Financial Aid

Buffalo Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Buffalo gave merit aid averaging $4,559 to 411 first-year students who had no financial need, about 26% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

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

Average merit award

$4,559

Freshmen who got one

411

of 4,239 in the class

Share of those without need

26%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

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

Average need-based grant

$12,142

Average percent of need met

53%

Freshmen with need

63%

2,662 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $13,835.

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.

Email me Buffalo's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Does Buffalo give merit scholarships?

Buffalo gave merit aid averaging $4,559 to 411 first-year students who had no financial need, about 26% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at Buffalo?

$4,559 for first-year students without financial need, according to Buffalo's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does Buffalo meet full financial need?

Buffalo reports meeting 53% 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 Buffalo freshmen have financial need?

2,662 of 4,239 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 63%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Buffalo’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.