Honors Program Scholarships No Longer Tiered

YU has changed the financial structure of the merit-based scholarships for its honors programs so that all accepted applicants will be awarded the same fixed annual sum —  $25,000 for early decision and $20,000 for regular decision. 

Previously, the scholarships for the honors program were tiered. Qualified students were evaluated and could be awarded either $10,000, $15,ooo, $20,ooo or $25,000 annually. 

When asked for the reason of the change, Director of Admissions Marc Zharnest told The Commentator that the merit-based scholarships are “periodically reviewed and upgraded to keep them in sync with the cost of education.” The cost of tuition for the 2021-22 academic year is $47,500, including undergraduate fees. 

Currently, the honors programs are divided between the three undergraduate schools: Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College (YC), S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women (SCW) and Business Honors and Entrepreneurial Leadership Program at the Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB). The S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program reduced its maximum scholarship award from $36,600 — covering full tuition — to $30,000 in 2014, The YU Observer reported. It is unclear when that maximum number was then reduced to $25,000.

Although the admission criteria for acceptance to the honors programs has not changed, Zharnest hopes the new financial structure will raise the stakes of the admission process. “Our honors programs have always been very competitive,” he told The Commentator. “We anticipate that this change will make them even more highly sought after by qualified applicants.” Honors students are required to participate in select courses and complete a senior thesis. The YU Honors Program was established in 1999 and is designed to “recognize and cultivate the academic achievements of outstanding students,” Zharnest shared. According to figures provided to The Commentator, there are approximately 520 honors students in YU, broken down to be about 200 in YC, 200 in SCW and 120 in SSSB.

—

Photo Caption: The current, annual cost of tuition and undergraduate fees is $47,500.

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University