Fordham Scholarships Examined

Every year around mid-April, students accepted to Fordham University excitedly open large envelopes from the Enrollment Services, eager to discover if they have been awarded any scholarship money that will ease the pain felt by their parents' burdened wallets.
"Fordham University is committed to keeping college affordable," states Fordham's Web site. The scholarship money that Fordham awards its students is one way in which the University adheres to this commitment.
Fordham offers four large scholarships to its students: the Presidential Scholarship, the Jesuit Scholarship, the Semifinalist Scholarship and the Dean's Scholarship.
"These awards are given to top applicants who exemplify the highest standards of academic achievement and personal accomplishment," Peter Farrell, director of Admission at Fordham University, said.
Out of 24,000 applicants for the class of 2013, Fordham only offered these scholarships to seven percent of this group, according to Farrell.
The Presidential Scholarship and the Jesuit Scholarship are the most prestigious of the four, each being offered to the top 20 applicants in any given academic year, according to Fordham's Web site. These scholarships offer recipients free tuition and room costs.
"These students have taken the most rigorous curricula at their high schools with rarely a grade less than A," Farrell said. "Typically, these students are ranked in the very top of their high school class, many times as valedictorians and salutatorians, and have outstanding personal accomplishments. Additionally, they also have SAT scores in the 1500 to 1600 range."
The Semifinalist Scholarship is similar to the Presidential and Jesuit Scholarships in that it provides beneficiaries with full tuition, and the necessary criteria are comparably demanding.
Students who are semifinalists in the National Merit or National Achievement competitions, as well as scholars within the National Hispanic Recognition Program, are eligible for the Semifinalist Scholarship. In addition, students must be in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and must have excellent personal characteristics.
This year, Fordham awarded the Semifinalist Scholarship to 348 admitted students, according to Farrell.
Of these scholarships, the one given to the largest number of applicants, with 1,280 admitted students from the class of 2013 receiving this award, is the Dean's Scholarship.
"Candidates receiving the Dean's Scholarship are reviewed on their academic accomplishments and personal achievements," Farrell said. "Most recipients are within the top 10 percent of their high school class, have taken a highly rigorous program of study and have evidenced significant involvement and leadership within their schools and communities."
These scholarships provide recipients with a minimum of $10,000, but the amount can range up to $22,000 if a student demonstrates adequate need.
However, Fordham does not merely hand out all of the above scholarships without expectations from the beneficiaries. Students must maintain a full-time status as well as a 3.0 GPA. If recipients meet these criteria, they may retain the scholarships for up to four years.
In addition to these top scholarships, there are several other scholarships for which accepted students may be eligible. Two such scholarships are the Loyola and Jogues Scholarships, which provide students with up to $8,000 per academic year.
All freshmen are considered for these awards, but only the most talented ones who are not chosen for the Dean's Scholarship are chosen to receive these scholarships. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep to the Loyola Scholarship and a 2.75 to retain the Jogues Scholarship.
The John Lafarge Fellows Scholarship is another scholarship offering a bit less money, endowing recipients with up to $7,000 per academic year, according to Fordham's Web site. It is only presented to students from cultural minorities who have strong academics and leadership skills.
Other smaller awards include the Fordham Tuition Award and Grant-In-Aid, which are both based on financial need and academic standing, as well as a four-year, $6,000 Metro Grant provided to commuting students from New York City or its surrounding areas.
When considering all of the available scholarships, it appears that Fordham offers a large amount of financial aid to incoming freshmen. In the 2007-2008 academic year alone, Fordham awarded around $82.5 million to its student population. However, with Fordham's tuition at about $50,000 per year, one might ask the question, is this enough?

Presidential Scholarship
Number of students given each year: 20
Amount: Full tuition and room and board
Criteria: Nominees are freshmen graduating from high school in the top one percent of their classes, or semifinalists in the National Merit, National Achievement or Hispanic Recognition competitions who are also in the top 10 percent of their classes.
Jesuit Scholarship
Number of students given each year: 20
Amount: Full tuition and room and board
Criteria: Nominees are freshmen graduating from high school in the top one percent of their classes, or semifinalists in the National Merit, National Achievement or Hispanic Recognition competitions who are also in the top 10 percent of their classes. Jesuit Scholarship recipients must also be Jesuit high school graduates.
Semifinalist Scholarship
Number of students given to the class of 2013: 348
Amount: Full tuition
Criteria: Nominees are freshmen graduating from high school in the top one percent of their classes, or semifinalists in the National Merit, National Achievement or Hispanic Recognition competitions who are also in the top 10 percent of their classes.
Dean's Scholarship
Number of students given to the class of 2013: 1,280
Amount: $10,000 to $22,000