Southeast Colleges with Scholarships for a 3.5 GPA
A 3.5 GPA is where things start to get very real in the Southeast. At this level, your student is no longer just hoping for “some help.” At many schools in this region, they may be in range for meaningful merit money — especially if they also bring solid ACT or SAT scores.
Southeast strategy tip: This is one of the strongest regions in the country for merit aid. Many schools use scholarships as a recruiting tool, especially for strong out-of-state students. That means a 3.5 GPA can go much further here than many families expect.
The Southeast is also one of the few regions where families can sometimes find real transparency. Some colleges publish scholarship grids that clearly show what GPA and test score combinations may lead to automatic awards. Others lean more competitive or holistic, but the overall culture in this region is still much more merit-friendly than what families see in many other parts of the country.
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What this means: In the Southeast, a 3.5 GPA often puts your student in a range where real scholarship leverage begins — not just small discounts, but sometimes serious merit consideration or automatic award tiers.
Important context: This page focuses on colleges in the Southeast where a 3.5 GPA may put your student in range for scholarship opportunities. Some awards are automatic, some are competitive, and many depend on test scores, timing, residency, and how the college calculates GPA.
Why a 3.5 GPA Matters in the Southeast
In the Southeast, a 3.5 GPA often lands right on an important line. It may not guarantee the biggest scholarship at every college, but it is frequently enough to move a student from “possible consideration” into a much more serious merit conversation.
What makes this region different is that many schools still openly compete for strong students. That means GPA matters, test scores still matter at many campuses, and scholarship policies are often easier to understand than they are in more opaque regions.
CRP Insight: In the Southeast, a 3.5 GPA is often where parents stop hearing “maybe” and start seeing actual scholarship pathways.
That matters because this is one of the few regions where a family can sometimes build a realistic list around merit strategy — not just admissions odds.
What Changes at a 3.5 GPA
At this GPA range, families start to move out of pure guesswork and into a much more strategic zone. In the Southeast especially, this is where schools may begin to sort students into clear scholarship buckets.
- Automatic merit becomes more realistic at many Southeast public universities.
- The “grid” advantage starts to matter — some schools publish clear scholarship charts where a 3.5 GPA plus a certain ACT or SAT score may translate into a specific award level.
- Out-of-state recruitment becomes a real factor, especially at colleges trying to attract strong students from outside their home state.
- Competitive scholarships become more viable, especially if the student also brings leadership, rigor, or stronger test scores.
- Timing matters more than many parents realize — applying early can make a real difference at some colleges.
Reality check: A 3.5 GPA can open the door to strong merit in this region, but the biggest awards often still depend on test scores, separate scholarship applications, or very early deadlines.
Pro tip: In the Southeast, “3.5 GPA” does not always mean the same thing at every school. Some colleges recalculate GPA using only core classes, while others may add weight for AP, IB, dual enrollment, or honors coursework. Always check how the college calculates GPA for merit awards.
Merit Leverage in the Southeast
In the Southeast, merit aid is often not just a bonus — it is part of the enrollment strategy. Colleges use scholarships to attract students they want, especially students who can raise the academic profile of the incoming class.
CRP Insight: In this region, a strong ACT or SAT can amplify a 3.5 GPA in a big way. At the right school, the score is what pushes a student from “nice merit” into “this is a serious offer.”
Families should also remember that institutional merit is not always the only source of money. In several Southeast states, college scholarships may stack with state-funded aid programs, which can make the final price much better than the school’s merit chart alone suggests.
- Target colleges with published merit grids first. These schools are often the easiest to evaluate clearly.
- Use test scores strategically. In this region, they can still move the needle a lot.
- Apply early. Some schools award their best merit to students who get in the pipeline sooner.
- Compare full aid packages, not just scholarship names.
- Do not ignore state programs. Grants like Bright Futures, HOPE, Zell Miller, MTAG, or HELP can add meaningful value depending on the student and state.
Tip: A college with a smaller automatic award but strong state aid or lower tuition may still beat a flashier scholarship on paper. Always compare the final net cost.
Student Scenarios: What This Looks Like in Real Life
A 3.5 GPA can play out very differently in the Southeast depending on whether the student has strong test scores, is applying out of state, or is aiming for published automatic merit versus more competitive scholarship pools.
The Grid Winner
3.5 GPA + strong ACT/SAT: This student is often the clearest Southeast scholarship case. At colleges with published grids, a stronger score may move them into a top-tier automatic merit bracket or much closer to one.
The Out-of-State Recruit
3.5 GPA + willing to cross state lines: This is where the Southeast can really shine. Some public universities in this region are much more aggressive with merit for out-of-state students than families expect.
The Strong-but-Not-Perfect Applicant
3.5 GPA + decent rigor + average test profile: This student may not hit the very biggest automatic awards, but they are often still in range for meaningful merit at a long list of regional publics and mid-tier state schools.
The Stack-and-Compare Family
3.5 GPA + state aid eligibility: This family wins by layering school-based merit with programs like Bright Futures, HOPE, Zell Miller, MTAG, or HELP — then comparing the actual net price instead of chasing brand names.
Scholarship Matches
Based on a 3.5 GPA | Southeast Region
Showing Merit Scholarship Opportunities
These are colleges in the Southeast where a 3.5 GPA may put your student in range for scholarship opportunities. Some schools below use automatic merit grids, while others rely more on competitive or holistic review. Click through to each college page for the details.
Regional strategy note: In the Southeast, this GPA becomes even more powerful when paired with stronger test scores. Families should also check whether the student may qualify for state-funded aid that can stack on top of school-based merit.
Important: Some scholarships labeled as “automatic” may still depend on GPA recalculation, test score cutoffs, early deadlines, residency rules, or available funding. Always verify details on the college’s official scholarship page.
Scholarship Matches
Based on a GPA 3.5 | Southeast profile. Institutions with actionable merit aid identified.
Colleges Listed
127
802 matching awards across these institutions.
These results cover awards where the college publishes a specific GPA cutoff. Many colleges award merit money without publishing one, so open a college guide to see everything it offers.
These are colleges where your numbers put you in range for real scholarship money. Important: some awards listed as automatic still depend on application timing, funding limits, or test scores for the highest tiers. Use each college guide to see how predictable the offer really is.
🏛️ Rhodes College
$34,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Diehl Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1250 | Ends: Considered automatically with the admission application
Strategic Note: Admitted students near the middle of Rhodes' academic range — typically ACT 27 with a consistent, solid transcript. Still a significant $34K/year award worth targeting.
🏛️ Jacksonville University
$33,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Jacksonville University Academic (Merit) Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Rolling — awarded at time of admission.
Strategic Note: Just about every admitted full-time first-year lands somewhere on the ladder — JU reports 100% of full-time undergraduates receive scholarships, and stronger unweighted GPAs land in the higher $30,000+ bands.
🏛️ Bellarmine University
$32,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Kentucky Governor Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: With admission; priority admission and scholarship consideration dates apply.
Strategic Note: Kentucky students who already completed GSP, GSA, or GSE and are admitted as full-time first-year students. This is strong automatic money, but only for students from those specific Kentucky pipeline programs.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Alabama at Birmingham
$28,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Test-Optional Scholarship (Out-of-State)
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with at least a 3.25 GPA who apply without test scores. The award can be meaningful, but it is less predictable than the fixed ACT/SAT grid.
+ 9 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Alabama
$28,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholar (Out-of-State)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1430 | Ends: Dec 5
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a 3.5+ GPA and a 32+ ACT. This is Alabama’s strongest standard OOS automatic dollar award before the perfect-score Presidential Elite package.
+ 14 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Presbyterian College
$26,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Belk Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Apply by November 1 for the strongest merit consideration.
Strategic Note: Students with solid B-to-A- academic records, typically with GPAs between 3.25 and 3.74. These students are strong performers who may not hit the top merit bands but still walk away with a very meaningful automatic scholarship from PC.
🏛️ Hampton University
$25,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Freshman Merit Scholarships
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1000 | Ends: November 15 (Early Action admission application deadline for automatic merit consideration)
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1000 SAT or 22 ACT who apply by the November 15 Early Action deadline and submit qualifying test scores. Test-optional applicants are not eligible.
🏛️ Milligan University
$25,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Merit Scholarships
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 21 | Ends: Rolling. The award is issued automatically at the time of admission.
Strategic Note: Almost everybody admitted, which is the point. A 21 ACT and a 2.75 GPA is a low bar, so the real question is not whether you get this, it is where you land in the range. The 25,000 dollar end goes to students with high scores and a high GPA together, not one or the other, and those students are a small slice. A solid B-plus student with a mid-20s ACT should picture the middle of the range, not the top. If you are an athlete, read the stacking note carefully before you count this money twice.
🏛️ Maryville College
$22,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Covenant Stone Scholarship
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: Good students with a 3.5 weighted GPA, which is a wide band and describes a large chunk of Maryville's admitted class. This is the highest award you can get without signing up for Academic Mentor duty, so run the math honestly. If you are hovering at 3.7 and thinking about pushing for the Dean's, you are trading three semesters of work for about 2,000 dollars a year.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Louisville
$21,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Border Benefit Award
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 26 | SAT: 1230 | Ends: Apr 1
Strategic Note: This is one of the more predictable Louisville awards for out-of-state families in the eligible border regions. Admitted students from qualifying areas can receive the base award, while students with stronger weighted GPAs and ACT/SAT scores can move into the higher annual tiers.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
$20,942 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Ole Miss Opportunity
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: This is a guarantee rather than a competition. A Mississippi family under $40,000 in income with a Pell-eligible student holding a 3.0 gets basic cost covered, filled in after every other grant is counted. That structure means winning other scholarships does not add cash — it changes who pays. The FAFSA by March 1 and the state aid application by March 31 are what decide it, and missing either forfeits the guarantee outright.
