Institutional Aid
Please see the appropriate section for information regarding institutional aid.
Financial Assistance and Scholarships
Awards range from $500 to full tuition. The following programs are only available to full-time, undergraduate, day school students during the academic year. Check with Student Financial Services for summer eligibility. Students studying through the College of Professional Studies are eligible for a limited amount of JWU institutional aid based on a set criteria. Note: Scholarship funds are applied to the student’s account with the university in two equal disbursements by semester (e.g., a $3,000 Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient would receive $1,500 per semester).
Most admission/merit scholarships are renewable for up to four consecutive years of full-time, undergraduate, day school enrollment.
Important Note: Student eligibility is based on a maximum total dollar amount of scholarships, grants, awards, prizes and other aid that the university will award to a single student during a given academic year. The maximum amount is determined prior to each year’s financial aid awarding process and includes both university-funded and -administered monies. Please contact Student Financial Services for further information regarding this maximum eligibility.
Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Scholarship
The university awards renewable scholarships of up to full tuition to accepted incoming students who participate in C-CAP’s competition events. Applications are available through C-CAP. All documentation must be submitted to C-CAP and all finalists are selected by C-CAP.
Career and Technical School Organizations Scholarship
The university awards a number of $2,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who have participated in a CTSO Organization. Apply for admission online and indicate your participation. Amount of scholarships awarded for participation is limited to one per student.
Career and Technical School Organizations (CTSO) Leadership Award
The university awards a number of $3,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who have participated in one of the CTSO organizations and have one year of leadership experience listed on the application in the JWU applicant portal. Accepted students who are eligible will be notified directly to apply.
Culinary Essentials Scholarship
The university awards a number of $1,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who have participated in the Culinary Essentials curriculum. Apply for admission online and indicate your participation. Amount of scholarships awarded for participation in specific high school curricula is limited to one per student.
Early FAFSA Award
Incoming undergraduate first-year/transfer students who file their FAFSA by February 1 are eligible to receive up to $1000 non-renewable scholarship. First-year students are eligible for the award, regardless of financial need.
Employee Tuition Waiver Benefit
These scholarships are based on institutional policy, with qualifying criteria stated in the Johnson & Wales University staff handbook as well as the faculty manual pay and benefits addendum. Applications are available in Human Resources & Payroll or via the Documents & Forms page of HRpulse.
Family Scholarship
If two or more members of your family are simultaneously enrolled in full-time undergraduate day school degree programs at Johnson & Wales University, each enrolled student is granted as much as a $2,000 university scholarship per academic year (September–May). Whether this scholarship is renewable is contingent upon continued enrollment of both siblings in an eligible program. For more information, contact Student Financial Services.
First Scholarship
The university awards a number of $2,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who are seniors and have participated on a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team or FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team. Apply for admission online and indicate your participation. Participation scholarships are limited to one per student.
Future Food Scholarship
The university awards a number of renewable scholarships from $1,000 to full tuition. These scholarships are available to U.S. high school seniors and transfer students who have applied and been accepted to JWU in a culinary, baking & pastry arts or other food-related program. To be considered, students must submit a recipe via the Future Food Scholarship application in the JWU admissions portal.
International Presidential Scholarship
JWU awards academic scholarships to incoming international students who demonstrate academic excellence. These awards vary and are renewable up to four years of full-time, undergraduate day school study. Eligibility is determined during the review of the admission application.
Johnson & Wales University Grant
This grant is offered to students upon completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and is based on the annual financial aid awarding process and the student’s financial need.
JWU Early Visit Award/Grant
Incoming undergraduate first-year students (both domestic and international) who visit a JWU campus prior to November 17 of their senior year of high school are eligible for up to a $5,000 renewable scholarship.
JWU Pledge
Beginning with the incoming class of 2025, full-time undergraduate students who reside in university housing and qualify for federal financial aid may be eligible for the JWU Pledge. The grant amounts can vary per student each year and may cover up to 100% of tuition for eligible students and families with an annual household income of up to $80,000 and at least 60% of tuition for those with an annual income of up to $200,000. To qualify, students must be legal residents of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or North Carolina attending the Providence or Charlotte campus. Please note that international students and those living off-campus are not eligible for this grant. Additionally, this grant is applied exclusively to tuition costs, not housing or meal expenses.
