Performing Arts: April 1
Communication is one of Loyola’s larger majors, so that March 9 date affects a lot of students who are still thinking they have until April.
🔬 One More Pot: LUROP
The Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program is not a single scholarship. It is the umbrella that centralizes every funded undergraduate research program at Loyola, and the Mulcahy Scholars Program listed above is just one of the fellowships living underneath it. Students from any school or department can find funded research through it. If your student is science-minded or graduate-school-bound, this is the page to bookmark for sophomore year, not senior year of high school.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
Is the Zolp Scholarship real?
Completely real. The Wm. Zolp Scholarship is an endowed fund that pays toward tuition for any Catholic Loyola student whose last name is Zolp. Your student needs to submit a birth certificate plus a baptismal or confirmation certificate proving both the surname and the faith. Amounts vary depending on the endowment and how many Zolp students are enrolled that year. Be admitted by February 1, apply through Loyola Scholarship Connection after January 1, and submit by March 1. If your last name is Zolp, this is free money sitting on a table.
Which of these should a typical out-of-state family actually chase?
Honestly, the ones tied to a major rather than a background. Rachel Carson for environmental science, Noyce for math and science students headed into teaching, Deloitte for accounting, SIM Chicago for computer science, and the music ensemble awards, which are open to non-majors and only require an audition. Several of the biggest awards on this page, like Hope Chicago and Cristo Rey, are pipeline programs tied to specific Chicago high schools and are not available to most families no matter how strong the student is.
What is the catch with the Noyce and Golden Apple awards?
Both carry teaching service commitments, and Noyce’s is the sharper one. Each year of Noyce funding obligates a year of teaching in a Chicago Public School high school or another eligible high-need district, and if the service is not completed, the balance converts to a loan your student must repay. Golden Apple asks for five years of teaching in an Illinois school of need. These are excellent programs for a student who genuinely wants to teach and a real financial risk for a student who is not sure yet.
My student is not a freshman yet. Does any of this matter now?
Some of it does. Deloitte, SIM Chicago, Mulcahy, Ricci, the CAS awards, and the O’Brien-Vrba Trust are all upperclassman awards. You cannot apply for them from high school, but knowing they exist changes how you evaluate Loyola’s real four-year cost. A family looking only at the freshman award is seeing maybe two-thirds of the picture.
Do we need the FAFSA for these?
For many of them, yes. Immaculata, SIM Chicago, Deloitte, the Loyola Grant, and O’Brien-Vrba all involve financial need. Loyola also strongly recommends the FAFSA for every scholarship applicant because so many Connection awards carry need components. Illinois families have a second reason: the MAP Grant is awarded first-come, first-served until the state runs out of money.
How do we find out we won?
Notifications come through the student portal and Loyola email. For Connection awards, priority notifications go out after the April 15 priority deadline. For competitive awards, decisions generally land early to mid-April, just before the May 1 deposit. If you have not heard by late April on something your student applied for, email scholarfinaid@luc.edu and ask directly.
Read this before anything else: Loyola’s Honors Program states plainly on its own website that it “does not currently offer any scholarships or financial aid.” There is no Honors award, no Honors stipend, and no tuition benefit attached to admission. If your student joins Honors at Loyola, it is for the academic experience, and that is the whole of it.
We say that up front because at most universities Honors and money travel together, and families reasonably assume the same is true here. At Loyola they are two completely separate systems. The good news is that the merit money your student qualifies for arrives automatically with admission whether or not they are in Honors, so there is nothing to lose by applying to Honors and nothing financial to gain either.
What Honors is at Loyola is a small, invitation-based academic community that has been running since 1936. Only a small percentage of freshmen are invited each year, and the invitation comes after admission rather than through a separate competitive round. It is interdisciplinary and international in design, built around intensive seminars and a shared intellectual life rather than an extra pile of coursework.
How you get in as a freshman: Admitted students with high marks in a rigorous course schedule are invited. Application to Honors is folded into the Loyola admission process.
How you get in later: Current students can join starting second semester of freshman year or first semester of sophomore year. No application is required. Sophomores need 30 completed credit hours and a 3.67 GPA, and must start the process the semester before they intend to join by meeting with an Honors academic advisor.
What it requires: 27 credit hours, which is nine Honors courses, each completed with a C or better, plus a 3.33 overall GPA to graduate with Honors.
What you get: Priority registration every semester, individualized advising, small classes, faculty mentorship, an Honors freshman residence community, and the Honors Degree noted on the diploma and transcript.
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
Where the Honors-Caliber Money Actually Lives
If your student is the kind of applicant Honors invites, these are the awards that carry real dollars:
Ignatian Scholarship: full tuition, invite-only, the top of Loyola’s merit structure.
Automatic merit: up to $34,000 per year, no application, awarded on the strength of the admission file.
National Merit: one full-tuition award, $2,000 for other Finalists who name Loyola first choice.
Ricci Scholars: a junior year split between Rome and East Asia conducting original comparative research, applied for as a sophomore.
Mulcahy Scholars and LUROP: funded undergraduate research for science majors.
The Fellowship Office: Loyola actively coaches students toward Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Truman, Fulbright, Gilman, and Freeman-Asia awards.
Honors Program — FAQs (Loyola University Chicago)
Is there really no Honors scholarship?
Correct, and it is stated directly on Loyola’s Honors scholarship page. The page exists to point students toward university and external awards rather than to list Honors-specific funding. This is unusual and worth knowing when comparing Loyola against schools where Honors admission unlocks additional money.
