Rutgers–Newark Scholarships

The Carr Scholarship honors the first African-American Rutgers graduate. This scholarship reflects our commitment to enrolling a student body that is broadly diverse in terms of experience, socioeconomic background, geography, special skills, and talents. The Carr Scholarship is awarded to first-year applicants for four years of undergraduate study for a total of $40,000. The annual amount is $10,000.

To be considered:

• U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
• U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551c (Alien Registration Receipt Card)
• Students must have competitive academic credentials, specialized talents, extracurricular activities, leadership, community service, work experience, awards, honors, and achievement

Renewal eligibility: 

Enrolled for at least 15 degree credits per semester, and complete 30 degree credits with a grade point average of 3.0 or better in each year of enrollment

In 2016, the university established the Rutgers University–Newark Talent and Opportunity Pathways (RU-N to the TOP) financial aid program for newly enrolled undergraduate students. This program solidifies our strategic plan and promise to boundary-crossing scholarship, diverse talent cultivation, and engagement as an anchor institution. The RU-N to the TOP program enabled us to build upon these commitments and attract first-year students from Newark and Greater Newark, and transfer students from all of New Jersey’s community colleges. With a program expansion in fall 2022, Expanded RU-N to the TOP now serves newly admitted undergraduate students from across the state of New Jersey.

Expanded RU-N to the TOP offers free in-state tuition and mandatory fees to admitted New Jersey undergraduate first-year and second-year students whose  annual adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less. A first-year student at Rutgers is defined as earning 0-29 credits. A second-year student is defined as having earned 30-59 credits.  RU-N to the TOP covers tuition and fees not already covered by federal, institutional, and state financial aid or other scholarships. Students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) and working toward completing their first Bachelor’s degree. You will automatically be considered for RUN to the TOP when you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, if you qualify as a NJ Dreamer, the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application. You must file your application by established deadline dates. To view deadline dates, click here: https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/StateApplicationDeadlines.aspx

In addition, this program is now be augmented on some levels by the Garden State Guarantee, a state program launched by Governor Phil Murphy and his administration that increases college affordability throughout the state. Combined with the Garden State Guarantee program, Expanded RU-N to the TOP will now allow New Jersey’s students to attend Rutgers-Newark tuition-free or at the capped rate for four years, whose annual adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less based. Rutgers-Newark applicants will automatically be considered when they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If they qualify as an NJ Dreamer, they would complete the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application.

All eligible students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year in association with the Expanded RU-N to the TOP award.

The Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) is a transformative college access and success program that fosters the academic, social, and personal development of talented first-year and transfer students with a desire to make a difference in their communities and beyond. HLLC builds supportive networks among diverse students who desire to live and learn together.

• Offers a “last-dollar” HLLC residential scholarship that covers room and board
  • This "last dollar" HLLC scholarship is offered to the student after all federal, state, and internal/external scholarships and grants have been applied
  • The scholarship is eight semesters for first-year students and four semesters for transfer students
• Provides personalized faculty mentoring and academic advisement
• Introduces the HLLC cohort to an innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum
• Exposes HLLC students to meaningful internships and research opportunities
• Helps HLLC students with academic promise to realize their dreams

More About HLLC at Rutgers–Newark

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This competitive transfer student scholarship award is open to students who attend any of the current NJ community colleges and are members of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

• Recipients are notified by April for fall enrollment.
• Must apply by priority deadline February 1.

Criteria for consideration are specific so please review them carefully:

• Students who are enrolled full-time in a transfer program at a community college at the time of application.
• Students who are a member of their community college Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the time of application.
• Students who will be earning an associate’s degree in arts (A.A.) or science (A.S.)
• At the time of enrollment must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.8 for consideration; grades from all college courses are considered.
• Students must enroll directly from the associate degree-granting community college, with no intervening enrollment at another institution. 

Rutgers–Newark has been named among 2024 Transfer Honor Roll by Phi Theta Kappa, which identified the top four-year colleges and universities creating dynamic pathways to support transfer students.

The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) II is a continuation of NJ STARS and provides eligible NJ STARS students attending NJ community colleges with funding (up to $1,250 per semester) to transfer to a NJ four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree. Please review the information provided by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) for full details about NJ STARS II eligibility requirements.

• Participation in NJ STARS does not guarantee admission to Rutgers.
• Students must have participated in NJ STARS at a New Jersey community college.
• Eligible students may receive the NJ STARS II award for up to four consecutive semesters, excluding summer sessions.
• All potentially eligible students must submit a final official transcript certifying the receipt of an associate’s degree with date of completion to the Office of University Undergraduate Admissions Operations Center.
• The transfer of academic credits from the community college to Rutgers is governed by the policies and procedures set forth in the statewide transfer agreement.
• NJ STARS II is operated at the discretion of the State of New Jersey. Renewal is based upon continued eligibility and available funding.

The BA/MD Presidential Scholarship reflects our commitment to supporting students who have been accepted into the highly competitive and rigorous 7-year BA/MD program with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).  Students complete three years of undergraduate coursework within the School of Arts & Sciences-Newark, and enroll at NJMS in their 4th year.  The Presidential Scholarship covers the in-state cost of tuition, room and board annually during the three years of undergraduate coursework.  

Scholarship does not follow the student once they enroll at the medical school.

To be considered:

• U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
• U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551c (Alien Registration Receipt Card)
• Student must have been accepted into the 7-year BA/MD Program with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School upon their initial admission into the School of Arts & Sciences-Newark
• Student is expected to live on campus

Renewal eligibility: 

• Enrolled for at least 14 degree credits per semester, and complete 28 degree credits with a grade point average of 3.4 or better in each year of enrollment