Dad and mom of college-bound youngsters who’re contemplating high-cost personal non-profit faculties typically marvel the best way to qualify for institutional advantage grants. These grants might or might not likely be based mostly on advantage, however somewhat operate as a reduction on the price of attendance.

College students who wish to improve their probabilities of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a non-public non-profit 4-year school ought to apply to reasonably selective faculties (particularly higher-cost faculties), have stellar grades and take a look at scores, decide rich dad and mom, don’t take a niche 12 months and enroll in school full-time.

We glance all of the statistics of which college students are getting institutional advantage grants.

Common Institutional Grants

Primarily based on information from the 2015-16 Nationwide Postsecondary Pupil Assist Research (NPSAS), 80% of scholars at personal non-profit 4-year faculties obtain grants, a median of $15,820 per recipient. However, this consists of grants from sources aside from the faculty itself, comparable to Federal Pell Grants.

Greater than half of the scholars (57%) obtain institutional grants, a median of $16,027. This consists of institutional merit-only grants (36%, $12,060), institutional need-based grants (31%, $12,354) and institutional non-need grants (13.3%, $6,289). Combining the institutional merit-only and non-need grant classes, 44% obtain institutional non-need and merit-only grants, a median of $12,008.

The institutional non-need grants embrace institutional grants that aren’t based mostly on want or advantage, comparable to tuition and price waivers for college and workers.

The institutional merit-only grants theoretically are based mostly on some sort of advantage, comparable to tutorial or athletic expertise, however might also embrace different standards, comparable to the coed’s standing as a full-pay scholar.

So, greater than a 3rd (36%) of scholars at personal non-profit 4-year faculties get institutional merit-only grants, a median of $12,060 per recipient. The median is $11,000. 1 / 4 of the scholars who obtain institutional advantage grants get $16,000 or extra and 10% cent $21,600 or extra.

Which Schools Award Institutional Benefit Grants

Essentially the most selective faculties, comparable to Harvard, Princeton and MIT, don’t award institutional advantage grants. All of their monetary assist is awarded based mostly on monetary want, not advantage.

The following tier down, nonetheless, award some institutional advantage grants. They use the grants as a recruiting software to draw rich college students and proficient college students.

Of the scholars receiving institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year faculties, 22% are enrolled at very selective faculties, 69% at reasonably selective faculties, 6% at minimally selective faculties and three% at open admission faculties.

The chances of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a non-public non-profit 4-year school are 30% at very selective faculties, 52% at reasonably selective faculties, 19% at minimally selective faculties and 9% at open admission faculties. These figures are total averages. The chances of receiving advantage grants varies by school inside every class.

The typical advantage grant additionally varies by sort of faculty, from $13,853 at very selective faculties to $7,730 at open admission faculties, most likely correlating with the price of attendance.

Non-public non-profit 4-year faculties that supply on-line lessons are much less prone to provide institutional advantage grants (45% vs. 21%). That is very true of schools that present their whole program on-line (44% vs. 4%). 

Grants Primarily based On Educational Benefit

This desk exhibits that greater than half of scholars with a 3.5 to 4.0 highschool grade level common (GPA) obtain institutional advantage grants. However, it additionally exhibits that even college students with a lower than 2.0 GPA can obtain institutional advantage grants.

Of scholars who obtain institutional grants, greater than half (58%) have a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA, 1 / 4 (27%) have a 3.0 to three.4 GPA, 9% have a 2.5 to 2.9 GPA, 5% have a 2.0 to 2.4 GPA, and 1% have lower than a 2.0 GPA.

This desk exhibits comparable statistics, however restricted to reasonably selective personal non-profit 4-year faculties. The odds receiving institutional advantage grants are larger, though the typical advantage grant is comparable.

This desk exhibits that SAT take a look at scores don’t correlate nicely with the chance of receiving institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year faculties. The typical grant does improve with larger take a look at scores, maybe as a result of the scholars enroll at costlier faculties.

Of the scholars receiving institutional advantage grants, a 3rd (33%) have below-average SAT take a look at scores, 40% have SAT take a look at scores of 1000 to 1199, 22% have SAT take a look at scores of 1200 to 1399 and 5% have SAT take a look at scores of 1400 to 1600.

The decrease share of scholars with a 1400 to 1600 SAT take a look at rating who obtain institutional advantage grants could also be resulting from these college students being extra prone to enroll at extra selective faculties.

This desk limits the information to reasonably selective faculties, demonstrating that college students with higher take a look at scores usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants.

Thus, college students with higher SAT take a look at scores usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants, until they enroll at very selective faculties.

These tables present that college students who take AP lessons or college-level lessons whereas in highschool are barely extra prone to obtain institutional advantage grants. 


This desk exhibits that college students who take extra superior math lessons in highschool usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants. In addition they obtain bigger grants.


This desk exhibits that college students whose dad and mom have a extra superior schooling usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants and bigger grants.

Grants Primarily based On Earnings

College students from wealthier households usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year faculties, as proven on this desk.


Of the recipients of institutional advantage grants, a 3rd (32%) are low-income, 1 / 4 (27%) are middle-income and 41% are high-income.

Grants Primarily based On Value Of Attendance

This desk exhibits how the share receiving institutional advantage grants and the typical grant improve as the price of attendance will increase. Wealthier faculties have extra money out there to supply institutional grants. Nevertheless, a guardian nonetheless pays extra at a high-cost school that provides out an institutional advantage grant of $10,000 or greater than at a lower-cost in-state public school.

The share receiving institutional advantage grants does lower at the costliest faculties, which can embrace a few of the most selective faculties that don’t award institutional advantage grants, dragging down the share.

This desk exhibits the identical information restricted to reasonably selective faculties. The share receiving institutional advantage grants nonetheless decreases at the costliest faculties, however not as a lot.

Grants Primarily based On Gender And Race

Women and men are equally prone to obtain institutional merit-only grants, and the typical award quantity is about the identical.

This desk exhibits that White college students usually tend to obtain institutional merit-only grants than minority college students. In addition they obtain bigger grants.

Grants Primarily based On Enrollment Standing

This desk exhibits that college students who enroll full-time are more likely to obtain institutional advantage grants than college students who enroll part-time.


College students who take a niche 12 months are a lot much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants, and the grants are decrease.

Grants Primarily based On Dependency Standing

This desk exhibits that dependent college students usually tend to obtain institutional merit-only grants than impartial college students. In addition they obtain bigger grants.

At reasonably selective faculties, 66.8% of dependent college students and 18.9% of impartial college students obtain institutional merit-only grants.

This desk exhibits an analogous outcome when the information is predicated on the age of the coed. College students age 24 and older are routinely impartial.


This desk exhibits that veterans are much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants. Veterans are routinely impartial. They’re additionally much less prone to enroll in Bachelor’s diploma packages. 


Associated: Information To VA And Army Training Advantages

The following two tables present that college students who’re married are much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants. Married college students and college students with dependents are routinely impartial.


This desk exhibits that homeless college students are much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants. Homeless college students are routinely impartial.

Grants Primarily based On Monetary Want

This desk exhibits that college students who file the FAFSA usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants.


This desk exhibits that college students whose monetary assist exceeds their monetary want usually tend to have obtained institutional advantage grants.