College visits can get expensive quickly. Between gas, airfare, hotels, meals, and time away from work and school, families can spend hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars visiting colleges during the search process.
But here’s something many families don’t know: some colleges actually offer scholarships or grants simply for completing an official campus visit.
And we’re not just talking about $100 or a bookstore gift card. At some institutions, a campus visit can result in thousands of dollars in additional financial aid over four years. Some awards are automatic after completing a qualifying visit and enrolling, while others require an additional step such as applying by a certain date, completing the FAFSA, or submitting an enrollment deposit.
Our expanded list includes 64 colleges, organized alphabetically by state and then by college. Where an institution has not clearly published Fall 2027 terms, we’ve noted that families should confirm eligibility for their entry year.
NOTE: These awards generally reduce college costs after the student enrolls. They are not cash payments for taking a tour.
Important: College scholarship programs, amounts, deadlines, and eligibility requirements can change at any time. Always register for visits through the college’s official Admissions Office and confirm current scholarship terms directly with the institution before making financial decisions. Published totals assume the student remains eligible for renewal.
Visit Award: $500 per year, up to $2,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official campus visit. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Spring Hill College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Registered campus visit Aug. 1, 2026–Aug. 30, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Admissions-sponsored event or individual tour.
Biola University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Personal visit Sept. 1–Mar. 1. Additional eligibility requirements: Deposit by May 1. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Fresno Pacific University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Incoming first-year and transfer students, including international students, who complete a registered campus visit between August 1, 2026 and August 30, 2027 may receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship for Fall 2027. Spring 2028 entrants may receive $500. On-campus bachelor’s enrollment, at least half-time attendance, and continuous enrollment are required.
Life Pacific University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Fall 2027 applicants who attend Fall Preview Day on October 17, 2026 may qualify for a one-time $1,000 Campus Visit Grant. The page also instructs students to apply for financial aid. This is an event-specific opportunity; do not assume that an ordinary campus tour qualifies.
Saint Mary's College of California Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Scheduled tour/Open House Aug. 1–Dec. 15. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
University of Hartford Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official Admissions visit. Additional eligibility requirements: Continuous full-time enrollment. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
University of Saint Joseph Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Fall 2027 students living more than 200 miles from campus may receive $1,000 annually for up to four years. Students must apply by November 15, 2026, visit through Admission between January 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027, file the FAFSA by February 1, 2027, and enroll full-time by May 1. Athletic scholarship recipients and certain tuition-covering benefit recipients are excluded.
Eckerd College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Admissions campus tour/event. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Ringling College of Art and Design Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit June 1–Dec. 18, 2026. Additional eligibility requirements: Apply by Nov. 15.
Rollins College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Official campus visitors may receive a $2,000 annual award, renewable for four years. The college’s current scholarship page describes the program alongside its Fall 2027 $100K+ Promise. Confirm which visits qualify before registering.
Agnes Scott College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Personal visit Aug. 1, 2026–Feb. 1, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Rostered student-athletes excluded.
College of Idaho Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit Jan. 1 junior year–May 1 senior year. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Augustana College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: Up to $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit before Dec. 1; later visits may receive $500. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Concordia University Chicago Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Qualifying visit June 1, 2026–July 31, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Admissions-led in-person event.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year; confirm maximum duration
The currently cited transfer scholarship page for 2026–27 documents a renewable $1,000 Engagement Award tied to an official guided campus visit. Confirm 2027 availability and renewal duration. This source does not establish the same award for first-year applicants.
University of Evansville Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Admissions-sponsored visit Jan. 1, 2026–June 30, 2027.
Luther College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
The Fall 2027 first-year scholarship page confirms $1,000 annually for up to four years for students who complete an official campus visit by February 28, 2027 and enroll. Transfer applicants should confirm their award and remaining eligibility separately.
Morningside University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Personalized or official Admissions visit by May 1 senior year.
Asbury University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Midway offers a limited number of $2,000 annual Campus Visit Scholarships, renewable for up to four years. U.S. citizens must be admitted, complete the FAFSA, visit officially before January 1 of their entry year, and submit the scholarship request form by January 15. For Fall 2027, confirm availability and the corresponding January 2027 deadlines. Coach-led, student-led, and self-guided visits do not qualify.
Midway University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit before Dec. 1, 2026. Additional eligibility requirements: Must be admitted for Fall 2027.
