When you apply for admission to HMC as a first-year student, you may be considered for our merit-based awards. These awards are designed to recognize outstanding academic achievement and encourage the best and the brightest to join the HMC community. In many instances, you’ll be considered for these awards automatically when you apply for admission. Review each award description to determine whether you need to submit any additional application forms or credentials.

Scholarships and awards based upon merit are awarded to first-year students by the HMC Office of Admission. While the Office of Financial Aid coordinates receipt of the funds, all questions regarding eligibility and application procedures should be directed to the Office of Admission. 

Eligibility
HMC’s Merit-Based Award Programs

Eligibility
In determining who will receive our merit-based awards, the Office of Admission looks primarily at academic achievement—financial need is not considered. Transfer students are not eligible for merit award programs.

While these awards are granted independent of financial need, if you receive a merit-based award and are also eligible for need-based aid, your merit award will be included in the aid provided to meet your financial need. Thus, any merit awards received will be coordinated with other need-based aid to help meet a student's demonstrated financial need and will not be used to help reduce the family's calculated contribution. The amount of other aid you receive may be reduced. Learn more about how HMC determines your financial need.

HMC’s Merit-Based Award Programs

Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award

Harvey S. Mudd Scholars receive a $40,000 Scholarship distributed annually in the amount of $10,000 per year. Beginning with the entering Class of 2010, the award will be offered to the top students in the admitted pool who demonstrate superior academic achievement and ability to contribute to the college community.

The award will be automatically renewed at the close of the first year. In order to renew the award in subsequent years, recipients must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 by the conclusion of each spring term. Renewal of the award is contingent upon eight consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment, with the exception of study abroad or an approved leave of absence. 

President's Scholars Program (PSP)
This renewable, four-year full-tuition scholarship promotes excellence and diversity at HMC by recognizing outstanding young men and women from populations that are traditionally underrepresented at HMC. The award is intended to foster these students’ potential as future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The PSP requires application credentials in addition to your admission application.

If a first-year student receives both the HMC-sponsored National Merit Scholarship and the President's Scholar Award, the President's Scholar Award will be added to the amount of the HMC-sponsored National Merit Scholarship. President's Scholars Program award recipients are ineligible for the Harvey S. Mudd Award.

National Merit Award
HMC National Merit Scholarships are awarded to National Merit finalists who name HMC as their first-choice school and who do not receive either a corporate-sponsored or a one-time National Merit Scholarship Corporation scholarship. HMC National Merit Scholarships range from $1,000 to $2,000 per year depending on financial need and grade level. Qualifying National Merit finalists who do not apply for or do not receive need-based financial assistance will be awarded the minimum award of  $1,000 per year. You must be enrolled at least full-time (12 units) to remain eligible to receive this award. Recipients of HMC National Merit Scholarships who also receive the Harvey S. Mudd Merit Award will have their award added to the amount of the HMC National Merit Scholarship. However, need-based HMC Scholarship fund recipients will have their award reduced by the amount of the HMC National Merit Scholarship. For example, if a student receives the HMC National Merit Scholarship of $1,000, his or her HMC need-based scholarship will be reduced by $1,000. More information is available from The National Merit Scholarship Corporation at (847) 866-5100.

"RIF" scholarship
Each year, the Mathematics Department offers the RIF Scholarship. This is a one-year, non-renewable award for up to three incoming HMC students who demonstrate exceptional mathematical ability. Award amounts vary each year with a minimum scholarship amount of $1,000. The scholarship is not need-based and you do not have to be a math major to be considered. International students are eligible for consideration. To be considered, you must submit an online application to the Mathematics Department. 

FIRST Scholarship
Harvey Mudd College offers one $10,000 scholarship to a student who has participated in a FIRST Robotics Competition in high school. The scholarship is renewable for three years for a total of $40,000. The scholarship will be automatically renewed at the end of a student's first year and will be renewed thereafter providing the student maintains a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA at the end of the student's second and third years. Preference will be given to students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields.

To be considered for the scholarship a student must be: 

1) A senior in high school.
2) Applicant to the first-year class of Harvey Mudd College, although only enrolled students will receive the scholarship.

To apply for the scholarship:

1) Complete all admission requirements for Harvey Mudd College by the application deadline of January 2.
2) By January 25, submit a brief paragraph (no more than 150 words) explaining how your participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition has affected your interest in the STEM fields. Given Harvey Mudd College's emphasis on collaboration rather than competition, we are interested in how your view of teamwork was affected by this experience.
3) If you have a résumé available, include it with your paragraph. Inclusion of a résumé is optional.

The application, paragraph, and résumé can be sent to the Office of Admission at one of the following addresses:

Office of Admission
Harvey Mudd College
301 Platt Blvd
Claremont, CA 91711

or email to admission@hmc.edu. 

Last Updated: November 2011