+ 25 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Lipscomb University
$20,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Lipscomb Pathways Scholarship
GPA: 2.50
Strategic Note: Effectively every transfer with 12 hours and a 2.5. This is not a contest, it is a published rate. The thing to watch is the stacking rule, because it locks you out of other Lipscomb institutional aid. Run the math on this plus HOPE plus the community college and Phi Theta Kappa awards against a Transfer Trustee application before you choose a lane.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Florida Southern College
$20,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Academic Merit — Tier 2 (3.50+ GPA)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Strong academic transfers with 3.50+ cumulative college GPAs — a very common landing spot for students who took their first two years seriously.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Christian Brothers University
$18,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Lasallian Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1100
Strategic Note: A very large share of CBU's admitted class lands here or better. A 22 ACT is a modest bar and a 3.5 is a B-plus average, so this is the tier most solid, unremarkable-on-paper students hit. The honest read — if your student is anywhere near college-ready, assume $18,000 is the floor of the conversation and negotiate up from there rather than treating it as a win.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Alcorn State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ President's Excellence
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1310 | Ends: April 1
Strategic Note: Students who post a 28 or higher ACT composite (or the SAT equivalent) with at least a 3.0 high school GPA. Test prep pays for itself here: moving from a 27 to a 28 is worth $3,000 a year, or $12,000 across four years. Families should go in knowing that Pell eligibility reduces the institutional portion rather than stacking with it, so a Pell-eligible student and a full-pay student generally see the same $18,000 total.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Samford University
$17,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Crosland Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 26 | SAT: 1240 | Ends: February 15
Strategic Note: This is Samford's stronger automatic academic merit lane. The students with the best chance are admitted freshmen or transfers with at least a 3.5 GPA and strong test scores when submitted, or a similarly strong test-optional academic profile.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Belhaven University
$17,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ President's Scholarship for First-Year Students
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 26
Strategic Note: This is the top rung of a ladder almost everybody climbs at Belhaven, and the school says 98% of undergrads get some kind of aid. If your student has a 3.5 and a 26, this is not a long shot. It is close to a sure thing. The real question is not whether you win it but how far $17,500 gets you against a sticker price north of $31,000 in tuition alone. Treat this as the floor of your negotiation, not the ceiling, and go ask what else can be layered on top.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Auburn University
$17,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 33 | SAT: 1460 | Ends: Dec 1 application deadline; Jan 10 test score update deadline
Strategic Note: This is Auburn's top nonresident automatic merit tier. In plain English, it is aimed at out-of-state freshmen with very high test scores, a strong weighted GPA, and a complete Auburn application on file by the scholarship deadline. A 33 ACT or 1460 SAT puts the student in the published score band, but families should still treat the final amount as dependent on Auburn's current-year scholarship rules and funding.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi State University
$17,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Freshman Non-Resident Academic – ACT 31+, GPA 3.30–3.59
GPA: 3.30 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: ACT/SAT through February of senior year; priority scholarship consideration by Dec 1.
Strategic Note: High-achieving non-residents with ACT 31+ or SAT 1390+ and GPAs 3.30–3.59.
+ 12 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Union University
$17,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Trustees' Scholarship (Freshman)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 29 | SAT: 1330
Strategic Note: Students in roughly the top fifth of a typical applicant pool — 29-plus ACT with an A-minus average or better. If you are here, calendar the January 1 Scholars of Excellence deadline immediately. Landing in this tier and skipping that competition is the most expensive mistake a strong Union applicant can make.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Charleston Southern University
$16,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Buccaneer Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: No separate scholarship deadline; awarded on a rolling basis upon admission.
Strategic Note: High-achieving first-time freshmen with final high school GPAs between 3.50 and 3.89. Students in this GPA range are often also eligible for the Buc Promise if they are SC residents and Pell-eligible — that combination can get tuition fully covered on top of this award.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Carson-Newman University
$16,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: The broad middle of Carson-Newman's admitted class. A 3.50 is a B-plus average, and most students who are seriously considering a private school at this price point are already there. Treat this as your baseline number when you build the family budget, then work upward from it.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Arkansas Tech University
$16,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ First-Time Student Academic Scholarships (Levels 1-6)
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: Final: February 1 (Levels 4-6); August 15 (Levels 1-3)
Strategic Note: Admitted first-time freshmen on the Russellville campus who meet the GPA and test bands and complete an early admission file by the deadline. The $12,000 to $16,000 Honors levels go to students separately admitted to the University Honors Program.
🏛️ Campbell University
$15,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Rolling; February 1 recommended for fall transfer aid packaging
Strategic Note: Transfer students entering Campbell's main campus undergraduate programs with at least a 3.0 cumulative college GPA. Strong academic performance at your previous institution is the primary driver of award level — the better the GPA, the stronger the scholarship offer.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Virginia Commonwealth University
$15,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Academic Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Out-of-state and international first-year students with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
🏛️ University of Memphis
$14,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Cecil C. Humphreys Presidential (Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: Dec 1 (priority freshman admission for scholarship consideration)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a 3.25+ GPA and 31+ ACT (1390+ SAT) who apply by Dec 1. At $14,000/yr ($56,000 total), this is UofM's top automatic merit award for non-residents and makes the total cost highly competitive with many in-state programs.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Trevecca Nazarene University
$14,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Dunning Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420
Strategic Note: This is the top of the automatic ladder and it is a real reach. A 32 ACT at a school whose typical admit is well below that means only a handful of students clear it each year, and you have to submit a test score to be considered at all. If you are sitting at a 30 or 31, take the test again before April - the jump from Strickland to Dunning is $2,000 a year, or $8,000 over four years, for one more test sitting.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Morehead State University
$13,800 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Rogers Scholar Award
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 19 | Ends: June 15
Strategic Note: Rogers Scholar alumni who meet MSU's academic line: at least a 3.25 unweighted GPA and 19 ACT. The hidden value here is the housing component, which families should not overlook.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Kentucky
$12,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Bluegrass Spirit (Non-Resident) — Top Tier
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: High-stat out-of-state applicants with at least a 3.50 unweighted GPA and a 30 ACT or 1360 SAT who apply by the early action deadline. This is UK's strongest automatic non-resident Bluegrass Spirit tier, but even this award usually leaves a substantial remaining cost.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Louisiana at Monroe
$12,100 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Warhawk Waiver
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: Apply by January 31; meet score and GPA criteria by published deadlines.
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 21 ACT or 1060 SAT who enroll full time. For nonresident families, this may be the most important ULM affordability lever because it directly reduces the out-of-state price gap.
+ 9 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
$12,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ University Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 23 | SAT: 1130 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: Solid, well-rounded freshmen carrying a 3.5+ GPA with an ACT in the 23–27 range (or SAT roughly 1130–1260). If your student is a strong-but-not-top-1% applicant, this is the tier they're realistically hitting.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of North Alabama
$12,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Academic & Presidential Awards
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | Ends: March 2 freshman scholarship priority date
Strategic Note: Any first-time, full-time freshman who applies on time with an unweighted GPA of 3.00 and up plus an ACT superscore of 20 or higher lands somewhere in the grid. Academic Awards run from around $2,000 to $8,500 per year, Presidential Awards from about $9,000 to $12,000 plus a $4,000 housing scholarship, and the exact tier is driven by where the GPA and ACT combo falls. Students with a 3.0 GPA and a sub-20 ACT should still apply through the General & Endowed Scholarship Application, because merit money is available there too.
🏛️ West Virginia University
$11,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ WV
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 3
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: August 1 for fall entry; January 2 for spring entry (admission and transcript submission deadline).
Strategic Note: Students with a solid high school GPA in the 3.5–3.79 range who enroll full-time at WVU by the deadline. WV residents at Morgantown receive $2,500/year; out-of-state students at Morgantown can receive up to $11,000/year — still a meaningful discount that makes WVU competitive for strong B+ students from across the country.
🏛️ Jacksonville State University
$10,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Gamecock Excellence
GPA: 2.00 | ACT: 29 | SAT: 1330 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: Students with a 29–30 ACT or 1330–1380 SAT and GPAs of at least 2.0, with the largest awards going to GPAs 3.0 and higher.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Queens University of Charlotte
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Queens Commitment (RoyalUp)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Rolling; students should activate RoyalUp early in their CPCC enrollment and follow the Queens transfer application timeline when ready to transfer.
Strategic Note: CPCC students who enroll in RoyalUp at the start of their associate degree, maintain a 2.5 GPA, complete their AA or AS, and apply to Queens through the transfer process. This is a straightforward pathway guarantee — if you follow the roadmap, the aid floor is locked in.
🏛️ University of Southern Mississippi
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship (3.25+ GPA)
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: This tier is a stronger automatic merit level for Mississippi students. It is most realistic for students with a 3.0+ GPA and test scores around ACT 24-28 or SAT 1160+, especially if they submit scores before March 1.