Transylvania University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $500
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit campus. Additional eligibility requirements: FAFSA by Dec. 15.
Husson University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit by Dec. 1. Additional eligibility requirements: Apply by Dec. 1.
Thomas College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit before Mar. 1, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Apply by Dec. 1, 2026.
Washington College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
First-year and transfer students entering in Spring or Fall 2027 may receive a one-time $1,000 grant after attending an eligible Open House or Admitted Student Day. Registration alone does not count. Fall Open House dates are October 17, November 8, and December 6, 2026. Combined institutional merit aid cannot exceed tuition.
Merrimack College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $3,750 per year, up to $15,000
Qualifying first-year students who visit and apply by December 15, 2026 may receive $3,750 annually—$15,000 over four years. A qualifying second visit can potentially add another $1,000 per year, bringing the combined incentives to as much as $19,000. Transfer award terms differ; confirm your eligibility.
Nichols College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $10,000
Students completing an official Admissions-sponsored campus visit from June 1 of junior year through the published senior-year cutoff may receive $2,000 annually for up to five years. The $10,000 maximum covers five undergraduate years; four years would total $8,000. Confirm the May 1 senior-year cutoff before scheduling.
Calvin University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $500
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Complete campus visit. Additional eligibility requirements: Parkville campus; athletics visits may qualify. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Park University – Parkville Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Preview Day or individual campus visit.
Stephens College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Attend eligible on-campus signature program. Additional eligibility requirements: FAFSA + deposit by May 1 and other terms.
Rider University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students who complete an official visit by March 1 before their anticipated entry term may receive $1,000 annually, for up to four years. Full-time spring and fall entrants may qualify. Alfred also lists qualifying virtual visits; certain tuition-benefit programs are excluded.
Alfred University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year; confirm maximum duration
Students completing a confirmed campus visit by March 1 may qualify for a $1,000 annual Visit Grant. Funding may be limited. Confirm Fall 2027 availability and the renewal duration before assuming a four-year total.
Hilbert College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
New first-year and transfer students enrolling for at least 12 credits in Fall 2027 may receive $1,000 annually for up to four years. Complete a qualifying campus visit between September 1, 2026 and May 1, 2027, and confirm enrollment and pay the enrollment deposit by May 1, 2027.
Ithaca College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $500 per year, up to $2,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit by Dec. 1 senior year. Additional eligibility requirements: Enrollment deposit required. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Marist University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Admissions-scheduled in-person visit Mar. 27–Dec. 21, 2026. Additional eligibility requirements: Apply Early Decision or Early Action.
Nazareth University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Campus tour or enrollment event by Dec. 15, 2026. Additional eligibility requirements: Full-time enrollment.
Pace University Visit Award Information
Ohio families have an especially impressive number of visit-grant opportunities.
Visit Award: $1,000
Prior institutional materials documented a $1,000 visit award requiring an in-person visit, admission, and an enrollment deposit by July 1. Confirm the award’s availability and terms for Fall 2027 before counting it in your financial plan.
Ashland University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit by Dec. 5, 2026. Additional eligibility requirements: Certain Conservatory programs excluded.
Baldwin Wallace University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit by Dec. 15, 2026.
Bluffton University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000; listed as renewable—confirm renewal duration
Fall 2027 first-year students must apply by November 1, 2026 and complete an official, in-person Admission-hosted visit by February 1, 2027. JCU marks its $2,000 Discovery Visit & Apply Grant as renewable, but the grant description does not specify the renewal duration. Confirm the annual amount and total directly with JCU.
John Carroll University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $250 per year, up to $1,000
Domestic first-year students enrolling at the Kent Campus in Fall 2027 can earn $1,000 total, paid as $250 per year for four years. Register for and complete a qualifying official visit by November 30, 2026. Earlier Spring and Summer Preview KSU attendees are retroactively eligible. This award is specific to the Kent Campus.
Kent State University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Individual campus visit during fall preceding acceptance. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Marietta College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: Up to $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Individual visit July–Jan. may earn $1,000; later qualifying visit may earn $500. Additional eligibility requirements: Timing/type of visit matters. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Ohio Christian University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: Up to $2,000; confirm renewal terms
Qualifying official visits before December 1 may earn $2,000, while later visits may earn $1,000. Institutional pages have used inconsistent renewal wording, so confirm the annual amount, duration, and total before including this grant in a multi-year cost comparison.
