Augustana is South Dakota’s largest private university, a Lutheran (ELCA) school of about 2,400 students in Sioux Falls, the state’s health care and banking hub. The sticker price is over $53,000, but nobody really pays it: every full-time undergrad gets Augustana scholarships or grants, and the academic award alone covers $22,000 to $29,000 a year. Starting with students who enter in Fall 2027, Pell-eligible families can get tuition fully covered through AU Launch.
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Augustana (Read This First)
Living off campus shrinks every Augustana scholarship. If your student is approved to live off campus or skips a qualified meal plan, Augustana pays 90% of its own scholarships and grants. Do both and it drops to 80%. On a $25,000 award, that is $2,500 to $5,000 a year.
AU Launch has strings. Full tuition is for Pell-eligible first-year students with a 3.0 who live on campus with a full meal plan. It covers tuition only, and recruited Division I and II athletes may not qualify.
You won’t know the exact academic award until the admission letter. Augustana publishes the $22,000 to $29,000 range but not the GPA or test cutoffs. Run the net price calculator before you visit.
Test-optional here, not at the state. Augustana’s academic award works on GPA alone, but the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship, Augustana’s SDOS Match and Dakota Corps still need ACT or SAT scores.
Talent money runs on its own calendar. Music auditions are due by Feb. 1 (Pro Musica Day is Feb. 14), and theatre and art by March 1. These are separate from the admission application.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Augustana University is test-optional for admission, but scholarships can work differently (see the next question).
Do you need test scores for scholarships at Augustana University? Academic Scholarship runs on GPA or ACT/SAT, so test-optional students still qualify. The state Opportunity Scholarship (and Augustana's SDOS Match) and Dakota Corps still need scores.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 21-27; SAT: 1190-1348.
Average net price? About $24,977/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Augustana University: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in November 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Augustana University has published. Colleges usually release next year's costs in the spring, and we update this page when they do.
Budgeting tip: costs typically rise 2% to 5% a year. For 2027–2028, plan on roughly $1,100 to $2,700 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
All students: billed cost per year
$53,522
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$43,132
Housing & meals (typical)
$10,390
Total billed cost
$53,522
Average federal net price: $24,977 per year.
This is what first-time, full-time students who received grant aid paid after grants and scholarships, based on the most recent federal data. It counts books and living costs, so it can run higher than the billed total above. Families who got no grants are not in this average, so many middle-income families pay more. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
One Price for Everyone, With a Housing Catch
Augustana is private, so a family from Minnesota or Iowa pays the same tuition as a family from Sioux Falls. There is no reciprocity deal to chase. The thing to watch is housing: the figures above use a standard double room and the full meal plan, because Augustana’s scholarships assume your student lives on campus. Rooms run from $4,580 for a traditional double up to $11,000 for a private Foundation Heights apartment, and choosing to live off campus trims Augustana’s own scholarships by 10% to 20%.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Augustana University
Does Augustana charge more for out-of-state students?
No. Tuition is $41,986 for every full-time undergraduate, wherever they live. Student fees add $1,146.
What does a family actually pay after aid?
The most recent federal figure is about $24,977 a year after grants and scholarships, roughly half the sticker price. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $18,700, and families over $110,000 paid about $27,300, so the spread between incomes is narrower than most parents expect.
Why does living off campus cost us scholarship money?
Augustana builds its awards around a residential student. If your student is approved to live off campus or drops the qualified meal plan, Augustana pays 90% of its own scholarships and grants. If they do both, it pays 80%. Federal aid is not cut.
What isn’t on the bill?
Books ($1,000), transportation (about $2,374) and personal expenses (about $4,316) are estimates Augustana uses for aid purposes, but they are not charged to your account. Music scholarship students should also budget for private lessons, $525 to $910 a semester.
Is J-Term included?
Yes. Full-time tuition covers 12 to 18 credits a semester and up to four January Term credits. Going over 18 credits in fall or spring costs $600 per extra credit.
Will the price go up each year?
Plan on it. Augustana doesn’t advertise a tuition freeze or guarantee, so ask the Office of Financial Aid whether your student’s scholarship rises along with tuition or stays flat.
Fall of senior year: Apply for admission (free). The Academic Scholarship comes with the admission letter. Send the Civitas Honors application by Oct. 31 for first review.
Feb. 1: Music scholarship audition application (Pro Musica Day is Feb. 14).
March 1: File the FAFSA. Theatre and art scholarship applications are also due.
March 13: Hatterscheidt Scholarship for South Dakota seniors with need.
June 1: Preferred date for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship application.
