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Villanova Presidential Scholarship Program: How do I get a Presidential Scholarship at Villanova?

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Villanova Presidential Scholarship Program: How do I get a Presidential Scholarship at Villanova?

The Villanova Presidential Scholarship Program is a renewable, merit-based award covering full tuition, room, board (meal plan includes up to 21 meals per week), the general fee, and the cost of textbooks for eight semesters.

Representing diverse intellectual, social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, Presidential Scholars are transformational leaders both on and off campus who have demonstrated a love of learning and a commitment to enhancing both their local and broader civic communities. 25 Presidential Scholarships are offered annually.

Each year, the University awards a portion of Presidential Scholarships to historically underrepresented students who have demonstrated leadership in their ability to make significant academic and social contributions to their school and communities. Eligible candidates are considered for both the Presidential Scholarship and the Presidential Scholarship for historically underrepresented students. 

Examples of historically underrepresented students include but are not limited to those who identify as low-income (normally Pell Grant Eligible), African American/Black, Latino/Hispanic, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander, and/or those who are the first in their family to pursue a college education. Eligible candidates for the Presidential Scholarship for historically underrepresented students must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, although international students are welcome to apply for the Presidential Scholarship.

Courtesy of Villanova University – The Villanovan

How do I get a Presidential Scholarship at Villanova?

–Step 1: Nomination & Common Application Submission

By December 1

Students interested in applying for the Presidential Scholarship must be nominated via the online Nomination Form by one of the following by 11:59 PM (EST) December 1:

  • Chief academic officer of their high school (principal, president, headmaster)
  • Guidance counselor or an official school designee
  • Representative from a home school entity
  • Representative from a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students with the college search process
  • Commanding Officer (for Veterans who have been out of high school for more than two years)

Students interested in applying for the Presidential Scholarship must submit a complete application for admission to Villanova University through the Common Applicationby 11:59 PM (EST) December 5. If you need assistance with the Common Application or the Villanova Supplement to the Common Application, please contact the Office of University Admission.

–Step 2: Presidential Scholarship Application Access

Once the online Nomination Form is submitted, the nominee will immediately receive a confirmation email, which includes a link to an interest form. Upon completion of this interest form, the student will receive an email with a link to the Presidential Scholarship application. The application consists of eight short-answer questions, which must be answered and uploaded by January 2.

Emails will come from presidentialscholarship@villanova.edu. Please make sure that all email accounts are set up to receive messages from this email address. Some high school email accounts may filter our emails to junk mail or block them altogether.

–Step 3: Presidential Scholarship Application Submission

By January 2

A link to the Presidential Scholarship Application will be sent to the student via email once the nomination is received and the student has completed the online form indicating their interest in consideration for the Presidential Scholarship.

Please note: The Presidential Scholarship Application cannot be submitted until the student has applied to Villanova University through the Common Application.

  • To apply, eight short essays must be completed (limit of 200 words per essay).
    • Essay responses can be prepared in a document and saved to your computer until they are ready for submission.
    • Once you submit, your application submission is final.
    • You will receive a message on your browser that the application has been submitted successfully and your checklist will be updated with a green checkmark to show that your Presidential Scholarship application has been submitted.
    • Failure to confirm that your application has been successfully uploaded may result in your application not being submitted to the Presidential Scholarship Committee for review.
  • The Presidential Scholarship Application must be submitted online by 11:59 PM (EST) January 2.

–Step 4: Review of Presidential Scholarship Applications

Late January

The Presidential Scholars Program (PSP) selection committees review all University Admissions Common Application materials, as well as the Presidential Scholarship short essays. The PSP selection committees review applications and announce Presidential Scholarship Finalists during late January. Applicants can view their status (Finalist, Non-finalist) on their Applicant Status Page at that time.

–Step 5: Decision Notification

Late February

All finalists will be notified of the selection committees’ decisions at the end of February.

How hard is it to get a Presidential Scholarship?

This tuition-based award, based on academic performance and standardized test scores, is renewable for enrolled full-time students with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. Awards are made for a maximum of eight fall and spring semesters (four years) to students seeking their first undergraduate degree.

Is the Presidential Scholarship a big deal?

Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is considered one of the nation’s most prestigious academic awards for high school graduates.
This scholarship covers full tuition plus room and is renewable for all four years of college. These awards usually go to students who are ranked in the top 1-2% of their high school classes.