Ohio Northern University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,500 per year, up to $6,000
High school students who visit before December 1 of senior year may receive $1,500 annually, totaling up to $6,000, in addition to admission merit scholarships. For the Class of 2027, plan to visit before December 1, 2026. Confirm current qualifying visit terms.
Ohio Wesleyan University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Register for and complete on-campus visit. Additional eligibility requirements: FAFSA + visit registration by Feb. 1, 2027.
Tiffin University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
First-year and transfer students admitted for Fall 2024 or later who schedule and attend an on-campus visit through the Office of Admission may receive $1,000 annually, renewable for up to four years. The published Campus Visit Award totals up to $4,000.
University of Mount Union Visit Award Information
Visit Award: Amount varies
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official Undergraduate Admission campus visit or XU Preview. Additional eligibility requirements: Amount varies / confirm award terms. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Xavier University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year; confirm maximum duration
Apply, complete a campus tour, meet with an admissions counselor, and participate in a Campus Connection opportunity to earn $1,000 per year. Qualifying events can complete the visit requirements in one day, and virtual options are available. The current page specifies December 21, 2026 for Spring 2027 entrants; confirm Fall 2027 deadlines and maximum renewal duration.
George Fox University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Admissions-coordinated in-person visit by Feb. 15 senior year. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Allegheny College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit by Feb. 28, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: First-time, full-time undergraduate.
Gwynedd Mercy University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Campus visit June 1, 2026–Aug. 1, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Qualifying campus visit. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Moore College of Art & Design Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Qualifying campus visit. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Point Park University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: First-year: visit Jan. 5–Nov. 21, 2026; transfer: official visit during search. Additional eligibility requirements: Tuition Exchange/Remission recipients excluded.
Susquehanna University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit May 1, 2026–May 1, 2027. Additional eligibility requirements: Admissions-scheduled visit.
Westminster College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: First visit earns initial grant; second visit extends award. Additional eligibility requirements: FAFSA required. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
York College of Pennsylvania Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Qualifying admissions event/campus visit. Additional eligibility requirements: Virtual visits may also qualify. Certain virtual visits may also qualify.
Christian Brothers University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $3,000; renewal not specified
Undergraduates completing an individual tour or a listed CRU visit event between September 1 and May 1 may receive a $3,000 tuition-based scholarship. Confirm Fall 2027 eligibility, disbursement, and renewal directly; the visit page does not specify renewal. A separate program may reimburse up to $500 in eligible travel expenses for students traveling more than 120 miles, after classes begin.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official campus visit by Feb. 20, 2027.
Champlain College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Visit through Admissions by Dec. 23, 2026.
Eastern Mennonite University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $2,000 per year, up to $8,000
The Be A Saint Scholarship offers Fall 2027 first-year students $2,000 annually for up to four years after an eligible in-person visit between September 1 and April 30. Visits can occur before or after admission. Confirm the exact dated visit window with Admission.
Marymount University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $500 per year, up to $2,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Qualifying campus visit. Additional eligibility requirements: Complete post-visit feedback form.
Whitworth University Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Official visit July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027.
Beloit College Visit Award Information
Visit Award: $1,000 per year, up to $4,000
Students may qualify by completing the following visit requirement: Prospective student visits Carthage. Additional eligibility requirements: 2.0 GPA for renewal. Confirm the current terms for your entry year before scheduling.
Carthage College Visit Award Information
There are a few important lessons here.
First, always register your visit officially. Dropping by campus, walking around on your own, or touring with a friend may not count. If thousands of dollars are potentially at stake, register through the college's Admissions Office and make sure the student checks in when they arrive.
Second, pay attention to deadlines. Several colleges offer more money for visiting early or require students to visit before December or February. Waiting until spring of senior year could mean missing out.
Third, read the fine print. Some of these are true “visit and receive the grant” programs. Others require an application by a particular date, FAFSA completion, an enrollment deposit, Early Action or Early Decision, or attendance at a specific type of event.
And finally, don't choose a college simply because it gives you a scholarship for visiting. A $1,000 or even $8,000 award doesn't necessarily make one college less expensive than another. What matters is the student's total financial-aid package and the college's true net cost.
This list was researched and compiled by Estrela Consulting and expanded in October 2026. New additions and selected existing entries were checked against institutional sources for this update. Some colleges have not yet clearly published Fall 2027 terms. Scholarship amounts, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and programs are subject to change. Families should verify all information directly with each institution.