JWU Residential Experience Grant
Incoming, domestic, undergraduate, full-time students who qualify for federal financial aid may receive this grant (amounts may vary per student, per year) while living in university housing. For example, a student who lives on campus for their first three years of enrollment and then decides to reside off campus for their fourth year, will forfeit this grant. International students and students living off-campus are ineligible for these funds. Please note, this grant is applied to tuition cost (not housing or meal costs).
Lodging Management Scholarship
JWU offers a number of $1,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who have participated in the Lodging Management curriculum. Apply for admission online and indicate your participation. Amount of scholarships awarded for participation in specific high school curricula is limited to one per student.
PrepareRI Scholarship
JWU awards a number of $2,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who successfully complete a PrepareRI internship. Apply via the PrepareRI Scholarship application (pdf)(69.8 KB) on the JWU website.
Presidential Academic Scholarships
JWU awards academic scholarships to accepted incoming students who demonstrate academic excellence. These awards vary and are renewable up to four years of continuous full-time day school enrollment. Eligibility is determined during the review of the admission application.
ProStart® Scholarship
JWU offers a number of $2,000 renewable scholarships for accepted incoming students who have participated in the ProStart curriculum. Apply for admission online. Amount of scholarships awarded for participation in specific high school curricula is limited to one per student.
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship
PTK scholarships are awarded based upon memberships in Phi Theta Kappa and academic record. These awards vary and are renewable up to four years of full-time, undergraduate day school study. Eligibility is determined during the review of the admission application.
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
JWU will match the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, dollar for dollar, for those students that completed the program in Providence, Rhode Island. Eligible participants must attend a JWU undergraduate, full-time day program.
Transfer Scholarship
Transfer scholarships are awarded to outstanding, accepted incoming transfer students who plan to continue their education at Johnson & Wales in an associate or bachelor’s degree program. These awards vary and are renewable up to four years of full-time, undergraduate day school study. Eligibility is determined during the review of the admission application.
Tuition Exchange Scholarship
Johnson & Wales University extends to children of eligible employees at participating Tuition Exchange (TE) institutions the opportunity to apply for a TE scholarship. TE is a reciprocal scholarship program for qualified children of faculty and staff employed at more than 600 participating colleges and universities. A student accepted as a Tuition Exchange scholarship recipient may be awarded up to full tuition at JWU. Applications are available at the participating institution. A complete list of colleges and universities that are part of the program is available online.
University Award
JWU awards scholarships to accepted incoming students based upon their high school record. These awards vary and are renewable up to four years of continuous full-time day school enrollment. Eligibility is determined during the review of the admission application.
VEX Robotics Scholarship
The university awards a number of $2,000 renewable scholarships to accepted incoming students who are seniors and have participated on a VEX Robotics team. Apply for admission online and indicate your participation. Amount of scholarships awarded for participation is limited to one per student.
Wildcat Grant
Incoming, domestic, undergraduate students who are enrolled full-time may receive this grant (up to $2500 per year) while living in university housing. For example, a student who lives on campus for their first three years of enrollment and then decides to reside off campus for their fourth year, will forfeit this grant. International students and students living off-campus are ineligible for these funds. Please note, this grant is applied to tuition cost (not housing or meal costs).
Funded/Donated Scholarships
Johnson & Wales University administers donated scholarships which are funded by businesses, individuals and professional organizations. In many cases, students must have completed at least one semester of enrollment at Johnson & Wales to be considered. These funds are awarded to eligible candidates based on established criteria.
View the complete list of JWU scholarships, get more information and download applications online.
Pre-Master's Scholarship
Students who successfully complete the Pre-Master's program with the required minimum 3.0 GPA needed to enter the MBA or M.S. program, will receive a nonrenewable $2,000 Pre-Master's scholarship awarded over the length of the program. The Pre-Master’s program is only offered on the Providence Campus.