Rutgers scholarships, student loans and grants

Rutgers might not be the most expensive college out there, but it also isn’t cheap. Despite having a tuition clocking in more than $25,000 less than many private universities, students often graduate with more debt. You can avoid this by looking into your options for free funding: scholarships and grants.

How much does it cost to go to Rutgers?

As you can see, when weighing in costs of attending college, tuition is only half of the picture. Rutgers also includes factors like housing, books, travel and general living expenses when estimating your total cost of attendance. This amount is important — it determines how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive.

Does Rutgers offer a tuition payment plan?

Yes. If you’re unable to cover your upfront costs of attendance in one lump sum, you can sign up for the Rutgers University Tuition Payment Plan (RTPP). This allows you to pay off your bill in monthly installments.

Students can choose between an annual or semester plan.

• Annual plan

  The annual plan comes with a $60 enrollment fee and allows you to pay off your yearly academic costs with one of the following choices:

  • 12 installments: April 20 to March 20
  • 10 installments: June 20 to March 20
  • 8 installments: July 20 to February 20

• Semester plan

  The semester plan comes with a $50 enrollment fee and allows you to pay the academic costs for one semester at Rutgers with the following choices:

  Payment plan	Payment dates
  5 installments	Fall semester: June 20 to October 20 Spring semester: November 20 to March 20
  4 installments	Fall semester: July 20 to October 20 Spring semester: December 20 to March 30
  3 installments	Fall semester: July 20 to September 20 Spring semester: December 20 to February 20

Top Rutgers scholarships

Rutgers has several of its own scholarship programs for students. These include:

Rutgers Presidential Scholarship

• Amounts

  Up to $25,600 per academic year — for up to four years. This amount includes a $11,700 credit to cover on-campus housing and dining, or $13,600 per year if you choose to live off campus.

• Eligibility

  Rutgers might consider you for the Presidential Scholarship if you:

  • Attend Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
  • Have a strong high school academic record.
  • Apply to Rutgers by December 1.
  • Submit all credentials and paperwork within two weeks of December 1.
  • Are a US citizen or permanent resident.
  • Enroll in at least 12 credits per semester.
  • Complete 24 credits per academic year.
  • Maintain a 3.25 GPA or higher.

This full scholarship is available to both in-state and out-of-state students at the New Brunswick campus. However, only the top 1% to 2% of students receive this merit-based award based on academic performance in high school. There’s no separate application — you’ll find out if you qualify after getting your Rutgers acceptance letter.

Scarlet Scholarship

• Amounts

  $3,500 per academic year — for up to four years.

• Eligibility

  You might qualify if you:

  • Have a strong high-school academic record.
  • Are an in-state student or attend the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy or the School of Engineering as an out-of-state student.
  • Apply to Rutgers by December 1.
  • Submit all credentials and paperwork within two weeks of December 1.
  • Are a US citizen or permanent resident.
  • Enroll in at least 12 credits per semester.
  • Complete at least 24 credits per academic year.
  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.

This scholarship is roughly enough to cover personal expenses for high-performing in-state students at the New Brunswick campus. All students at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy or the School of Engineering are eligible for a Scarlet Scholarship. Like with other merit-based scholarships, there’s no separate application.

Trustee Scholarship

• Amounts

  $13,000 to $16,000 per academic year — for up to four years.

• Eligibility

  To qualify for a Trustee scholarship, you must:

  • Have a strong high school academic record.
  • Apply to Rutgers by December 1.
  • Submit all additional documents within two weeks of December 1.
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident.
  • Not attend the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy or the School of Engineering.
  • Register for at least 12 credits per semester.
  • Complete at least 24 credits per academic year.
  • Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Trustee Scholarships are enough to cover at least room and board for Rutgers students while attending school. It’s available to both in-state and out-of-state students, with the exception of those attending the pharmacy or engineering school. There’s no application — you’ll find out if you qualify after you’ve been accepted.

Leroy Davidson Scholarship

• Amounts

  Starting at $1,500 per academic year.

• Eligibility

  To qualify for the Leroy Davidson Scholarship, you must be:

  • An undergraduate student.
  • Enrolled full time.

While any full-time undergraduate student might qualify for this needs-based scholarship, Rutgers gives preference to family members or employees of one of the Allegiance Retail Services supermarket chains, including Foodtown and Market Fresh. It’s enough to cover your estimated textbook costs and has no academic requirements to stay eligible.

FIRST Scholarship

• Amounts

  $5,000 per academic year — for up to four years.

• Eligibility

  To be considered for the FIRST Scholarship, you must:

  • Be a high school senior admitted to Rutgers.
  • Have participated in either a FIRST Robotics Competition or a FIRST Tech Challenge.

This scholarship is for tech-savvy students interested in engineering. You must have already participated in a FIRST competition to be considered and submit an application by February 1. This scholarship is almost enough to cover half of in-state tuition for your entire stay at Rutgers.

September 11th Memorial Scholarship

• Amounts

  Full in-state tuition — for up to four years.

• Eligibility

  Students who meet the following criteria might qualify:

  • Dependent of a New Jersey resident who died in the 9/11 attacks.
  • Undergraduate student.
  • Enrolled full time.

New Jersey students who lost a parent or guardian during the 9/11 attacks are eligible for full tuition at Rutgers. There’s no formal application, though qualified students must send a letter with documents proving their eligibility to the financial aid office.

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible.

Vincent R. Kramer Merit Endowed Scholarship

• Amounts

  $1,766 per academic year — for up to four years.

• Eligibility

  To qualify for the Vincent R. Kramer Merit Endowed Scholarship, you must:

  • Be a first-year student.
  • Attend Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
  • File a Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA).

This scholarship is only given to one first-year student at Rutgers–New Brunswick with outstanding leadership qualities. Students must file the FAFSA to be considered, and Rutgers favors students with a connection to a member of the the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA).

Those students must send a letter with the name of the member of the RAA, their year of graduation and their relationship to the applicant to the financial aid office.

Additional Rutgers scholarships

Rutgers offers several more scholarships — though not all are available on all campuses. These include:

Student loans to pay for Rutgers University

Having trouble covering all of your expenses with grants and scholarships? You might have to take out student loans. The US Department of Education recommends that students apply for federal aid first — which includes work-study and federal grants — before turning to private lenders.

However, federal aid comes with annual limits and isn’t available to international students. If you can’t qualify for enough from the government, consider a private student loan.

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Bottom line

Compared to most private universities, Rutgers is a steal — especially for in-state students. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to cover all of the costs out of pocket. While it has a wide range of needs- and merit-based scholarships available to students, you might have to use a mix of different types of aid.

Learn more about your options by reading our guide to student loans.

Frequently asked questions

• How much does it cost to attend Rutgers as a graduate student?

  It depends on the type of program you’re in and whether you qualify for in-state or out-of-state tuition. The cost of attending a master’s program ranges from $34,363 to $59,567.

  Business students might spend between $42,639 and $74,802 per year. Law school can run from $41,187 to $66,585 per year.

• Does Rutgers offer work-study?

  Rutgers has no work-study program of its own. However, students can qualify for work-study through the Federal Work Study Program (FWSP) and the Job Location and Development Program (JLDP).

• How much do Rutgers student loan payments cost?

  It depends on several factors, including how much you borrow, your student loan repayment plan and your interest rate. You can use our loan repayment calculator to find out how much you might owe each month. Or if you have federal loans, you can sign up for an income-driven repayment plan.