Occidental College

Occidental Commitment Scholarship

Check providerPartialMerit-BasedNeed-BasedBachelor's

About the Scholarship

Occidental College guarantees at least $20,000 a year to anyone admitted through early decision, renewable across four years.

Weigh the mechanism carefully as an international applicant. Early decision is binding, which means committing before seeing a full aid offer, and that is a harder commitment when you cannot fall back on need-based aid. The college awards international need-based aid to what it calls no more than a handful of students.

It is a floor rather than a bonus: a larger merit award replaces it rather than adding to it.

What It Covers

Tuition

A guaranteed minimum of $20,000 a year, $80,000 across four years. It is a floor rather than an addition: a larger merit award supersedes it. Renewable for up to eight semesters while a cumulative grade average of 2.0 is maintained, and prorated for part-time study. Merit awards do not stack with the college's affordability initiatives; a family receives whichever gives the most support. Every international applicant must submit the college's international student financial form even without applying for need-based aid, and non-citizens cannot waive its health insurance, which costs $4,062. Cost of attendance on campus is $95,365 with tuition at $70,492.

Eligibility

Admission through early decision I or II, which is binding. It turns on the application round rather than on merit or need.

Eligible Countries

The college states all students admitted through early decision I or II receive this, and lists both rounds as open to international applicants. It applies no international carve-out here, unlike its Affordability Promise, which excludes international students by name.

All countries

How to Apply

No separate application. Recipients remain eligible for larger merit scholarships and for need-based aid.

Application Routes and Dates

Early decision I

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Recurring deadline: 1 nov. (check provider for current cycle)

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-10

Early decision II

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Recurring deadline: 10 janv. (check provider for current cycle)

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-10