The Rensselaer Medal
Program Overview
Admissions
The Office of Financial Aid provides various forms of assistance to students, including scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and loans.
Types of Aid
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Work-Study
- Loans
- Federal Direct Student Loans
- Federal PLUS Loans
- Alternative Educational Loans
- Outside Aid Sources
- State Aid
The Rensselaer Medal
One of the premier merit scholarships, the Rensselaer Medal is worth $160,000 for outstanding math and science students. This scholarship has been awarded for over 100 years to recognize and motivate students toward careers in science, engineering, and technology.
Description
The Rensselaer Medal is valued at $40,000 per year and is guaranteed for four years (five years for the B.Arch. program) for each Medalist who is accepted and enrolls at Rensselaer. Revisions are only made for reasons described in the Revision of Awards section of the Student Guide to Financial Aid.
How to Apply
Students do not need to apply for the Rensselaer Medal. Instead, their high school nominates them in the spring of their junior year. The nomination process involves:
- Officials at each participating high school nominating one outstanding math and science student in the junior class.
- High school officials submitting their nomination via a secure website.
- Rensselaer evaluating the submission and mailing an award certificate to the participating school for presentation to the honored student.
- If the student applies to Rensselaer, is accepted, and enrolls, the official Rensselaer Medallion will be presented during an Honors Convocation in the fall of the first year.
Selection Criteria
Nominations are due by May 1st. Selection criteria are sent to participating schools each year in March. Each high school has a different way of notifying a student they have been selected.
Merit Scholarships
If a student is eligible for multiple Rensselaer merit scholarships, or tuition remission benefits based on Rensselaer employment, the university will provide the highest single award for which the student is qualified. Multiple awards are not combined.