Parent rule of thumb: the admission letter sets the base, but the talent and FAFSA dates in late winter are where the extra money gets decided.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Augustana University
Every admitted first-year student is considered for the Academic Scholarship ($22,000 to $29,000 a year) just by applying. It is based on GPA or ACT/SAT, so test-optional students still qualify. Pell-eligible students entering in Fall 2027 can have tuition fully covered through AU Launch, again with no separate application.
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
Start with your state. The awards in this first group come from the state, not the college. They are decided by residency and the FAFSA, and they stack on top of whatever automatic merit award the college gives below. If you live out of state, use the toggle above and these will step aside.
State AidApp Required
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
📅 Deadline: June 1, 2027 preferred and September 1, 2027 final for fall entry (November 1 preferred, January 15 final for spring entry), in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal. The decision rests on the final high school transcript, so the senior-year schedule still matters. ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$7,500
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~24 ACT✎ ~1180 SATSouth Dakota resident at high school graduation, entering a participating South Dakota college within five years of graduating. Pays $1,500 in each of years one through three and $3,000 in year four, split evenly between fall and spring. Starting with the Class of 2027 there are two paths. Path 1: a 24 ACT composite or ACT-reported superscore (1180 SAT), the course requirements of the Advanced Honors Endorsement checked by subcategory and state course code with no final grade below a C, and an unweighted 3.0 GPA. Path 2: a 28 ACT (1310 SAT) with subscores of at least 18 English, 21 Reading, 22 Math, and 24 Science, with no course or GPA check. ACT Science is optional outside the school-day state test, and skipping it closes Path 2. To keep it: 30, 60, and 90 earned credits before the third, fifth, and seventh semesters of funding (missing one ends it permanently), a 3.0 cumulative college GPA (recoverable once with the Eligibility Reinstatement Form), and continuous fall and spring enrollment unless the Board approves an exemption. Apply in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal.
✚
Stacking & Combining
At Augustana this is the one state award that comes with a twin: Augustana matches the $1,500 in each of years one through three through its SDOS Match, so the pair is worth $3,000 a year early on. It stacks with the Academic Scholarship. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
South Dakota students whose transcript shows the Advanced Honors Endorsement, or who score 28 or higher with every subscore, Science included. The students who lose it after qualifying usually did nothing wrong in class. They took 12 credits a semester and reached the third semester with 24 credits instead of 30, which ends the award permanently, including the $3,000 fourth year.
State AidAutomatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
South Dakota Freedom Scholarship
📅 Deadline: No state deadline and no application. File the FAFSA early, because each university has a limited allocation and sets its own priority date and paperwork deadline. ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 5 yrs)
$3,000–$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All UndergradSouth Dakota resident for at least one year, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, with financial need shown on the FAFSA, pursuing a first bachelor's degree at one of 10 participating universities: Augustana, Black Hills State, Dakota State, Dakota Wesleyan, Mount Marty, Northern State, South Dakota Mines, SDSU, USD, and the University of Sioux Falls. There is no separate application: apply for admission and file the FAFSA, and the university invites eligible students. The amount is set by each university. Recipients sign a promissory note: keep a 2.0 college GPA, graduate within five years, then live and work in South Dakota for three years in any field, with a six-month grace period. Breaking it converts the scholarship to a 4% fixed-interest loan. Not renewed automatically; file the FAFSA every year. USD says student athletes are not eligible, so ask your school.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Augustana awards $3,000 to $5,000 a year on a rolling, first-come basis until its allocation runs out, and renewals require the FAFSA by March 1. It is last-dollar money, so a larger merit award can mean a smaller Freedom award. Break the stay-in-South-Dakota promise and it becomes a loan.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: South Dakota families with real FAFSA need, including middle-income families at the more expensive schools, whose student expects to stay in the state after college. The families who miss it usually filed the FAFSA late and found the school's allocation already spent. The ones who regret it moved away after graduation and turned the scholarship into a loan.
State AidAutomatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
South Dakota Needs-Based Grant
📅 Deadline: No state deadline. File the FAFSA early; each college awards from a small allocation. ✓ Renews
$500–$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All UndergradNo application. File the FAFSA, and each participating college picks the students on its campus with the highest unmet need after other grants, scholarships, and expected family contribution. Awards run $500 to $2,000, capped at the lesser of the student's unmet need or the college's matching aid. Funding is limited: state money comes from interest on a trust fund, allocated to each school by its share of Pell-eligible students and matched by the college.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Fills gaps after other aid, so it shows up late in the aid letter and only when unmet need remains. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Pell-eligible students with the largest gap left after everything else is applied. It is a small, limited pot, so an early FAFSA matters more than the family's exact numbers.
