University of Puget Sound recently announced a new Dean’s Scholarship assurance pledge that will ensure that students admitted for first-year admission with an unweighted grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or above will, at minimum, earn a Dean's Scholarship, valued at $23,000 per year.

“We realize that it is challenging for students and their families to manage the cost of college without having a better sense of the merit aid for which they may qualify,” said Shannon Carr, Puget Sound’s interim vice president for enrollment. “We hope that this new scholarship assurance will make it easier for students to plan and to understand how high achievement and hard work in high school are recognized at Puget Sound.”

Applicants for first-year admission to University of Puget Sound for fall 2020 and spring 2021 will be eligible for the Dean’s Scholarship assurance, including international and home-schooled students. The Dean’s Scholarship, and all other academic merit scholarships, are renewable for up to 10 semesters.

“We evaluate applications holistically, considering many different factors to get a true sense of a student's readiness and fit,” said Carr. “While we’re excited to make this commitment to incoming students who meet this GPA threshold, we will continue to award scholarships to admitted students based on many other qualifications, as well.”

Carr says that all admitted students are considered for renewable academic merit scholarships ranging from $15,000 to $26,000. More than 90% of Puget Sound students receive scholarships or financial aid, and Puget Sound is proud to invest more than $55 million each year in scholarships and need-based grants. The university also awards talent scholarships to students who plan to participate in arts, forensics, music, or theater programs, and has two scholarship programs, the Lillis Scholarship and Matelich Scholarship, that cover the full cost of tuition, room, and board for up to four years.

Learn more about the Dean’s Scholarship initiative, financial aid, and applying to Puget Sound at pugetsound.edu/admission.