🏛️ Old Dominion University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Leo / Nonresident Merit Incentive
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: Rolling (with admission)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with solid academic records — typically a 3.3+ GPA with a rigorous course load. ODU doesn't publish a formal award grid, so the range reflects institutional patterns; higher achievement generally yields higher awards.
🏛️ University of South Carolina Upstate
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Academic Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | SAT: 1000 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with at least a 3.0 GPA, 1000+ SAT, and top-20% class rank who enroll full-time and remain in good academic standing. The scholarship locks in in-state tuition rates, making USC Upstate genuinely price-competitive for strong non-resident students.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ George Mason University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Merit Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: By transfer admission deadlines (earlier application improves scholarship consideration).
Strategic Note: Incoming transfer students with stronger college GPAs and consistent academic progress.
🏛️ Virginia State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.20 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1170
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen meeting the higher GPA/test or GPA/rank criteria.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Florida Gulf Coast University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Blue & Green Director's Award
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Mar 1 (final application deadline)
Strategic Note: Non-Florida-resident freshmen who land in the mid-band of the merit grid on GPA and scores and get their file complete by November. Applying early is a real advantage here.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Louisiana Tech University
$9,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 33 | SAT: 1450 | Ends: Complete the admission file with qualifying test scores and transcript by January 15 of senior year for Presidential-level consideration.
Strategic Note: Top academic U.S. citizen freshmen with ACT scores in the low to mid 30s or equivalent SAT scores and strong A-range unweighted GPAs. This is Louisiana Tech's highest standard automatic merit tier.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ William Carey University
$9,100 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship (Transfer)
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: Any transfer student with a 3.50. No test score required, which is the quiet advantage of transferring into Carey rather than starting here. If you are also a Phi Theta Kappa member from the school you are transferring from, do not settle for this award, because the PTK Distinction Award pays $700 a year more for the same 3.50 GPA. It just takes one extra proof form.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tampa
$9,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Aligned with UT transfer admission deadlines
Strategic Note: Full-time transfer applicants from regionally accredited colleges with a college GPA in roughly the 3.0+ range. Higher transfer GPAs land in the upper end of the $6K–$9K band; strong performance across a well-rounded transferable curriculum matters more than any single course.
🏛️ McNeese State University
$9,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Award
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: Dec 15 admission; Mar 31 test score
Strategic Note: This is McNeese's strongest listed automatic freshman award in this batch. Students with ACT 30+ or SAT 1360+ and at least a 3.25 six-semester GPA are the target group, but families should remember that $4,000 of the annual value is tied to campus housing.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Alabama State University
$8,328 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ M-9 Promise (Out-of-State Tuition Offset, Transfers)
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: July 30
Strategic Note: This is the clearest out-of-state transfer Marion 9 tier because ASU lists a 2.75 GPA minimum. It is not a full-tuition scholarship; it is a tuition-offset award for non-Alabama transfer students with 24+ transferable hours who meet the GPA requirement.
🏛️ University of North Florida
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Non-Florida Resident Transfer Waiver — $8,000
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Apr 15 (transfer priority)
Strategic Note: Non-Florida resident transfer students with a 3.5 transfer GPA — the middle tier of the transfer waiver grid.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Mary Washington
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Merit (3.5+ college GPA)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Preferred filing dates: Oct 15 (Spring) / Mar 1 (Summer) / Apr 1 (Fall)
Strategic Note: High-performing transfer students — often coming from Virginia community colleges — with 3.5+ college GPAs who apply by the preferred filing date.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Middle Tennessee State University
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Centennial Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 34 | SAT: 1490 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: This is the top 1-2% of the incoming class, and it is genuinely automatic once you clear the bar. There is no committee weighing your essay or your activities. If your kid has a 34 and a 3.5, the only thing standing between them and $32,000 is a December 1 paperwork deadline that a lot of strong students blow past because they are focused on more selective schools. That is the real failure mode here — not falling short of the score, but missing the date.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Radford University
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Wayfinder Scholarship (Out-of-State)
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: February 1 (regular freshman admission deadline; apply by this date to be considered)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with unweighted GPAs in the 3.25–3.99 range. At $8,000 per year this is a genuinely competitive automatic offer — out-of-state families should take notice. Pair this with ACM pricing if your state qualifies and Radford becomes a serious value.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Grambling State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Scholarship (25–27 and 28+ ACT, 3.5 GPA)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: January 31 (automatic academic scholarship consideration for students who apply by this date)
Strategic Note: Top academic applicants with a 25 or higher ACT and a strong GPA who get their admission application in by January 31. The 28+ ACT and 3.5 GPA sub-tier is Grambling's closest thing to a full-ride pathway for high achievers, especially when layered with TOPS for Louisiana residents.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ College of Charleston
$7,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ South Carolina State Scholarships (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE, Enhancements)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1100 | Ends: State scholarship timelines through the SC Commission on Higher Education; students should work closely with their high school counselor on Palmetto Fellows deadlines.
Strategic Note: South Carolina residents who meet CHE's published formula criteria. LIFE requires meeting 2 of 3 thresholds: 3.0 GPA, top 30% class rank, or 1100 SAT/22 ACT. Palmetto Fellows is the most selective and carries the highest award — up to $7,500/year in years 2–4.
🏛️ East Tennessee State University
$7,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Merit Scholarship — Gold
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: With admission
Strategic Note: Higher-achieving international undergraduates around a 3.4–3.6 GPA at admission.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Tennessee State University
$6,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ 1912 Heritage Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Rolling. TSU begins releasing merit offers on December 1 for the following fall class and continues until the funding pool is exhausted. Complete your admission file, transcript, and test scores as early in senior year as possible.
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen and international students with a weighted GPA of 3.25–3.74 or ACT 25–27 or SAT 1200–1290 who complete their admissions file before the rolling funds run dry. Named for TSU's 1912 founding year — it honors the institution's legacy while rewarding solid academic achievers.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Arkansas at Little Rock
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Deans’ Academic Merit
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030 | Ends: August 1 (admission plus transcript and test scores on file)
Strategic Note: Admitted freshmen with a 3.5–3.74 GPA and at least a 20 ACT or 1030 SAT who live in Arkansas or a contiguous state and finish admission steps on time.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee Southern
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Provost's Scholar
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1280
Strategic Note: This is the sweet spot award for a solid but not spectacular student. A 27 ACT sits well above UT Southern's typical admit, so if your student is testing in the high twenties, this money is close to a sure thing rather than a long shot. The GPA requirement of 3.5 is the easier half — the test score is what most families will be chasing.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Arkansas State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ A-State Inspire
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1210 | Ends: July 1 scholarship deadline
Strategic Note: Solid academic performers — 3.5+ GPA and ACT 25-27 (or SAT 1210-1290) — who submit their admission application by the July 1 deadline and plan to attend on-campus in Jonesboro full-time.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of North Carolina Greensboro
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Student Scholarships
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Feb 1 priority and Apr 1 regular for fall; Oct 1 and Dec 1 for spring
Strategic Note: This is for new international students with strong academic preparation and at least a 3.5 GPA. It is helpful merit money, but it is not close to a full tuition or full ride award.
🏛️ Austin Peay State University
$5,760 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Governor's Out-of-State
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: November 15 admissions priority date for scholarship consideration.
Strategic Note: Any out-of-state freshman with a 3.5 GPA who applies on time — this is a grid award, not a competition. The catch worth knowing at the kitchen table is that it will not stack with another out-of-state waiver, so a military family at Fort Campbell should compare the two rather than expect both.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi University for Women
$5,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Award (Freshman)
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030
Strategic Note: This is the top band of four, and it is more reachable than it sounds — the Presidential block covers a big sweep of the grid. A 4.0 gets you here with an ACT around 20. A 3.5 needs roughly a 29. A 3.0 needs roughly a 33. Below a 20 ACT the grid goes flat and no GPA will lift you out of the bottom tier, so if your score is in the teens, retesting is worth far more than another semester of grade polishing.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
$5,450 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Service Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1 (priority); February 1 (final)
Strategic Note: First-time undergraduates (freshmen or transfers) with a minimum 3.0 GPA, a genuine and documented history of community or school service, two strong recommendations, and the capacity to commit to 125 campus work hours every semester while staying enrolled full-time. This is an extremely competitive program with a limited number of awards — standout service narratives and reliable recommenders make the difference.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee–Martin
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Voyager Out-of-State Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Any out-of-state student who lands the Dean, Excellence, or Achieve Scholarship and carries a 3.0 high school GPA. There is no separate application and no competition involved. The practical effect is that an out-of-state family stacking Voyager with an automatic merit tier is often paying less than in-state sticker price.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Tuskegee University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tuskegee University Transfer Grant
GPA: 3.20
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Eastern Kentucky University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ One Eastern Award
GPA: 3.40
Strategic Note: This is a practical middle-tier EKU award for Kentucky students with solid grades. Students with a 3.4 to 3.79 unweighted GPA can qualify without test scores, while GSE, GSA, and Rogers Scholars may receive this tier regardless of GPA.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of New Orleans
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Privateer Premier Award
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: Priority December 15; Final July 15 for admissions-based scholarship consideration
Strategic Note: Students with a 3.90–4.00 non-weighted cumulative GPA can qualify on grades alone — no test score required. Students with at least a 3.0 GPA who also score 30 ACT or 1360 SAT earn this award via the combined path. This is realistically achievable for your student if they've maintained a strong, consistent record — and it's automatic, meaning no extra hoops to jump through.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Liberty University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CVCC (Central Virginia Community College) Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Students who complete and confer an associate degree at CVCC with at least a 3.0 GPA and transfer directly to Liberty receive $5,000/year. Students who complete a conferred certificate (excluding Career Studies Certificates) under the same conditions receive $2,500/year.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Longwood University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Dean's Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Fall freshmen whose high school GPA falls in the 3.50–3.74 range. Early Action applicants are guaranteed up to $5,000/year; Regular Admission applicants are eligible for up to $4,000/year. Completing the application by December 1 is the single most important lever here.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Nicholls State University
$4,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Housing and Meals Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | Ends: Jan 5
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen who qualify on the GPA/ACT grid and plan to live on campus are the students most likely to benefit. This is especially useful for families comparing billed cost, because it helps with housing and meal expenses rather than just tuition.
