Innovative New Scholarship will Support Learning Experiences for Every Rutgers–Camden Student
A new scholarship program at Rutgers University–Camden will provide every undergraduate student with financial support for engaging in immersive learning experiences that will amplify their coursework and provide impressive credentials upon earning their Rutgers degrees.
The first of its kind among New Jersey’s public four-year colleges and universities, the Experiential Scholarship takes to the next level Rutgers–Camden’s commitment to providing access to a world-class Rutgers degree with significant financial aid packages, says Rutgers University–Camden Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis.
“This path-defining new program provides Rutgers–Camden students with the support they need to access individualized learning experiences around the world that will help them to build their skills and prepare for post-graduation success,” says Tillis.
Starting in fall 2022, every first-year undergraduate student will begin to accrue scholarship money each semester, totaling $3,000 over the course of their time as they work toward their bachelor’s degree. Students may elect to apply the funding toward learning experiences each semester, or they may choose to save the funds for larger expenses related to their learning experiences later in their undergraduate careers at Rutgers–Camden.
The Experiential Scholarship offers an impressive range of opportunities for Rutgers–Camden students. The funds may be applied toward costs related to Rutgers–Camden’s Study Abroad (international) and Study Away (domestic) learning programs, which immerse undergraduate students in global and national settings related to their coursework.
The scholarship also provides new opportunities for students to accept career-building internships that require travel or accommodations in New York, Washington, or other parts of the nation. Additionally, the program nurtures undergraduate research at Rutgers University–Camden by providing students the support they need for travel to academic conferences to present their original scholarship, or to build a prototype for their innovative ideas, or to fund a creative arts project.
“Bold moves are necessary to provide New Jersey students with innovative learning opportunities that will translate into richer skills for community empowerment and employment marketability upon graduation,” says Tillis. “This innovative Rutgers–Camden program will retain New Jersey’s best and brightest students and give them experiences that – integrated with the teaching and mentoring by our world-class Rutgers faculty – will be transformative.”
The Experiential Scholarship is offered exclusively to new first-year undergraduate students enrolling full-time in degree programs on the Rutgers–Camden campus.
This new initiative reflects Rutgers University–Camden’s commitment to providing students with opportunities for social mobility. In its 2022 rankings, U.S. News and World Report named Rutgers–Camden 18th among national universities in the category Top Performers on Social Mobility, an increase from 26 in 2021. Similarly, Washington Monthly magazine ranked Rutgers–Camden as 26th in the nation in terms of providing social mobility opportunities for its students.
In 2015, Rutgers University–Camden introduced Bridging the Gap, which rapidly became a national model for affordability and access in higher education by reducing tuition – and, in some cases, eliminating it altogether.
Bridging the Gap reduces tuition based on a family’s adjusted gross income (AGI). After applying New Jersey Tuition Assistance Grants (TAG) and federal Pell grants, Rutgers University–Camden reduces tuition as follows:
- For families with an AGI of $60,000 or less, remaining tuition is covered completely
- For families with an AGI of $60,001 to $80,000, 75% of remaining tuition is covered
- For families with an AGI of $80,001 to $100,000, 50% of remaining tuition is covered
