Current Undergraduate Students

Renewing Financial Aid

It’s important that you file the right forms by the deadline to ensure that you’ll be considered for all types of aid each year. Late applicants will result in aid being awarded on a funds-available basis.

If you have not previously applied for financial aid, visit the How to Apply page for instructions. View additional renewing financial aid details.

Renew your Financial Aid Instructions:

Academic Merit Scholarship Renewal

Merit-based scholarships are offered for the academic year only: half for fall and half for spring. They do not extend to non-standard academic terms (summer sessions, Winterlude, etc.). If you enroll for only one semester, you will receive half of the annual award amount.

Scholarships are awarded to first-year students for up to eight semesters of undergraduate enrollment. If you are enrolled in an approved five-year program, you will receive awards for up to 10 semesters.

Syracuse University scholarships are tuition-specific and may be combined with other tuition-specific awards (including those outside of Syracuse University), not to exceed the amount of tuition for each year.

If you are a Syracuse University student eligible for the Dependent Tuition Benefit (DTB) and receive less than 100% tuition coverage, your SU merit-based scholarship may be combined with your DTB, up to the full cost of tuition. However, if you receive 100% tuition coverage through the DTB program or a Tuition Exchange award, your merit-based scholarship will be recognized in name only, as its value is already included in your Tuition Exchange or Dependent Tuition Benefit.

The amount of the merit scholarship will remain constant each year for four years (or five years, if enrolled in an approved five-year program), provided that additional resources do not cause the award to exceed the Cost of Attendance. However, full tuition and half tuition scholarships will adjust each year to allow for any tuition cost increases. You do not have to file a FAFSA or CSS Profile to receive or renew a merit scholarship.

Renewal of scholarships awarded to transfer students is dependent upon program length and status (year in school) at the time of admission to Syracuse. For example, if you enroll in a four-year program at the beginning of your sophomore year, you will be entitled to six semesters of scholarship, while if you enroll as a junior, you will be entitled to four semesters of scholarship.

Academic Criteria

To maintain your merit-based scholarship, you must:

  • Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75.
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and Academic Integrity Expectations.

You have three semesters to meet the GPA requirements. If your GPA falls below 2.75 after three semesters, the scholarship will not be renewed.

Syracuse University offers many resources to help you improve your academic standing. Contact Tutoring Services or the Writing Center to receive one-on-one or small-group tutoring by graduate and undergraduate students.

Enrollment Status

  • You must enroll full-time (a minimum of 12 credits per semester) each semester in a University degree program (you will need to take an average of 15 credits each semester to graduate in four years).
  • If you are graduating in December, you will receive half of the full-year scholarship, disbursed in the fall semester. If you withdraw or take a leave of absence from the University, your merit award will be cancelled until such time as you re-admit to the University.
  • Students who return from a leave of absence after less than one academic year will have their scholarship automatically reinstated, provided they meet the academic and enrollment requirements. Students who return from a leave of absence after more than one academic year will be subject to review.

Syracuse University makes every effort to renew financial aid awards if:

  • Funding levels are renewed and remain stable.
  • The information you submit on your aid application does not change from year to year (e.g. other siblings no longer enrolled full-time at the undergraduate level, change in family income, or new information required). Learn more about what might impact aid in future academic years below.
  • The required applications are submitted by the published deadlines.

What could impact my financial aid in future academic years?

  • The Department of Education has completely overhauled the FAFSA form and process of calculating aid eligibility.
    • Information on the changes to the FAFSA can be found here.
    • Federal Student Aid has created a video on what has changed on the FAFSA.
  • Changes in student (and spouse), and/or parent income.
    • For the 2024-25 academic year, the aid applications use income information from the 2022 tax year.
    • For the 2025-26 academic year, the aid applications use income information from the 2023 tax year.
    • If you, your spouse, and/or your parent(s) have had a substantial change in income from the 2022 tax year to the 2023 tax year, those changes could impact your overall aid eligibility.
  • Changes in a parent’s or student’s (and spouse’s) assets.
    • If you, your spouse, and/or your parent(s) have had a substantial change in asset value from the 2024-25 academic year to the 2025-26 academic year, those changes could impact your overall aid eligibility.
  • Changes to the number of people in your household.
    • If you (and your spouse), or your parent(s) have had a change in the total number of people in your household, that household size change could impact your overall aid eligibility.
  • Changes to the number of people in your household that are currently enrolled in college.
    • Before the 2024-25 academic year, the FAFSA adjusted a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is now referred to as the Student Aid Index (SAI), based on the number of people in college. Starting with the 2024-25 academic year and going forward, that adjustment is not being made when calculating a student’s federal aid eligibility.
  • Awarding of additional aid.
    • Each academic year, a student’s total aid cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. If you are eligible for additional aid, scholarships, or other benefits, your current aid offer may need to be adjusted, as students cannot receive any financial aid in excess of their cost of attendance. 
    • A Resident Advisor (RA) is provided with designated funding for room (housing) and board (meals) during the terms of employment with Student Living (current funding amounts are determined by the Student Living office).
      • The addition of the RA funding could result in the reduction or adjustment of other aid, so as not to exceed the cost of attendance.
      • Should an RA start or leave the RA appointment outside of the beginning or end of an academic semester, the associated room and board fees will be prorated accordingly, and the remaining balance is the responsibility of the RA.
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
    • To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must successfully complete (earn) a specified number of credit hours (quantitative measure) as well as attain and maintain a required grade point average (qualitative measure) by the end of each semester. 
  • Changes in enrollment.
    • Financial aid is awarded based on full-time enrollment status. Failure to maintain full-time enrollment may result in the reduction or cancellation of your awards.
    • Withdrawal from the University before the end of a given term may result in an adjustment or cancellation of aid.
  • Reaching the maximum number of credits, semesters, months, annual, aggregate, and/or lifetime limit of an award. 
    • The Federal Pell Grant is awarded up to the lifetime limit. The Pell Grant is awarded for no more than 12 terms (roughly six years).
    • Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans are awarded based on annual and aggregate limits. Students cannot exceed the annual loan limits and the aggregate loan limits.
    • Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on the published length of the student’s academic program. Enrollment beyond the published length of the program may result in the cancellation of merit-based scholarship funding.
    • Benefits, such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, are certified by the VA and funded based on the number of months remaining of remaining eligibility.
    • The Syracuse University Dependent Tuition Waiver can only be applied to the minimum number of credit hours required for completion of the first baccalaureate degree. 
  • Other circumstances.