🏛️ Tennessee Tech University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholars: $4,000 (ACT 25+ / 3.40 GPA)
GPA: 3.40 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Dec 15 (admission for full award); Jan 15 (scores/transcript); Jun 1 (secondary deadline for reduced award)
Strategic Note: Students with a 3.40–3.74 unweighted GPA and a 25–28 ACT or 1200–1329 SAT on a single sitting. This is the first tier that opens to students below the 3.75 GPA threshold.
🏛️ Southeastern Louisiana University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Southeastern Honors Scholarship – 30+ ACT Tier
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 30 | Ends: Priority January 15 admission application; scores and GPA must be received by August 1.
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with a 3.0+ six-semester GPA and a 30+ ACT, or a higher qualifying ACT superscore. This is the top automatic tier, but families should remember the housing supplement only helps if the student lives on campus continuously from the first semester.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Troy University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ ONETROY Transfer Scholarship (Tier 1–4)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: August 1
Strategic Note: Transfer students who show up with a solid GPA and enough transferable credits. Anyone at 2.50 or higher qualifies for something automatically, and the top-tier $4,000/year goes to the 3.50+ crowd. No hoop-jumping required — your transcript does the work.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Murray State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Carr
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: No separate scholarship application deadline; awarded at admission.
Strategic Note: Domestic freshmen with a 3.50–3.79 weighted GPA. This is a solid automatic award for strong GPA students without needing a test score.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Southern Arkansas University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ SAU Success Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: March 1 (early decision January 15); awards are limited and may run out sooner
Strategic Note: The dependable B-plus student. A 3.5 GPA is enough by itself, which makes this one of the most reachable four-figure awards on the list.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Delta State University
$3,225 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ The Sunflower Road Award
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1260
Strategic Note: Named for the street the campus sits on. A 27 ACT at a school where the middle of the class is well below that makes a student genuinely valuable to Delta State, and the award reflects it. At $6,450 a year this lands within striking distance of full tuition, and once you stack Pell or MTAG on top, a lot of families find tuition simply disappears. This is the rung where Delta State stops being cheap and starts being close to free.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Florida International University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Raise.Me Micro-Scholarships (Transfer)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Early May 2027 (FIU Florida-resident transfer application deadline)
Strategic Note: Florida-resident transfer students who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, complete an AA/AS from a Florida community college, earn at least 45 credit hours on the RaiseMe platform, and maintain a 3.5 GPA.
🏛️ High Point University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Junior Scholars Program Scholarship
GPA: 3.45 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1220 | Ends: April 15, 2026 for counselor or IEC nomination.
Strategic Note: Current high school juniors (class of 2027) with strong HPU interest and either a 3.45–4.0 unweighted GPA with a 1220+ SAT or 25+ ACT, or a 3.6–4.0 GPA on a test-optional pathway. Leadership and achievement in academics, service, the arts, athletics, entrepreneurship, or international experience are all pathways to qualification. The nomination must come from a counselor or IEC — students cannot apply directly.
🏛️ Winthrop University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Garnet Scholar (In-State)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: June 1
Strategic Note: The most common transfer tier. A 3.5 across all college work is achievable for most students coming from a two-year program in good standing.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Western Kentucky University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Merit (3.50–3.79 GPA) — tier 3
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: December 31, 2025 (complete admission file including transcript).
Strategic Note: Students in the solid A-/B+ range by unweighted GPA. This is the tier many good students can realistically hit without needing a test score.
+ 10 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Central Arkansas
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Future Leaders Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: May 3
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with a 3.50 to 3.74 GPA who submit admission and documents by the May 3 deadline. A supportive floor for students building momentum rather than topping the class.
🏛️ University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Bronze
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 21 | Ends: May 1 (annual Fall merit scholarship deadline)
Strategic Note: Freshmen who cross either a 21 ACT or a 3.25 GPA — a genuinely accessible entry point.
🏛️ Southern Adventist University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Renewable Southern Union Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060
Strategic Note: Any admitted student from those seven states who clears one modest academic bar. The academic requirement is genuinely low and it is an or, not an and, so a 3.0 GPA alone does it even with no test score at all. If you are from Georgia, Florida, or the Carolinas, count on this. The strategic question is not whether you will get it but whether $2,000 a year actually replaces what you are giving up. Florida Bright Futures and Georgia HOPE can be worth considerably more than that at an in-state public, so run the full net price comparison rather than treating this as a wash.
🏛️ Northern Kentucky University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tri-State Academic Merit (OH/IN Residents, Tier 1)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Feb 15 priority; date not confirmed on 2026-2027 pages
Strategic Note: Based on the legacy Tri-State grid, this appears to be the top listed Ohio/Indiana regional merit tier for students with a strong GPA. Because NKU's current 2026-2027 page does not clearly republish the exact OH/IN tiers, families should treat this as a likely historical guide, not a final award promise.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Northwestern State University of Louisiana
$1,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholars Award
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 28 | Ends: With completed admission file (rolling)
Strategic Note: Your student needs a solid combination at the top of NSU's published merit matrix — think ACT 28 or higher paired with at least a 3.0 GPA. Students with scores in the ACT 30–31 range with a 3.25+ GPA sit at the very peak of this tier and often stack this with Academic Excellence, Outstanding Student, and NSU Opportunity awards simultaneously.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi Valley State University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ University Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: A 20 or 21 ACT is right around the middle of MVSU's applicant pool, so this is the award a large share of admitted students qualify for. It is the easiest of the three to get and the least generous of the three by a wide margin — half of tuition still leaves the other half, all of housing, and all of meals to cover. Families should treat this as a discount rather than a plan, and lean hard on the FAFSA and Pell to close the rest. Students one point away from the next tier are leaving real money on the table.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Southern University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Jaguar Out-of-State Fee Waiver
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: July 1 priority for fall entry
Strategic Note: New out-of-state freshmen with at least a 2.75 high school GPA or ACT 24+/SAT 1160+ and transfer students with a 2.75+ transfer GPA who enroll full time and maintain at least a 2.75 Southern cumulative GPA.
🏛️ North Carolina A&T State University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ University Merit Scholarships
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: November 1 (priority scholarship consideration)
Strategic Note: Admitted freshmen with roughly a 3.8+ weighted GPA, strong honors/AP/IB rigor, and, when submitted, SAT scores of about 1160+ or ACT scores of 24+; exact cutoffs shift with funding and the applicant pool.
🏛️ Morehouse College
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ GA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Morehouse College Academic Award (MCAA)
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Governed by admission application deadlines.
Strategic Note: Admitted students with a 3.4+ high school GPA and a strong distinguished-activity profile, ranked and selected by the awards committee.
🏛️ Mississippi Christian University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Academic Scholarship
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: No deadline
Strategic Note: Any transfer with a pulse and 12 credit hours gets something here. If you are coming from a Mississippi community college with a 3.5 or better, this stacks with the Speed Scholarship and the Transfer Scholarship Competition, and the combined package is where MC gets genuinely competitive against the public universities. If your GPA is under 3.0 you still get an award, just a smaller one, and you are locked out of the interview competition.
Strategic Note: Based on these numbers, you also qualify to compete for the Competitive & Hidden Gem awards below. These require holistic review or a separate application.
🏛️ Florida Southern College
FULL RIDEGPA 3.5+ FL
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ Hollingsworth Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 29 | SAT: 1330 | Ends: January 3
Strategic Note: A tiny handful of first-year applicants each year — students with superior academics, real leadership footprint, strong character indicators, and a compelling interview. If your student is Prestige-invited and interviewed as a Hollingsworth finalist, they're already in exceptional company.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: July 1 (fall cohort); November 1 (spring cohort)
Strategic Note: High-achieving cybersecurity or IT students at UTC who intend to work for federal, state, local, or tribal government in cybersecurity roles.
🏛️ University of Louisville
$28,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Grawemeyer Scholarship (Mentored)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: Dec 1
Strategic Note: This is for the student who already looks like a young researcher, creator, or serious academic contributor. Strong grades matter, but the real edge is showing curiosity, initiative, and a clear reason why mentored research or creative work fits the student's college plan.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ East Tennessee State University
FULL RIDEGPA 3.5+ TN
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ Roan Scholars Leadership Program
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: Application window typically closes in mid-October of senior year (Oct 15 for the most recent cycle)
Strategic Note: A very small cohort of regional seniors with standout leadership, service records, and strong performance across semifinalist interviews and a two-day finalist visit to campus.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
$20,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ SAFHS 1890 Scholarships Program
GPA: 3.20 | ACT: 19 | SAT: 1020 | Ends: May 15
Strategic Note: Students committed to a SAFHS major with at least a 3.2 GPA and a 19 ACT, plus a meaningful number who come in through the 2.8 GPA Accuplacer path. Because awards must be renewed by reapplication each year, students who stay organized keep the money.
