Dad and mom of college-bound youngsters who’re contemplating high-cost non-public non-profit schools usually marvel how one can qualify for institutional advantage grants. These grants could or could not likely be based mostly on advantage, however somewhat perform as a reduction on the price of attendance.

College students who wish to enhance their possibilities of receiving an institutional advantage grant at a personal non-profit 4-year school ought to apply to reasonably selective schools (particularly higher-cost schools), have stellar grades and take a look at scores, choose rich mother and father, don’t take a spot yr 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 knowledge from the 2015-16 Nationwide Postsecondary Scholar Assist Examine (NPSAS), 80% of scholars at non-public non-profit 4-year schools obtain grants, a mean of $15,820 per recipient. However, this contains grants from sources apart from the school itself, akin to Federal Pell Grants.

Greater than half of the scholars (57%) obtain institutional grants, a mean 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 mean of $12,008.

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

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

So, greater than a 3rd (36%) of scholars at non-public non-profit 4-year schools get institutional merit-only grants, a mean 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 schools, akin 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 subsequent tier down, nonetheless, award some institutional advantage grants. They use the grants as a recruiting device to draw rich college students and gifted college students.

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

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

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

Personal non-profit 4-year schools 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%). 

Grants Primarily based 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 related statistics, however restricted to reasonably selective non-public non-profit 4-year schools. The odds receiving institutional advantage grants are greater, though the common 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 non-public non-profit 4-year schools. The common grant does enhance with greater take a look at scores, maybe as a result of the scholars enroll at costlier schools.

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 because of these college students being extra prone to enroll at extra selective schools.

This desk limits the information to reasonably selective schools, 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 schools.

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. 


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 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 non-public non-profit 4-year schools, 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 Price Of Attendance

This desk exhibits how the proportion receiving institutional advantage grants and the common grant enhance as the price of attendance will increase. Wealthier schools have extra money out there to offer 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 proportion receiving institutional advantage grants does lower at the costliest schools, which can embody a few of the most selective schools that don’t award institutional advantage grants, dragging down the proportion.

This desk exhibits the identical knowledge restricted to reasonably selective schools. The proportion receiving institutional advantage grants nonetheless decreases at the costliest schools, 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 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 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 spot yr 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 unbiased college students. Additionally they obtain bigger grants.

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

This desk exhibits an identical end result when the information is predicated on the age of the scholar. College students age 24 and older are routinely unbiased.


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


Associated: Information To VA And Army Schooling Advantages

The subsequent 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 unbiased.


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

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 acquired institutional advantage grants.