Financial Aid

George Mason Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

George Mason gave merit aid averaging $9,376 to 850 first-year students who had no financial need, about 45% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships George Mason gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$9,376

Freshmen who got one

850

of 4,270 in the class

Share of those without need

45%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$12,032

Average percent of need met

67.4%

Freshmen with need

56%

2,401 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $21,685.

How to read these numbers

  • Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
  • The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
  • A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

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Frequently asked questions

Does George Mason give merit scholarships?

George Mason gave merit aid averaging $9,376 to 850 first-year students who had no financial need, about 45% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at George Mason?

$9,376 for first-year students without financial need, according to George Mason's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does George Mason meet full financial need?

George Mason reports meeting 67.4% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of George Mason freshmen have financial need?

2,401 of 4,270 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 56%, were found to have financial need.

Source: George Mason’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.