🏛️ University of New Orleans
FULL RIDEGPA 3.5+ LA
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ Homer Hitt Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420 | Ends: Admissions/acceptance final deadline February 1 (secondary May 1); Homer Hitt finalist interviews March 1–10
Strategic Note: Roughly 15 incoming freshmen each year who clear the 32 ACT/1420 SAT and 3.5 GPA bar and then shine in the finalist interview. The interview is the real differentiator — UNO is looking for students who are genuinely excited about building their future in New Orleans, not just students with the highest numbers. Leadership, purpose, and a compelling personal story matter here.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ North Carolina A&T State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ AFROTC Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: National high school deadlines fall in early senior year; in-college deadlines vary and are posted by detachment.
Strategic Note: Students with strong academics, physical fitness, and leadership potential who commit to Air Force or Space Force service via AFROTC at NC A&T.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Arkansas State University
$18,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ A-State Scholar
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1400 | Ends: February 1 application deadline; offer must be accepted by March 1
Strategic Note: A small cohort of top applicants — think 31+ ACT (or 1400+ SAT), 3.5+ GPA, strong Honors-caliber essays, leadership and service depth, and rigorous coursework. Applications that clearly demonstrate curiosity, impact, and college-ready writing rise to the top.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
$18,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Air Force ROTC (Det 590)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 26 | SAT: 1240 | Ends: Varies (see Air Force ROTC UNC)
Strategic Note: Juniors/seniors with ~3.0+ GPA & strong PT scores; meets Air Force nomination/selection
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Belhaven University
$16,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 2.00
Strategic Note: The 2.0 bar here is low on purpose, which means nearly any transfer student who gets admitted gets this. The catch is the $2,500 spread between the floor and the ceiling, and Belhaven does not publish what determines where you land. If your student is also PTK eligible, stop and check that first, because the PTK award pays $17,500 flat and beats the top of this range.
🏛️ Old Dominion University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC (Monarch Battalion)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Rolling (selection boards throughout year)
Strategic Note: US citizens; strong academics/fitness; often STEM majors favored.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee Knoxville
$15,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Global Ambassador Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: First-year international students (non-resident visa holders, non-U.S. high school graduates) with at least a 3.0 UT Converted and Weighted Core GPA who complete the separate Global Ambassador application and are selected based on leadership, service, and essay strength. Award tier is GPA-based: 3.0–3.49 = $10,000/yr; 3.5–3.79 = $12,500/yr; 3.8+ = $15,000/yr.
🏛️ Florida A&M University
$13,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC Room & Board (institutional)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: March 31 (typical unit deadline; verify each year)
Strategic Note: Contracted ROTC cadets at FAMU who maintain strong GPA, physical fitness, and steady progress toward commissioning.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ MS
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ National Merit Finalist Scholarship Package
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Finalists who actually file MSU as their NMSC first choice. Making Finalist is the hard part, but the first-choice designation is the part that gets forgotten, and without it the package does not arrive. Anyone weighing MSU against another school should know that designation is exclusive.
+ 25 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Troy University
$12,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: One student per Alabama community college. That is the whole pool. Because the pick comes from your college president rather than a TROY committee, the students who win are the ones the president's office already knows by name — the ones in student government, on honors council, at the ribbon cuttings. If your student is at an Alabama two-year school with a 3.5, the move is to get visible on their own campus long before transfer paperwork starts.
+ 11 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Virginia Military Institute
$11,650 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Call to Duty Scholarship (ROTC)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Tied to ROTC award timing
Strategic Note: ROTC scholarship recipients enrolling at VMI who maintain eligibility for their national ROTC scholarship and meet VMI program requirements.
🏛️ Florida Gulf Coast University
$10,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Tuition Waiver (Transfer)
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Apr 1 (Fall entry — waiver opens Jan 6); Oct 1 (Spring entry — waiver opens Sep 1)
Strategic Note: A small group of strong nonresident transfer students with at least a 3.4 GPA and compelling essays about leadership, civic engagement, and fit with FGCU. This is a committee-reviewed waiver — the essays actually matter.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Presbyterian College
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ South Carolina State Scholarships (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1100 | Ends: Palmetto Fellows initial application typically due April 15 (Phase 1); LIFE and HOPE follow state timelines with high school certification after graduation.
Strategic Note: South Carolina residents meeting the state’s published academic and residency criteria; Palmetto Fellows supports top students, LIFE is broadly available, and HOPE assists qualifying first-years.
🏛️ Morehead State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ MSUTeach Scholarships (STEM Teaching)
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: March 31 typical; check current MSUTeach scholarship page.
Strategic Note: Students preparing to teach math or science who are already moving through the MSUTeach pathway. The strongest fits are often first-generation, Pell-eligible, or regional students with a clear commitment to STEM teaching.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Alcorn State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ NRCS Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1020 | Ends: April 1 (main cycle); June 13 (second cycle)
Strategic Note: Strong CAAS majors in agriculture and natural resources fields with solid GPAs, qualifying test scores, leadership, and interest in USDA-related careers.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Southern University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ ACS-HACH Land Grant Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: January 5
Strategic Note: Chemistry or Education majors with strong academic records (3.0+ GPA) and career interest in chemistry or chemistry education.
+ 10 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ North Carolina State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Caldwell Fellows
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Late January-February; first-year application cycle varies by year
Strategic Note: This is for current NC State first-year students who have already shown strong academics, service, leadership, and campus engagement. The most realistic candidates usually have strong first-year grades and a clear pattern of serving and leading, not just a good high school resume.
🏛️ Tuskegee University
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Food and Nutritional Sciences Advisory Board Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | SAT: 850
🏛️ University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Arkansas Governor's Scholars Program
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1410 | Ends: February 1 of the senior year (hard deadline; late applications are not considered)
Strategic Note: Top-of-the-state Arkansas seniors. This is the highest academic bar of anything on the UAFS page, and the February 1 deadline sits well before the May 1 UAFS merit deadline that most families are watching.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Arkansas
$10,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Governor's Distinguished Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1410 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: A small statewide cohort of top Arkansas seniors who clear the published test-score and GPA bar and get their SAMS application in by March 1.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ William Carey University
$9,800 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ PTK Distinction Award
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: Transfer students who were in Phi Theta Kappa at their community college and remember to send the proof. That last part is where most of the money gets left behind. This pays $700 a year more than the standard transfer Presidential award for the exact same 3.50 GPA, and the only difference is a single form. If you were ever inducted into PTK, dig up the certificate. There is also a lesser-known path here for students who earned 12 or more dual credit hours in high school with a 3.5 and hold PTK membership.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Lane College
$9,700 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ International Scholars Pathways to Success Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: A 3.0 is a reachable bar, so academically this is not the obstacle. The genuine filter is financial and bureaucratic. Between the NACES credential evaluation, the sponsorship letter, and the requirement to cover a year of tuition before the I-20 is issued, families need meaningful cash on hand regardless of whether the scholarship comes through. Students who win this tend to be those with family financial backing already in place, not those relying on the award to make Lane possible. If your family cannot cover the pre-I-20 cost, this scholarship will not bridge that gap no matter how strong the grades are - so confirm those numbers with the international liaison before anything else.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of South Carolina Upstate
$8,100 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ CRISPR S-STEM Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Program-specific (typically late spring — check the USC Upstate NSF/CRISPR program page for current dates)
Strategic Note: Academically strong, low-income biology or chemistry majors who apply to the CRISPR cohort, demonstrate STEM potential in their personal statement, and meet the NSF citizenship and financial need requirements. This one consistently goes under the radar — fewer applicants means better odds.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Union University
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ IMPACT 360 Scholarship
GPA: 2.00
Strategic Note: IMPACT 360 gap year completers, which is a small and self-selected group. No competition. The interesting angle is for families still deciding — this is one of the few cases where taking a gap year can come out ahead financially rather than just costing you a year.
+ 16 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Southern Mississippi
$8,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: January 15
Strategic Note: This is the best play at Southern Miss for a student whose resume is stronger than their test scores, and it is not close. There is no ACT or SAT requirement anywhere in the eligibility list, and the core GPA bar is only a 3.0. What they are reading is your leadership record. About fifty students get in each year, so it is genuinely competitive, but the competition is against other student council presidents and team captains rather than against a score report. If your kid ran things at their high school and tested in the low twenties, this is the application to prioritize.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Jacksonville State University
$7,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
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How This Is Awarded
→ JSU Leadership Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030 | Ends: February 1 (priority deadline for JAX App Leadership application)
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with at least a 3.0 GPA and mid-range ACT/SAT scores who show outstanding high school leadership and service and submit a strong application and interview.
🏛️ Stetson University
$7,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Sullivan Writing Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 20 (Sullivan Creative Writing Scholarship application and essay deadline)
Strategic Note: Academically qualified students, often English majors or Creative Writing minors, who submit strong creative writing samples and a compelling essay.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Southern Arkansas University
$6,600 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Leadership Incentive Award
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030 | Ends: Selections made after March 1
Strategic Note: The student council president or team captain whose ACT lands in the low twenties. If your test score caps you at a lower merit tier but your resume is full, this is the workaround, though only a limited number are given.