State AidApp Required
Dakota Corps Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Application window November 1 to December 15, 2026, in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal. This is the one state deadline a senior can miss in the fall. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA✎ ~27 ACTFor graduates of an accredited South Dakota high school who are South Dakota residents and U.S. citizens or nationals, with a 27 ACT (SDBOR's flyer says composite or superscore) and a 2.8 high school GPA, entering a critical-need field. For 2026-27 the fields are teaching, accounting and auditing, engineering, information technology, and registered nursing. Pays full tuition and generally applicable fees at a South Dakota public university. Amounts at private, technical, and tribal colleges are calculated differently. Not every eligible applicant is selected. Recipients work in a qualifying South Dakota occupation one year for each year funded, plus one.
✚
Stacking & Combining
State money separate from the college's own awards. Ask the financial aid office how it combines with the Opportunity Scholarship and college merit before choosing a major, since total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance. If the work commitment breaks, the award must be repaid; ask SDBOR for the repayment terms before signing.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
South Dakota seniors with a 27 or higher who already know they want to teach, nurse, engineer, work in IT, or do accounting at home after college. It is selective, so a qualifying score is a ticket to apply, not a guarantee. Students unsure about the major or about staying in South Dakota take on real repayment risk.
State AidApp Required
Jump Start Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Application window September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027, in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal. Non-Renewable
$1,500
✔ Stackable
For South Dakota residents who earn a diploma from a public South Dakota high school in three years or less, completing the recommended high school program, after attending a public South Dakota high school full time for at least two semesters. The student must enroll within one year of graduation at an accredited college, university, or technical school with a South Dakota campus. Pays $1,500 in the first year, split between fall and spring. Attending any part of a fourth year of high school disqualifies the student. Apply in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal.
✚
Stacking & Combining
A one-time first-year award that adds to college merit and other state aid, up to the cost of attendance.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Public high school students who planned early graduation with their counselor. It rarely surprises anyone into qualifying, so the families who get it are the ones who mapped a three-year schedule by sophomore year.
State AidApp Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Application window November 1 to December 15 each year, in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal. Students first awarded as juniors can renew for senior year by signing a new promissory note. ✓ Renews (2 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA🎓 UpperclassmenFor college juniors and seniors fully admitted to an elementary or secondary education program at a participating South Dakota college: Black Hills State, Dakota State, Northern State, SDSU, USD, Augustana, Dakota Wesleyan, Mount Marty, or the University of Sioux Falls. Requires a 2.8 cumulative GPA and a 2.8 average in major coursework, and U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. For 2026-27 every K-12 teaching position counts as critical need. The amount depends on remaining financial need and funding, capped at tuition and generally applicable fees for 30 credits at a South Dakota public institution, even at a private college. Not every eligible applicant is selected. Recipients teach in South Dakota for five years after graduating, or the award converts to a low-interest loan.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Based on need remaining after other aid, so it shrinks as other awards grow. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Education majors with financial need who are sure they will teach in South Dakota. It comes two years into college, not at senior year of high school, so families only find it if someone in the education department mentions it.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic
Academic Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$22,000–$29,000/yr
✔ Stackable
New first-year students offered admission. Full-time enrollment and good academic standing to renew. Assumes campus housing and a qualified meal plan.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with talent awards (music, theatre, art), the Buntrock Scholarship, the SDOS Match, legacy and family grants, and outside scholarships. The catch is housing: Augustana prorates its own scholarships to 90% if a student is approved to live off campus or skips a qualified meal plan, and to 80% if both. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Based on GPA or SAT/ACT score. The live page lists $22,000 to $29,000 per year for first-year students (older third-party listings still show the prior $21,000 to $28,000 grid). Renewable for full-time students in good academic standing. Tier cutoffs are not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Every admitted first-year student gets one, since 100% of full-time undergrads receive Augustana scholarships or grants. Augustana does not publish where the $22,000 and $29,000 lines fall, so the exact amount only shows up in the admission letter. Because the award runs on GPA or ACT/SAT, a strong GPA still counts for a test-optional applicant.
Full TuitionAutomaticincomepellresidential
AU Launch: Full Tuition
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
Full Augustana tuition, built from Augustana, state and federal grants combined
✔ Stackable
⚠ Pell-eligible students; D-I and D-II athletes may not qualify
🏫 3.0+ GPANew first-year students for 2027-28 only (current students are not eligible). 3.0 high school GPA through junior year. Must file the FAFSA and qualify for a Pell Grant. Must enroll full time, live on campus and carry a full meal plan. Division I and II student-athletes may not be eligible. No residency requirement.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Launch is a floor, not an extra check. Pell Grant, state aid and the Academic Scholarship all count toward covering tuition, and Augustana fills the rest. It covers tuition only, not fees, housing or meals, and it does not travel to study abroad. Students approved to live off campus get prorated Augustana aid instead.
