Rhodes Merit Scholarships
All applications for Admission are considered for merit-based scholarships. Merit awards serve to recognize individual students for their academic talent, service, and/or leadership achievements. These highly competitive awards are determined on an individual basis and celebrate the strength and accomplishments of each admitted applicant, in and out of the classroom.
Rhodes College features a priority deadline of December 1 for the following merit-based scholarships. Regardless of application plan (Early Decision I, Early Decision II, Early Action, Regular Decision), applications received by the Office of Admission on or prior to December 1 will be considered for these merit awards.*
The following merit-based scholarships are renewable for up to four years
- Cambridge Scholarship
- Founders Scholarship
- Presidential Scholarship
- Ralph C. Hon Scholarship
- Diehl Scholarship
- Rhodes Award Scholarship
- Tennessee Advantage Scholarship: (Learn more about the Tennessee Advantage Scholarship.)
* Applications received after December 1 may still be considered for other merit awards as well as a limited number of the scholarships listed above.
Additional Competitive Scholarships/Fellowships
These highly competitive scholarships/fellowships take scholarships a step further in providing students with the chance to participate in important study, research, and service with like-minded peers. Fellowships provide a way to put academics into action, build a student’s resume, and be part of a learning community. Fellowships require a specialized application process. Use the below links to access the current fellowships available. They are determined on an individual basis and celebrate the strength and achievements of each admitted student, in and out of the classroom. We also encourage you to apply for the following interest-based awards that require a separate application.
Other Scholarships/Awards
Rhodes College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships
Awards sponsored by Rhodes may be offered to first-year students who are designated as finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition and who have designated Rhodes as their first choice. Recipients may not receive other National Merit Scholarships. These awards are valued at $1500 and are renewable for three years provided the student meets the financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards.
Chicago Scholars Program Award
Chicago Scholar Program recipients receive institutional aid up to a student’s financial need to cover direct costs with scholarship, grant, subsidized loans, and work. Unsubsidized loans may be offered to assist with indirect costs or offset calculated family contribution. The total amount of Rhodes-funded scholarships, including the Day Scholarship, Rhodes Fellowships, and Rhodes grants may not exceed direct charges of tuition, fees, room, and board. Students receiving institutional aid in excess of tuition will be subject to a reduction if they live off campus.
YES Prep Scholars Program Award
YES Prep Program recipients receive institutional aid up to a student’s financial need to cover direct costs with scholarship, grant, subsidized loans, and work. Unsubsidized loans may be offered to assist with indirect costs or offset calculated family contribution. The total amount of Rhodes-funded scholarships, including the Day Scholarship, Rhodes Fellowships, and Rhodes grants may not exceed direct charges of tuition, fees, room, and board. Students receiving institutional aid in excess of tuition will be subject to a reduction if they live off campus.
Christo Rey Scholars Program Award
Christo Rey Scholar Program recipients receive institutional aid up to 80 percent of a student’s financial need to cover direct costs with scholarship, grant, subsidized loans, and work. Unsubsidized loans may be offered to assist with indirect costs or offset calculated family contribution. The total amount of Rhodes-funded scholarships, including the Day Scholarship, Rhodes Fellowships, and Rhodes grants may not exceed direct charges of tuition, fees, room, and board. Students receiving institutional aid in excess of tuition will be subject to a reduction if they live off campus.
Aim Scholars Program Award
Aim Scholar Program recipients receive institutional aid up to a student’s financial need to cover direct costs with scholarship, grant, subsidized loans, and work. Unsubsidized loans may be offered to assist with indirect costs or offset calculated family contribution. The total amount of Rhodes-funded scholarships, including the Day Scholarship, Rhodes Fellowships, and Rhodes grants may not exceed direct charges of tuition, fees, room, and board. Students receiving institutional aid in excess of tuition will be subject to a reduction if they live off campus.
Institutional Grants
Rhodes Grant
Rhodes Grants are considered need-based awards. Rhodes uses this funding to meet need and/or to offer assistance based on the overall characteristics of students who show promise of success at Rhodes as well as the ability and desire to take full advantage of all Rhodes has to offer. The annual value of a student’s Rhodes Grant remains constant throughout the student’s tenure at Rhodes. Exceptions to this are within the purview of the Financial Aid Office in response to extreme increases in demonstrated financial need documented through the completion of the Special Circumstance Request and other supporting documents that may be required.
Rhodes On-Campus Housing Grant
This need-based grant is awarded to offset direct costs associated with living in on-campus housing. A student who chooses to live off campus may no longer be eligible to receive this grant. However, this grant may be used to offset the cost of a meal plan up to the amount of the initial Rhodes On-Campus Housing Grant for students who have satisfied their three-year residency requirements. Students who request an appeal to move off campus prior to completing the three-year requirement will no longer qualify for this grant.
Rhodes Accel Grant
This need-based grant is awarded to offset direct costs associated with living in on-campus housing. A student who chooses to live off campus without completing the three-year residency requirement may no longer be eligible to receive this grant. Students who request an appeal to move off campus prior to completing the three-year requirement will no longer qualify for this grant.
Ministerial Grant
As a church-related college, Rhodes will assist children of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministers with a $1,000 ministerial grant above any Rhodes grant or scholarship previously awarded. Dependents of PCUSA ministers should indicate their interest in the Ministerial Grant on the Rhodes Part I Application for Admission/Common Application Supplement.
Tuition Exchange
Students who are dependent children of eligible employees can participate in the Tuition Exchange program of over 600 schools nationally. The Tuition Exchange scholarships are competitive awards and are not guaranteed by Rhodes or other participating institutions. Applicants must submit the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE or Supplemental Financial Aid Questions to be considered for the award. Only first-time, first year students will be considered for the TE program. Although The Tuition Exchange promotes and maintains the exchange, scholarships are granted by member institutions, not by The Tuition Exchange. The 2025-2026 amount is $43,000. Tuition Exchange cannot be combined with Rhodes Institutional Scholarships. Students with exceptional unmet need may be considered for a Rhodes Grant.
