Financial Aid

Rhode Island Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Rhode Island gave merit aid averaging $10,107 to 1,038 first-year students who had no financial need, about 93% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

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

Average merit award

$10,107

Freshmen who got one

1,038

of 3,401 in the class

Share of those without need

93%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

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

Average need-based grant

$14,829

Average percent of need met

64%

Freshmen with need

67%

2,281 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $19,677.

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 Rhode Island's aid numbers

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

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Frequently asked questions

Does Rhode Island give merit scholarships?

Rhode Island gave merit aid averaging $10,107 to 1,038 first-year students who had no financial need, about 93% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at Rhode Island?

$10,107 for first-year students without financial need, according to Rhode Island's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does Rhode Island meet full financial need?

Rhode Island reports meeting 64% 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 Rhode Island freshmen have financial need?

2,281 of 3,401 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 67%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Rhode Island’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.