+ 10 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Virginia State University
$6,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Founder's Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Incoming AA/AS transfer students with 3.0+ GPA who join the Honors Program and live on campus.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Miami
$6,300 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Florida Bright Futures (FAS & FMS)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: August 31 after high school graduation
Strategic Note: Florida high school graduates who meet the state’s GPA, course, and test or service criteria for Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) or Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) and file the FFAA by the deadline.
🏛️ West Virginia University
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ WV
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ WVU University Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Follows WVU's institutional scholarship admission deadline.
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen with strong academic records who stand out in the applicant pool but don't reach Foundation/Bucklew criteria. Often used to enhance overall merit packages for high-achieving students who earned a Climb Higher award but who WVU also wants to recognize with additional competitive merit funding.
🏛️ Murray State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Gold Leadership Award
GPA: 3.20 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: February 8, 2026 (General Scholarship Application).
Strategic Note: Students who are solid academically and can point to real leadership, not just membership on a resume. This is a good hidden-gem layer for families because it can sit on top of automatic merit and make Murray State noticeably cheaper.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Tennessee State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ HCA/TSU Scholars Program
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Annual cycle set by the College of Health Sciences. This award does not carry over, so you reapply every single year you want it.
Strategic Note: Full-time juniors and seniors in a College of Health Sciences major with a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA and demonstrated financial need. The award tier tracks your GPA: 3.25–3.49 earns $1,000/semester (Level I), 3.5–3.74 earns $2,000/semester (Level II), and 3.75+ earns $3,000/semester (Level III). Strong students who keep their GPA up can earn $6,000 per year.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Arkansas at Little Rock
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ STEM Academic Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | ACT: 19 | Ends: August 1 (admission plus transcript and test scores on file)
Strategic Note: Admitted STEM majors reviewed competitively across four bands: a $6,000 tier for 28–36 ACT with a 3.5 GPA, $4,000 for 24–27 ACT with a 3.25 GPA, $3,000 for 24–27 ACT with a 3.00 GPA, and a variable award for 19+ ACT with at least a 2.5 GPA. Leadership and STEM-related activities also factor in.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Georgia College & State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
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How This Is Awarded
→ Trustee Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: October 15 (Early Action application deadline for PSC consideration); PSC event typically held in December.
Strategic Note: Roughly 3.8+ GPA applicants who meet PSC academic minimums, show depth and rigor in coursework, and perform strongly in leadership, service, and interviews during the competition.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
$6,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Luckyday Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: January 10
Strategic Note: Mississippi students with a 3.5 or better who have real remaining need after their automatic merit awards, plus a leadership story and a strong essay. Straight-A students from higher-income families usually lose out here, the need priority is genuine. If money is the thing standing between your student and Ole Miss, this is the one to work hardest on.
🏛️ University of Memphis
$5,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Emerging Leaders Program (ELP)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: Feb 1
Strategic Note: Students with at least a 3.0 GPA and 21 ACT (1060 SAT) who can demonstrate genuine leadership potential, campus engagement, and a commitment to service. This isn't just an academic award — selection is holistic, and students who bring a story of community involvement tend to stand out.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ College of Charleston
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Access to Excellence
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1 FAFSA priority deadline
Strategic Note: First-year students with the highest documented financial need and at least a 3.0 GPA who meet the FAFSA priority deadline.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Georgia
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ UGA Alumni Association & Chapter Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Spring; many chapter deadlines are around March 1, but dates vary by chapter.
Strategic Note: Students who match a local chapter's criteria and actually complete the extra application. This is the kind of scholarship families can miss because it is not part of the main admissions award letter.
🏛️ King University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ H.M. "Jack" Trayer Music Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Students who can actually play, and who are willing to commit to ensemble participation on the faculty's terms. The 3.0 is a real floor, not a suggestion, and it has to be maintained. Where you land in the two-to-five-thousand range is entirely about the audition, so this is one of the few King awards where preparation genuinely moves the number. Current students can audition too, which is unusual and worth knowing if you did not get it as a freshman.
🏛️ Alabama State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Donor Trust Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: July 15
Strategic Note: These are the kinds of scholarships families can easily miss because the money is tied to individual donor funds. Students with at least a 3.0 GPA who match a donor's preferred major, class level, residency, or background have the best chance.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Maryville College
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Knowles Family Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: One student a year, so the odds are genuinely long, but the pool is narrow enough that a qualified applicant has a real shot. The combination the award is looking for is uncommon, a documented learning disability plus a 3.0 or better GPA. If that describes your student, raise it with admissions early rather than hoping it gets noticed, because there is no published application form.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Georgia Institute of Technology
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Campus Services Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 15
Strategic Note: Current Georgia Tech students who have already shown leadership and campus involvement. This is not an incoming freshman award; students generally need at least one semester on campus before they are eligible.
🏛️ University of Kentucky
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Provost — $5,000
GPA: 3.30 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: Kentucky GSP, GSA, or GSE completers who also bring stronger academic numbers — typically at least a 3.30 unweighted GPA plus a 28 ACT or 1300 SAT, or the listed test-optional equivalent. This is a better version of a restricted program-participant award, not a scholarship open to the full applicant pool.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Christian Brothers University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Christian Brothers High School Scholarship
GPA: 2.50
Strategic Note: CBHS graduates, and almost all of them. A 2.5 is a low bar by design, which tells you CBU treats its brother school as a genuine feeder rather than a marketing line. If your student is at CBHS and considering CBU, this is money you should assume is in the offer. It does not stack with the Catholic or Lasallian high school awards, but at $5,000 it is already tied for the largest of the three.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Augusta University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ SteelGate Computer & Cyber Science Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Three full-time SCCS undergraduates each year with a 3.0+ GPA; committee weighs both academic merit and financial need.
🏛️ Christopher Newport University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Captains Abroad Annual Scholarship
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Before departure for the approved study abroad term
Strategic Note: Students with at least a 2.0 GPA participating in approved CNU, exchange or external study abroad programs
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Norfolk State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ NCAE-C CyberSecurity Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Funding window ran Spring 2024 through Spring 2025; no active application cycle listed for 2026–2027
Strategic Note: NSU students actively transitioning into cybersecurity-related majors who met the 3.0 GPA floor and were selected during the Spring 2024–Spring 2025 grant window. No new cohort has been announced.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Campbell University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Endowed & Departmental Scholarships
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Application cycle typically March 1–May 1; priority by May 1
Strategic Note: Main-campus undergraduates who proactively apply, meet donor criteria (major, class year, background, or need), and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
🏛️ Radford University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: Transfer students with at least 30 credits completed and cumulative GPAs of 3.3–3.59 for the lower tier and 3.6+ for the higher tier.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of North Carolina Asheville
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Business & Accountancy Scholarships (e.g., Massey, Kahn)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 31
Strategic Note: Declared management and accountancy majors who show strong academic performance, leadership, and engagement with the department or business community.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Alabama at Birmingham
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ BSMART General & Departmental Awards
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Jan 15 priority; April 1 final
Strategic Note: Students who complete BSMART carefully and match a department, major, donor, first-generation, service, leadership, or need-based profile. This is the “do not leave the scholarship portal half-finished” bucket: the money is real, but it depends on matching smaller criteria families may not see on the main merit grid.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Arkansas Tech University
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AR
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Fall: priority May 1 / final July 15; Spring: priority December 1 / final January 12
Strategic Note: PTK members with 12+ for-credit hours and a 3.5 GPA; awarded competitively and limited in number.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Florida
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Awards
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: Sept 9–30, 2025
Strategic Note: Engineering majors with 3.3+ GPA & involvement
🏛️ Virginia Tech
$5,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Global Education Office (GEO) Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Multiple: cycle opens 6 weeks before each term; spring/summer deadlines Dec/Feb/Mar
Strategic Note: VT students enrolled in eligible programs, priority to high-need
🏛️ Grambling State University
$4,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Jessie L. Burgess, Jr. Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Follows the donor scholarship cycle; check current-year dates in AwardSpring for the exact window.
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen with a minimum 3.5 GPA who declare Computer Science, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, or Computer Information Systems as their major. Five slots available makes this far more accessible than a typical single-recipient donor award — a well-qualified tech freshman who applies has a real shot.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Carson-Newman University
$4,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Compass Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Out of state students with ordinary credentials. The bar is genuinely low, a 3.0 or a 21 ACT, so the real filter is simply whether you knew to apply and got the form in by February 1. That makes this one of the highest return applications on this entire list. The exclusions matter though. If you are chasing Honors Premier, the Tarr music scholarship, or a Bonner award, understand you cannot hold Compass alongside them.
🏛️ University of North Alabama
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Leadership Housing Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | Ends: March 2 priority deadline
Strategic Note: Students whose Leadership résumé is strong enough to be selected but who are also planning to live in a UNA residence hall — this is not for students moving off campus. Because it is stackable with the main Leadership Scholarship and worth $4,000 a year for two years, it is one of the highest-value hidden benefits of just taking the time to build a good activity résumé.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Georgia State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ State Farm Scholars Program - Perimeter College
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Mar 1 typical program deadline; verify in AcademicWorks.
