How does merit aid differ between Tufts and Boston University for undergraduates?

Boston University is the school where merit aid is much more visible and structured for undergraduates. BU offers several named merit scholarships, including highly competitive full-tuition and other significant awards, and students are typically considered through the regular application process without a separate broad merit application for many of them. Tufts does offer some merit scholarships, but they are fewer, more limited, and the university is much more centered on need-based aid than on large merit awards.

For a student who is trying to lower cost through academic or leadership-based scholarships, BU is usually the place where merit aid is more realistically part of the planning conversation. BU has long had a clearer merit scholarship system, with awards tied to very strong academic records and sometimes additional criteria like leadership, community impact, or fit with a specific program. In practice, that means applicants often see BU as a school where standout stats can at least put them in the merit conversation, even though the biggest awards are still very competitive.

Tufts tends to fit students who are hoping their aid will come primarily from demonstrated financial need rather than from merit recognition. Its merit scholarships exist, but they are not as central to the undergraduate aid picture, and many applicants should not count on Tufts as a school that will offer substantial non-need-based discounts. If your family needs help and you are comparing the two specifically on merit, BU is the one more likely to have a meaningful merit pathway.

At both schools, the top merit awards go to a small share of applicants, so neither should be treated as a likely discount just because your grades and scores are strong. But between the two, BU has the more established merit scholarship culture, while Tufts is more restrained and need-aid focused.