Scholarships for First-Year Students - Fall 2021 & beyond

Making Your Education Affordable

There's nothing cookie-cutter about financial aid at Rider University. Whether you have significant or minimal need, our financial aid programs are highly personalized to your specific circumstances.

We also invest in your success through generous University-funded and need-based grants. Together, these funds help make Rider’s quality private education affordable and accessible for you.

Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 First-Year Scholarships And Awards

The scholarships below are competitive and are typically awarded based on a comprehensive review of the student's academic record, including cumulative high school GPA, rigor of academic course selection, test scores and auditions (if applicable), and other supporting credentials. 

The University is embarking on an initiative to make a life-changing Rider education more accessible and more valuable for new undergraduate students. Learn more about Rider University's Lifting Barriers initiative.

To be considered for an academic scholarship you must:

• APPLY TO RIDER: Submit your completed application for admission, including official transcripts, standardized test scores (unless applying test-optional), essay, and one letter of recommendation by January 15. (Note: the final deadline is December 1 for all Musical Theatre applicants.)
• Test-optional Policy: Beginning with freshman applicants for the fall of 2019, Rider will offer Test-optional Admission. Test-optional applicants will be given full consideration for scholarships.
• Complete an audition, if required (audition results are a factor in scholarship awards);
• Be regularly admissible to the University as a full-time student;
• Have a minimum cumulative academic 2.7 GPA (unweighted) on a 4.0 scale; and
• Applicants for the Trustee Scholarship are required to submit an additional essay and must apply by November 15. Learn more.

Other Non-need Opportunities

Accounting Scholarship & 4+1 Graduate Tuition Discount Program

$2,000 annually
Beginning in fall 2020, first-year students entering Rider University's prestigious accounting program have a more affordable path to earning both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in only five years. Learn More

Athletic Scholarships

Available to students who demonstrate exceptional skill and ability in one of Rider's 20 Division I intercollegiate sports. Award values vary.
Contact the Athletics Department at 609-896-5054 for details.

Community Scholars/Bonner Leaders

This service-based scholarship program provides education awards based on the amount of hours served on a community service project. Admitted students with significant community service experience during high school are invited to apply. Applications are available to newly admitted students beginning in January each year. Learn More

Legacy Awards

$2,000 annually ($1,000 per semester)
Awarded to full-time new students who are children, grandchildren or siblings of Rider graduates. Renewable for up to four years of study at Rider University.

Sibling Grants

$2,000 annually ($1,000 per semester)
Available to any new full-time undergraduate student enrolling at Rider University who has a sibling currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate at Rider. Awarded to each additional sibling as long as multiple siblings are enrolled, up to four years. To be eligible, enrolling siblings must contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to the start of the semester.

Scholarships for Pre-College Program Participants

Freshman applicants who completed any Rider-sponsored pre-college summer programs prior to applying for admission will automatically qualify for a $2,000 Pre-College Completion Award, renewable for up to four years of full-time, continuous undergraduate enrollment (an $8,000 total scholarship value), provide you maintain a minimum cumulative Rider grade-point average of 2.5 or better. Learn more about how to qualify.

College Scholarships for Young Entrepreneurs

The Norm Brodsky Idea/Business Concept Competition accepts applications to win a 4-year FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP to Rider University. The deadline for all applicants is November 7. Rising high school seniors must apply to the University by the Early Action deadline of November 15 in order to be eligible for the live finale. Rising high school sophomores and juniors can win cash awards and automatic entrance to the live finale when they are a senior.

Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council (GBWLC) Mentoring Program

$1,000 annually ($500 per semester)
The GBWLC mentoring program provides formal mentoring relationships for Rider women students to help them find success at Rider as well as empower students to succeed in life beyond college. Renewable for up to four years of study at Rider University. Application deadline for first-year students: February 1, 2020. Interviews will be held during Admitted Student Day, March 7, 2020. 

Learn more about other scholarships opportunities available.

Financial Aid at Rider

Numbers Worth Noting

99% of students receive Rider-funded scholarships and gift aid
$35,800 – average financial aid package at Rider

We help you navigate the financial aid process.

When you apply to Rider, you’ll be assigned a personal financial aid counselor who will work with you throughout your studies at Rider. Your advisor will link you to the many federal, state, University-funded and private sources of financial assistance that are available. 

Together, you’ll build a plan to finance not just your first year, but ALL four years of undergraduate study at Rider.

We provide convenient payment plans. 

Our tuition payment plan is a simple and inexpensive way to divide your annual college costs into 10 interest-free monthly installments. A five-month plan is also available.

Are you planning to apply for need-based aid?

Rider uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  No other forms are required.  Visit the Applying for Financial Aid section of Rider's Web site for information about completing the FAFSA. 

**To be considered for the maximum amount of scholarships for which you are eligible, your application must be complete, including all required credentials.  If you are applying for a major that requires an audition, auditions scheduled for an audition day after the stated deadline will not disqualify you from full scholarship consideration. Applicants for test-optional admission are given full consideration for academic scholarships.

To secure an award, you must submit your deposit on or before the deposit deadline (May 1 for the Fall term, January 8 for the Spring Term).

Important Notes about Scholarships

• If you qualify for more than one Rider scholarship, you will receive the award of the greatest monetary value.
• All awards are made annually in the form of grants and scholarships.
• Academic scholarships are subject to change.
• Rider will consider the SAT or the ACT composite scores for scholarship eligibility. We do not consider the optional SAT or ACT essays for scholarship or admission.
• Your cumulative GPA through the seventh semester, December ACT, and December SAT will be the latest academic information considered for awards.

Maintaining Your Scholarship

• Trustee Scholarship (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 3.5
• Presidential Scholarship (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 3.2
• Provost Scholarship (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 2.8
• Deans Scholarship (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Founders Award (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 2.25
• Recognition Award (Freshman Scholarship):
  Renewable up to four years if recipient maintains a minimum GPA of 2.25

Apply Now