Strategic Note: Perimeter College freshmen with financial need, academic promise, and willingness to participate in the State Farm Scholars cohort programming. This is not for the Atlanta campus bachelor's-entry pool.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee–Martin
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Dunham Scholars
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: February 1 (College of Business scholarship application deadline)
Strategic Note: High-achieving upperclass Accounting or Business/Consumer Services majors with GPAs of 3.5 or higher and strong departmental engagement.
🏛️ Austin Peay State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Austin Peay Promise
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Offered year-round; apply early, since other scholarship opportunities have their own deadlines.
Strategic Note: Any TBR or Hopkinsville community college student with 30+ hours and a 3.0. This is not a competition — it is a grid, and it is generous at the top. If your student is sitting at a 3.72 with a semester to go, pushing to a 3.75 is worth a thousand dollars a year, which is a rare case where chasing a fraction of a GPA point actually pays.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mercer University
$3,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Mercer Undergraduate Research Scholars (MURS)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Late March (recent MURS summer application deadline range)
Strategic Note: Undergraduates with strong faculty-backed research proposals and good academic standing who are ready to commit to full-time summer research.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Eastern Kentucky University
$3,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Student Merit Scholarships
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Transfer students with a 3.0+ college GPA are the main audience here. The higher the transfer GPA, the better the award tier, and Phi Theta Kappa members can add extra money if they provide documentation. This is a strong reminder that transfer students should not skip the scholarship process.
🏛️ Nicholls State University
$3,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Nicholls Foundation Donor & Department Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Varies by cycle; example Fall 2026 deadline listed as July 20
Strategic Note: Students who match a specific fund's criteria win these. That might mean the right major, class year, parish, GPA, leadership background, or donor preference. Families should not ignore this bucket because smaller $500–$3,000 awards can be the difference between an affordable bill and a painful one.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of West Florida
$3,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Mertis “Sunny” Brown Biology Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1 (typical departmental deadline; apply at least two months before the term).
Strategic Note: Research-focused biology students working on wild bird projects under faculty mentorship.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Liberty University
$3,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ TEAA Scholarship (Teacher Education Access for All)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: April 15
Strategic Note: Teacher preparation students with at least a 3.0 GPA, often first-generation and/or high-need, who submit strong applications.
🏛️ University of North Florida
$3,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Enrollment Services (ES) Need-Based Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Jan 15 (transfer priority — admission + FAFSA on file)
Strategic Note: Pell-eligible Florida State College A.A. transfers with at least a 3.0 GPA — 3.5+ transfers with strong FAFSA need signals get first consideration.
🏛️ Tennessee Tech University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Golden Opportunity Grant
GPA: 3.20 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1100 | Ends: Dec 15 (ScholarWeb application); Jan 15 (FAFSA and all materials)
Strategic Note: Tennessee residents who are US citizens or permanent residents with at least a 3.2 GPA, 22+ ACT or 1100+ SAT, demonstrated financial need via FAFSA, and a track record of community service. Priority goes to students with GPAs in the 3.20–3.39 range who might not qualify for the higher Presidential Scholars tiers — this grant is specifically designed for that group.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Charlotte
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Charlotte “Crown Jewels” Alumni Scholarships
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Early Action: Feb 15; Regular: Apr 1
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen, with preference to first-gen, leadership, or service profiles
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ George Mason University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Association Service Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Typically early March (often around March 6; confirm in scholarship portal each year).
Strategic Note: Full-time undergraduates who demonstrate sustained community or university service, leadership, and strong academic records.
🏛️ McNeese State University
$2,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ H.C. Drew Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Mid-February (scholarship portal deadline)
Strategic Note: Students from the Southwest Louisiana region in listed majors who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and complete the Foundation application.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Mary Washington
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: By UMW transfer preferred filing dates (Oct 15 Spring / Mar 1 Summer / Apr 1 Fall)
Strategic Note: Community college transfer students with Phi Theta Kappa membership, at least 24 transferable credits, and a 3.0+ college GPA.
🏛️ Southern Adventist University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ SVAD Create Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: April 15
Strategic Note: Students with a real body of work and something to say about it. Southern awards multiple of these, so this is not a single-winner competition, which meaningfully improves your odds compared to most portfolio scholarships. The written portion is where applications get separated. Asking you to name your weakest piece and explain why is a test of whether you can think critically about your own work, and a defensive or evasive answer reads badly. Pick a genuine weakness and show that you understand it. Also note this rewards depth over breadth. Four categories exist, but a focused, coherent submission in one lane beats a scattered sampler.
🏛️ University of South Florida
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Black Leadership Network (BLN)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 15 (AwardSpring closes)
Strategic Note: Incoming frosh/Tampa Bay area; ~3.0+ GPA; BLN event participation
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee Southern
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ UTAA Legacy Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: One student per campus, so the odds here are genuinely thin — but the eligible pool at a school of about a thousand students is thin too. The ACT requirement is the sneaky one: it floats to match whatever UT Southern's average was last year, so it is a moving target rather than a fixed number. If there is a UT diploma in the family and your student has a 3.0, it costs one phone call to find out where to apply.
🏛️ Auburn University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Scholarships (Legacy)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: February 14 AUSOM priority; parent/guardian life membership may be required by February 1
Strategic Note: Legacy students who complete AUSOM correctly and meet the alumni membership requirements. This is not huge money, but it is exactly the kind of one-time Auburn-connected award families can miss if they do not understand the alumni relationship rules.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Wilmington
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Education Abroad Grant (OIP)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Varies by term (see OIP deadlines)
Strategic Note: Solid academics; earlier applicants for limited funds
🏛️ Samford University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ AL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Davis Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: This is not just a GPA scholarship. The students with the best chance are entering freshmen who meet the academic floor and can show real leadership, service, and community involvement through a strong separate scholarship application.
🏛️ Jackson State University
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Medallion Award Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: January 15
Strategic Note: Two thousand dollars a year is real money, but be clear-eyed that it is a dent in the bill, not a solution to it. The more useful way to read this tier is as a signal of how close your student is to something much bigger. A 22 ACT gets 2,000 dollars a year. A 23 gets tuition covered. That is one question right on a test morning. The catalog also says limited awards are available, so even students who clear the 21 and the 3.0 are not assured of getting it. Apply by January 15 and do not count it in your budget until it is in writing.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi University for Women
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: September 14 (transcript submission)
Strategic Note: The best-value transfer award at The W and the one families miss most often. At a 3.0 the regular transfer scale pays you $1,000 through the Keirn Award — PTK membership at the same GPA pays $2,000 and covers out-of-state fees on top. If you are at community college and eligible to join PTK, joining is worth roughly a thousand dollars a year. Early College High School students who are PTK members qualify too, which is an unusual door most people do not know exists.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Louisiana at Monroe
$2,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Spirit Scholarships (Cheer, Hawkline, Mascot)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Tryout dates occur each spring; check ULM Spirit Groups and Hawkline for the current tryout calendar and packet deadlines.
Strategic Note: Students who earn a roster spot through Cheer, Hawkline, or Mascot tryouts and maintain the required GPA, team participation, and good standing. This is talent-and-commitment money, not a general scholarship.
🏛️ Louisiana Tech University
$1,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Ruth & J.N. Walpole First Generation Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: April 1 College of Education scholarship deadline.
Strategic Note: First-generation teaching majors in the College of Education who have financial need and are working toward a teaching degree. This is not big headline money, but it can help with the practical gaps that remain after TOPS, Pell, and Tech merit.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Louisiana State University
$1,500 / YRGPA 3.5+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ STEM Pathways Gold & Silver STEM Seal Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: April 15 is the typical annual deadline for Cain Center STEM Pathway Gold and Silver Seal Scholarships.
Strategic Note: Louisiana high school graduates who completed the STEM Pathways curriculum, earned the Gold or Silver STEM diploma seal, submit the separate application, and keep at least a 3.0 GPA during the first LSU semester.
🏛️ Wake Forest University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Oct 13, Jan 19, Mar 16 (national Army ROTC scholarship boards)
Strategic Note: Students with at least a 3.0 GPA, solid academics, strong physical fitness, leadership experience, and who meet Army medical and eligibility standards.
🏛️ Florida Atlantic University
$1,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Education Abroad Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: Spring abroad early November; Summer abroad early March; Fall abroad early June
Strategic Note: Students who already have an approved study abroad plan and submit complete applications that connect the experience clearly to their academic or career goals.
🏛️ University of Tampa
$1,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ FL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President's Leadership Fellows (PLF)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 15
Strategic Note: First-year admits with a demonstrated track record of leadership and service — student government, team captain roles, sustained volunteer work, founded initiatives — plus solid academics (3.0+ unweighted). Selection leans on evidence of ongoing commitment rather than one-off accomplishments. Students who can articulate why they want to grow as a leader (not just list titles) consistently make it through.
🏛️ Tougaloo College
$1,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ WATAC Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: May 31
Strategic Note: Students with a documented financial need and a connection to the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area have the clearest shot, but do not count yourself out if you are from elsewhere, because the regional piece is stated as a preference and six awards is a decent number for a school this size. The community college set-aside is the quiet opportunity here. If you are transferring in from a two-year school, you are competing for a reserved slot rather than the open pool. The 2.75 bar is low by scholarship standards, so what separates applicants is the 250-word essay and whether the packet arrived complete and on time.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Lipscomb University
$1,000 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ College of Business Swang Scholars Program
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: January 7
Strategic Note: Strong business-minded students who clear the 30 ACT and 3.5 GPA gate and can show genuine business interest in an essay and interview. Cohorts run small, roughly seven to ten students. Do not choose Lipscomb over another school because of this award, since the cash is 1,000 dollars once. Do apply if you are already coming, because the doors it opens in Nashville are the actual payoff.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Rhodes College
$500 / YRGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Youth For Understanding / HOBY Scholarship
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: With admission materials; external listings cite January 15 as a consideration date
Strategic Note: Students who took part in Youth For Understanding or HOBY programs and clearly report that involvement on the admission application.