Is it called an Honors College or an Honors Program?
A Program. Loyola runs the Interdisciplinary Honors Program out of the College of Arts and Sciences, though students in all undergraduate colleges can be admitted, with requirements adjusted to fit each college. There is also a separate four-year honors experience for business students in the Quinlan School of Business.
Does Honors mean more work?
Not more, different. The 27 required credit hours substitute for Core requirements rather than stacking on top, and completing the four 200-level Honors courses waives four Core courses. Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Social Work majors have modified requirements.
Can my student decline the invitation?
Yes, and since no money is attached, the decision is purely about fit. The real questions are whether your student wants smaller seminar-style classes and whether priority registration matters to them, which at a university of 12,600 undergraduates it genuinely might.
What if my student leaves Honors partway through?
They need to appeal to the Director of Core Curriculum to determine whether any completed 200-level Honors courses can still count as Core waivers. Leaving early can mean redoing Core requirements, so it is not a costless exit.
Who do we contact?
The Interdisciplinary Honors Program at honors@luc.edu or 773.508.2780. The Director is Prof. Michael Schumacher.
Loyola is one of the largest Jesuit Catholic universities in the country, founded in 1870, with about 12,600 undergraduates spread across a lakefront campus in Rogers Park, a downtown campus near the Magnificent Mile, a health sciences campus in Maywood, a retreat and ecology campus northwest of the city, and a full campus in Rome. That last one is not a study abroad partnership. It is Loyola’s own campus, and students can start their entire freshman year there through the Rome Start program.
In February 2025, Loyola earned Carnegie R1 status, the highest research classification, joining the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and the University of Illinois Chicago as the only R1 universities in Chicago. R1 requires more than $50 million in annual research spending and more than 70 doctorates awarded per year. For an undergraduate family, the practical meaning is that faculty here are running funded research, and Loyola has built an unusual amount of infrastructure to route undergraduates into it.
Nationally Known Program: Quinlan School of Business — Business and marketing accounts for 22 percent of all bachelor’s degrees Loyola awards, the largest share by a wide margin. Quinlan is AACSB-accredited, sits on the Water Tower campus in the middle of the downtown business district, and runs a dedicated four-year business honors track. The downtown location is not a marketing detail. It means internships are a train ride or a walk, not a summer relocation.
Nursing and Health Sciences: Health professions make up 12 percent of Loyola’s bachelor’s degrees. The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, and the Stritch School of Medicine give pre-health students a real clinical ecosystem to plug into. Worth budgeting for: nursing tuition runs $1,250 higher per year than the general rate.
School of Environmental Sustainability: This is the one that separates Loyola from its peers. It is a standalone undergraduate school, not a department buried inside Arts and Sciences, and it comes with its own retreat and ecology campus where the Rachel Carson Scholars spend two May session courses on full tuition, room, and board. Loyola is STARS Gold-rated and regularly ranked among the country’s most sustainable campuses.
Psychology and the Social Sciences: Psychology alone is 9 percent of degrees awarded, with social sciences another 8 percent. Combined with an R1 research environment and LUROP funding, this is a strong setup for students headed to graduate school.
School of Communication: 6 percent of degrees, with its own scholarship pool that closes March 9, earlier than Loyola’s general April 15 priority date.
Biology and the natural sciences: Heavily fed by the pre-health pipeline, with the Mulcahy Scholars Program funding hard-science undergraduates to work directly with faculty.
School of Law: Ranked in the U.S. News top 75, with particular strength in health law through the Beazley Institute. Relevant to undergraduates thinking three steps ahead.
The numbers that describe day-to-day life here: a 13 to 1 student-faculty ratio, 812 of 2,187 fall class sections enrolling fewer than 20 students, an 84.9 percent first-year retention rate, and 82 percent of first-year students living on campus. It is a mid-sized university that manages to feel smaller than its enrollment suggests.
🔗 Official Loyola University Chicago Links
Use Loyola’s own pages below to confirm costs, deadlines, and award terms. Where our page and Loyola’s page disagree, Loyola wins, and we would appreciate a heads up so we can fix it.
Here is the honest read on Loyola. The sticker price is high, around $76,500 in direct costs before a dollar of aid, and the university discounts heavily enough that almost nobody pays it. Even among first-year students with no demonstrated financial need at all, the average institutional award was over $27,000. The automatic merit is generous, it requires zero extra work, and it renews for four years on a 2.0 GPA, which is one of the gentler renewal bars out there.
What makes Loyola different from a big public flagship is that the automatic award is only the opening move. The rest of the money is scattered across a dozen small, specific programs that each want their own application in a three-week window in March, through a portal that opens in January while your student is on winter break. Loyola is not hiding any of it. They are just not going to chase you down about it either.
So the plan is simple, even if the execution takes some nagging. Apply in October or early November, since scholarship review is genuinely first-come, first-served. Make sure your student is admitted by February 1. Then put a reminder on your own phone for the first week of January to sit down together and read everything on that portal. That single hour is worth more than any essay-editing service you could buy.
And if your last name happens to be Zolp, go apply for that scholarship right now.
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Leo Dimilo
Leo built CollegeReadyParent after watching too many families discover the real cost of college one award letter too late. He digs through financial aid pages, common data sets, and scholarship fine print so parents do not have to, then writes it all down in plain English.
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