Mother and father 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 could or could probably not be based mostly on advantage, however quite operate as a reduction on the price of attendance.
College students who need to enhance their probabilities of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a non-public non-profit 4-year faculty ought to apply to reasonably selective faculties (particularly higher-cost faculties), have stellar grades and take a look at scores, decide rich mother and father, don’t take a spot 12 months and enroll in faculty full-time.
We glance all of the statistics of which college students are getting institutional advantage grants.
Common Institutional Grants
Based mostly on knowledge from the 2015-16 Nationwide Postsecondary Scholar Assist Examine (NPSAS), 80% of scholars at personal non-profit 4-year faculties obtain grants, a median of $15,820 per recipient. However, this contains grants from sources apart from the faculty itself, similar to Federal Pell Grants.
Greater than half of the scholars (57%) obtain institutional grants, a median of $16,027. This contains 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 embody institutional grants that aren’t based mostly on want or advantage, similar to tuition and price waivers for school and workers.
The institutional merit-only grants theoretically are based mostly on some kind of advantage, similar to educational or athletic expertise, however might also embody different standards, similar to the scholar’s standing as a full-pay pupil.
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 Faculties Award Institutional Benefit Grants
Probably the most selective faculties, similar to Harvard, Princeton and MIT, don’t award institutional advantage grants. All of their monetary help is awarded based mostly on monetary want, not advantage.
The following tier down, nevertheless, award some institutional advantage grants. They use the grants as a recruiting instrument 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 percentages of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a non-public non-profit 4-year faculty 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 general averages. The percentages of receiving advantage grants varies by faculty inside every class.
The common advantage grant additionally varies by kind of school, 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 courses are much less prone to provide institutional advantage grants (45% vs. 21%). That is very true of schools that present their complete program on-line (44% vs. 4%).Â
Grants Based mostly On Tutorial 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 greater, though the common advantage grant is analogous.
This desk exhibits that SAT take a look at scores don’t correlate properly with the probability of receiving institutional advantage grants at personal non-profit 4-year faculties. The common grant does enhance with greater take a look at scores, maybe as a result of the scholars enroll at dearer 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 proportion of scholars with a 1400 to 1600 SAT take a look at rating who obtain institutional advantage grants could also be on account of these college students being extra prone to enroll at extra selective faculties.
This desk limits the info 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, except they enroll at very selective faculties.
These tables present that college students who take AP courses or college-level courses whereas in highschool are barely extra prone to obtain institutional advantage grants.Â

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

This desk exhibits that college students whose mother and father have a extra superior training usually tend to obtain institutional advantage grants and bigger grants.
Grants Based mostly 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 Based mostly On Value Of Attendance
This desk exhibits how the share receiving institutional advantage grants and the common grant enhance as the price of attendance will increase. Wealthier faculties have extra money obtainable to offer institutional grants. Nevertheless, a father or mother nonetheless pays extra at a high-cost faculty that provides out an institutional advantage grant of $10,000 or greater than at a lower-cost in-state public faculty.
The share receiving institutional advantage grants does lower at the most costly faculties, which can embody a number of the most selective faculties that don’t award institutional advantage grants, dragging down the share.
This desk exhibits the identical knowledge restricted to reasonably selective faculties. The share receiving institutional advantage grants nonetheless decreases at the most costly faculties, however not as a lot.
Grants Based mostly On Gender And Race
Women and men are equally prone to obtain institutional merit-only grants, and the common 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. Additionally they obtain bigger grants.
Grants Based mostly 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 spot 12 months are a lot much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants, and the grants are decrease.
Grants Based mostly On Dependency Standing
This desk exhibits that dependent college students usually tend to obtain institutional merit-only grants than impartial college students. Additionally 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 the same consequence when the info relies on the age of the scholar. College students age 24 and older are mechanically impartial.

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

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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 mechanically impartial.

This desk exhibits that homeless college students are much less prone to obtain institutional advantage grants. Homeless college students are mechanically impartial.
Grants Based mostly 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 help exceeds their monetary want usually tend to have obtained institutional advantage grants.