🏛️ University of South Carolina
$500 / YRGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Mar 15 (priority); some close Mar 1
Strategic Note: Legacies with solid academics/involvement
🏛️ Delta State University
$500 / YRGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa Catalyst Award
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Any Phi Theta Kappa member transferring in with a 3.0 and 42 hours, which is a large share of the students who join PTK in the first place. This is close to free money for anyone who already paid the membership dues. The amount is modest at $1,000 a year, but it layers on top of the Emerald or Magnolia transfer awards, and that stacking is the real point. If a student is at a Mississippi community college and eligible for PTK but has not joined, the dues are worth it purely on this arithmetic.
🏛️ Mississippi Christian University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarship Competition
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: May 29
Strategic Note: Transfers with a 3.0 who bother to register, which is a surprisingly small slice of the transfer class. Most transfer students are working, juggling schedules, and never see this page. The essay prompt about an irreplaceable object is a personal one rather than an academic one, so a thoughtful answer from someone with a real life story tends to land better than a polished but generic one. If you are a Mississippi resident on the Speed Scholarship, know your ceiling here is $1,000 before you commit the time.
🏛️ Western Kentucky University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Hilltopper Guarantee
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: FAFSA priority date for the academic year; students should complete both WKU admission and the FAFSA as early as possible.
Strategic Note: Kentucky families with real financial need. The student needs to be Pell-eligible, CAP-eligible, in-state, full-time, and at or above a 3.0 unweighted GPA. This can make tuition disappear, but it does not make WKU free.
🏛️ Northern Kentucky University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ River City Promise
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Gateway and River City Promise deadlines vary; FAFSA timing is required for eligibility
Strategic Note: Pell-eligible students from participating Northern Kentucky high schools who are willing to start at Gateway, stay in the Gateway2NKU pipeline, complete the required steps, and transfer full-time to NKU. This is a pathway scholarship, not a standard freshman award for every NKU applicant.
🏛️ Millsaps College
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ MS
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ Premier Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: December 11, 2026 at 4 p.m. CST
Strategic Note: Sixteen students a year, and the 3.5 unweighted plus 28 ACT floor is where most families get their hopes up wrongly - that is the door, not the win. Millsaps admits students with a 21 to 28 ACT middle range, so a 28 puts you at the very top of their applicant pool and the actual scholars will mostly sit above it. What separates finalists is the essay, the two letters and how you carry yourself at Scholars Weekend in February. If your student is at 28 exactly and has a genuinely strong recommendation from someone outside the classroom, this is worth the effort - the optional portfolio is where an unusual kid can stand out. If your student is at 3.5 flat with a 28 flat and a thin activity record, plan on the regular merit award and treat Premier as the lottery ticket.
🏛️ Mississippi Valley State University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Private Fund Scholarships
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 16 | SAT: 760
Strategic Note: Students who bother to apply. That sounds glib, but the academic bar here is the lowest of any MVSU award on this list — a 2.75 and a 16 ACT — and the real filter is simply whether the family found the application, got the recommendation letter written, and had the FAFSA processed in time. Because each donor fund has its own criteria, a student who does not match one fund may match another, and the committee sorts that out. If your student's numbers fall short of the ACT-based awards, this is the most realistic path to institutional money at MVSU, and it is worth a phone call rather than a guess.
🏛️ Bethune-Cookman University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ ROTC Scholarships (Army & Air Force)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: January 10 (typical campus deadline); March 4 (national board deadlines, may vary by year)
Strategic Note: U.S. citizens who meet ROTC academic, fitness, and medical standards and commit to commissioning as military officers.
🏛️ University of West Georgia
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: National ROTC scholarship deadlines are set by Army ROTC each year.
Strategic Note: Students who are serious about becoming Army officers. Strong applicants usually meet academic standards, pass medical and fitness screening, show leadership potential, and understand the service commitment.
🏛️ Kennesaw State University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Coca-Cola Scholars Program
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: Typically March 1 during the KSU internal scholarship application cycle; verify the current deadline in ScholarshipUniverse.
Strategic Note: Incoming first-time, full-time KSU undergraduates who fit the program mission: first-generation and/or STEM students with financial need, HOPE eligibility, solid academic standing, and willingness to participate in the program's student-success expectations.
🏛️ Georgia Southern University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | ACT: 19 | SAT: 1000 | Ends: National deadlines are set by U.S. Army ROTC each year.
Strategic Note: Students who are serious about commissioning as U.S. Army officers, not just students looking for scholarship money. Strong applicants usually have solid academics, leadership potential, physical fitness, and willingness to accept the military service commitment.
🏛️ Milligan University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Goah Scholars Program Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1 priority date. Later applications may be considered if space remains.
Strategic Note: Students with something specific and true to say about their own background and what they would bring to a small Christian campus in East Tennessee. The academic gate is so low that grades are barely a filter here. The interview and the two references do the sorting, and one reference has to come from a church leader, which quietly tells you what kind of applicant the committee is picturing. If you are already active in a congregation and can speak honestly about your own cultural experience, your odds are far better than the raw award count suggests. If you have no church connection, that reference requirement is a genuine obstacle worth solving early rather than in late November. One more thing families miss. Because it is last-dollar, a high-need student may see a smaller Goah check than a lower-need student with identical credentials, since federal and state aid absorb more of the tuition first. That is not a reason to skip it, but it is a reason to ask for the actual number before comparing offers.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Appalachian State University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Advisory Board Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: ASAP cycle, typically Dec. 1–Feb. 7.
Strategic Note: Sophomore, junior, or senior Computer Science majors who are full-time, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, and are active in the department.
🏛️ Belmont University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ School of Music Named & Endowed Awards
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Audition timelines; first round typically aligned with Nov 1 Early Action I
Strategic Note: Outstanding music students (voice, keyboard, instrumental, etc.) who major in music and present strong auditions; roughly a quarter to a third of auditioning students receive some level of music scholarship.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Greensboro
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ STAMPS 3.0 Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: Pell-eligible STEM admits, strong persistence.
🏛️ University of Alabama
FULL RIDEGPA 3.5+ AL
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
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How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Elite Scholarship / Witt Fellows
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420 | Ends: Dec 5
Strategic Note: Extremely high-achieving students who first make it through the Witt Fellows pathway. This is full-ride-level money, but the pool is tiny and students need more than high scores — they need strong essays, interview strength, leadership, service, and the kind of academic depth that stands out in a very small finalist group.
🏛️ Trevecca Nazarene University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Trevecca Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: March 15 for the application and recommendation letter, with on-campus interviews completed by March 31
Strategic Note: If you go to one of the twelve listed Metro Nashville high schools, stop and read this twice. The academic bar is low on purpose - a 3.0 GPA or a 21 ACT or a 1060 SAT, and you only need one of the three. There are up to 25 seats a year. That combination of a wide door and a large prize is genuinely unusual, and the students who miss out mostly miss out on paperwork, not merit - they skip the FAFSA, or never schedule the campus interview. The interview is described as a casual conversation with no preparation needed. Do not let that one stop you. If you are an MNPS student, this is the single most valuable thing on this page for you.
🏛️ Winthrop University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Close Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: April 4
Strategic Note: South Carolina residents with a strong record of sustained community service and leadership in service organizations.
🏛️ Bellarmine University
FULL TUITIONGPA 3.5+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Whitney M. Young Scholars Award
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Priority application deadline of January 15 for Bellarmine admission and scholarship consideration.
Strategic Note: Students who are already part of the Lincoln Foundation Whitney M. Young Scholars Program, are admitted to Bellarmine, enroll full time, and meet the program and academic requirements. This is powerful tuition coverage, but it is limited to a very specific pipeline group.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ LeMoyne-Owen College
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ LOC General Academic Award
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 15 per the 2025-2026 catalog, April 19 per the financial aid webpage. The two published sources conflict — confirm directly with the college.
Strategic Note: Realistically this goes to students who are already enrolled and already doing well. The 3.0 floor plus a division chair recommendation means somebody in your major has to know your name and be willing to vouch for you, which quietly favors students who show up to office hours, join the department club, and are not invisible in class. Incoming freshmen are not shut out, since admissions recommends awards for new students too, but the machinery is built around current students. If your GPA is a 2.9 you are not in the conversation. If it is a 3.5 and a professor likes you, you have a real shot.
🏛️ Charleston Southern University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 31
Strategic Note: Rising juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA, full-time enrollment, proven financial need, and a strong application representing the Alumni Association well.
🏛️ Morehouse College
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Morehouse College Athletic Awards
GPA: 2.00
Strategic Note: Recruited student-athletes who maintain NCAA and academic eligibility.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Jacksonville University
AWARD VARIESGPA 3.5+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: At admission / rolling
Strategic Note: High-achieving community college transfer students with a cumulative transfer GPA of 3.5 or higher and verified PTK membership.
