National Merit Scholarships

Incoming first-year students who rank as National Merit finalists and who have indicated Drake University as their first-choice institution may be considered for Drake-sponsored National Merit Scholarship of $1,500. Students who receive a corporate sponsored National Merit Scholarship are not eligible for a Drake sponsored National Merit Scholarship.

Awards are based on a variety of criteria depending on the type of scholarship and are not based on financial need. 

Scholarship Details

Students who are recognized as National Merit finalists and who have indicated Drake University as their first-choice institution may be offered a renewable Drake-sponsored National Merit Scholarship of $1500. Awards are offered automatically (no application required). Finalists who have received a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship are not eligible for this scholarship. The Drake-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship is tuition-specific (see Cost Specificity of Awards for more information). It is not available for the summer term.

Recipients must be enrolled full-time and maintain satisfactory academic progress. The scholarship is available for the lesser of 1) four years of undergraduate study, or b) until a bachelor’s degree has been earned. Students enrolled in blended undergraduate and graduate programs (Law 3+3, Pharmacy, MATR 3+2, OTD 3+3) should review Program-Specific Policies to understand the structure of financial aid and billing in those programs.