Associated Colleges of the South (ACS)
Children of employees of ACS participating institutions are eligible to be considered for the ACS Tuition Exchange. Rhodes’ agreement with ACS indicates that for any given academic year, ACS “imports” (students attending Rhodes as an ACS Tuition Exchange student) will not exceed “exports” (children of Rhodes employees attending another ACS college under the agreement) by more than three students.
Graduate Accounting Scholarship
Students admitted to the Master of Science in Accounting Program are automatically considered for a departmental scholarship with no additional forms required to be filed. Departmental scholarships for students in the M.S. in Accounting Program are merit-based; financial need is not a consideration. Selection for a scholarship is based upon the candidate’s academic record, personal achievements, and promise of success in accounting. Rhodes does permit traditional students that complete their undergraduate degree in less than eight consecutive semesters to apply their undergraduate institutional awards toward the Master's in Accounting Program up to a total of 8 terms.
Students who did not use a semester of aid while pursuing a non-Rhodes or non-exchange study abroad program are not included in this provision. Students may not receive a departmental scholarship while eligible to receive a remaining portion of undergraduate institutional scholarships and/or grants.
Graduate Accounting Grant
Students who demonstrate need may apply for a Graduate of Accounting Grant. Students must submit a Free Application for Federal Aid their senior year as an undergraduate which includes their parent’s financial information. Students must have a family EFC less than $65000 to be considered.
Teacher Education Certification Scholarship
Students enrolled in the Post Baccalaureate Teacher Education Program may apply for a need based award proportional to institutional aid/tuition received as an undergraduate up to the maximum of the ED Licensure Program tuition charge of $7500. Students must have completed a FAFSA in their last year as an undergraduate student attending Rhodes to be considered. Non-Citizens are exempt from completing the FAFSA however the school may require a CSS PROFILE on file to determine need.
Students whose proportional aid exceeds 100% may apply for a Rhodes Campus Housing Grant to reside on campus.
Health Equity Grant
Students enrolled in the Post Baccalaureate Health Equity Program may apply for a need- based award proportional to institutional aid/tuition received as an undergraduate up to the maximum of the tuition charge for the program. Students must have completed a FAFSA in their last year as an undergraduate student attending Rhodes to be considered. Non-Citizens are exempt from completing the FAFSA however the school may require a CSS PROFILE on file to determine need.
Students whose proportional aid exceeds 100% may apply for a Rhodes Campus Housing Grant to reside on campus.
General Policies
- Once a student deposits to Rhodes, the Office of Financial Aid will communicate with students primarily via the Rhodes-assigned student email address. It is the student's responsibility to communicate with parents concerning financial aid award information, requirements, etc. A student may not receive aid (scholarships, fellowships and/or grants) in excess of the total cost of attendance at Rhodes (tuition, fees, housing, food as well as an estimated allowance for books, transportation, and personal/living expenses). If the total amount of aid from all sources (Rhodes federal, state, private) exceeds Rhodes’ total cost of attendance, aid will be reduced according to federal, state and institutional guidelines.
- In general, information about the student's financial aid award(s), requirements for completing the financial aid process, cost of attendance, etc. may be found on LynxPartner. The Office of Financial Aid does not mail paper award letters or documents to Rhodes students' home address. Updated awards are made available via LynxPartner in March of each year.
- The total amount of Rhodes-funded gift aid (scholarships, fellowships and/or grants) a student is eligible to receive may not exceed Rhodes' direct cost of attendance (tuition, fees, food and/or housing). If the total amount of Rhodes-funded gift aid exceeds the direct cost of attendance, a portion of the Rhodes gift aid will be reduced to not exceed the amount of tuition, fees, Rhodes housing and/or eligible meal plan charges.
- Rhodes scholarships, fellowships and grants are based on a normal course load (12 - 18 credits under the Foundations Curriculum). Additional costs incurred by a student taking an overload will be incurred at that student’s expense.
- Rhodes scholarships, fellowships and grants are provided only to students enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits) as of the last day of the extended drop period. Seniors who need less than twelve (12) credits to graduate in their final semester are NOT exempt from this policy. Institutional funds will be awarded for each classification year (i.e. first-year, sophomore, etc.) only once. A maximum of two semesters of assistance will be awarded for any classification. Exceptions to this may be made by formal approval by the Accessibility Support Committee.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) must be maintained for renewal of federal (TITLE IV), state, and institutional aid, including Federal Direct PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students). Per federal guidelines, all students must obtain:
- a total cumulative grade point average of at least *1.50 and has completed 67% of their classes by the end of their freshman year
- a total cumulative grade point average of at least *2.00 and has completed 67% of their classes by the end of their sophomore year
- Students may receive institutional aid for a maximum of 8 semesters (4 years).
- Students, who graduate early because of overloads, summer course work, etc., forfeit aid for the semester(s) not enrolled. Students who accept/decline financial aid awards via LynxPartner are electronically signing their award and agree to the terms of the financial aid package as listed in the Rhodes College Catalogue, in other Rhodes publications, and on the Rhodes website.
- Course Program of Student (CPoS)-The U.S. Department of Education regulations require that the student be enrolled in an eligible degree-seeking or certificate-seeking program to receive federal financial aid (grants, loans, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, work-study compensation, etc.) known as the Course Program of Study (CPoS). To qualify for federal and state financial aid, the student must be enrolled in courses that are applicable toward the student's degree or certificate.