💡
Strategic Detail
New for students entering Fall 2027. Renewable up to eight consecutive semesters while the student keeps filing the FAFSA, stays Pell-eligible with parent income under $80,000, stays full time and remains in good academic standing.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Pell-eligible first-year students with a 3.0 or better through junior year who are willing to live on campus. Augustana says households under about $80,000 are the most likely to qualify. Recruited Division I and II athletes may be left out, so athletes should ask before counting on it.
App Requiredresidency
Augustana SDOS Match
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$1,500/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ South Dakota residents who earn the state Opportunity Scholarship
South Dakota high school graduates offered admission as full-time undergraduates who meet SDOS eligibility and complete the SDOS application.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Augustana money that sits on top of the state's own $1,500 Opportunity Scholarship, so a qualifying South Dakota student sees $3,000 a year from the pair in years one through three. In year four the state pays $3,000 and Augustana does not match. Stacks with the Academic Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Qualify for and complete the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship application in the SDBOR Scholarship Portal, then enroll full time at Augustana.
💡
Strategic Detail
Augustana matches the state's $1,500 South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship in each of the first three years ($4,500 total). Recipients must keep SDOS eligibility to keep the match.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: South Dakota graduates who earn the state Opportunity Scholarship, which still needs a 24 ACT (or a 28 with subscores) even though Augustana is test-optional. Augustana is the only school in the state that matches it, which quietly adds $4,500 over three years.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Onlytransfer
Transfer Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$21,000–$27,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Transfer students only
🎓 TransferStudents transferring from another institution after one full semester of coursework. Minimum 2.0 college GPA recommended for admission.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Phi Theta Kappa award and talent scholarships. Same campus-housing proration as first-year awards.
💡
Strategic Detail
$21,000 to $27,000 per year, renewable. Cutoffs not published.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students transferring in after at least one full semester of college coursework. Community college students who plan the move early get the clearest offer, since the award is set at admission.
Automaticinternational
Global Leaders Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$24,000–$30,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ International students only
International students, based on academic credentials and country of citizenship.
✚
Stacking & Combining
International students' main Augustana award; it replaces the domestic Academic Scholarship rather than adding to it.
💡
Strategic Detail
$24,000 to $30,000 per year, renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
International first-year students. Country of citizenship is part of the formula, so two students with the same grades can land in different spots.
Data last verified Nov 8, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Note: Augustana does not publish the GPA or test score that puts a student at $22,000 versus $29,000. The net price calculator is the best preview before the admission letter arrives.
Automatic Merit FAQs (Augustana University)
Does every student really get a scholarship?
Augustana says 100% of its full-time undergraduates receive scholarships, grants or both. For most first-year students that starts with the Academic Scholarship, which comes with the admission offer.
Who qualifies for AU Launch?
New first-year students starting in Fall 2027 who file the FAFSA, qualify for a Pell Grant, have a 3.0 GPA through junior year, and live on campus with a full meal plan. Augustana says households under about $80,000 are the most likely to qualify. It covers tuition only, and it renews as long as the student stays Pell-eligible and in good standing.
Does AU Launch stack on top of the Academic Scholarship?
No, it works the other way around. Your Pell Grant, state aid and Academic Scholarship count first, and Augustana fills whatever tuition is left. Think of it as a promise that tuition is covered, not as an extra check.
What is the SDOS Match?
If your South Dakota student earns the state’s Opportunity Scholarship, Augustana matches the $1,500 in each of the first three years. That is $4,500 extra, and Augustana is the only school in the state that does it.
We’re from South Dakota. What state money can we get here?
Augustana takes the Opportunity Scholarship, the Freedom Scholarship ($3,000 to $5,000 a year at Augustana), the Needs-Based Grant, Dakota Corps, Jump Start and, for juniors and seniors in education, Critical Teaching Needs. Those rows appear above when you set the filter to in-state. See our South Dakota state aid guide for the fine print.
Is the Academic Scholarship renewable?
Yes, for students who stay full time and in good academic standing. Keep living on campus with a qualified meal plan, too, or the renewal comes in at 80% to 90%.
Augustana does not run a big full-ride competition. Its largest awards are automatic. The one major application-based award is the Buntrock Scholarship, which covers half of a family’s net price (up to $13,000 a year) for students active in a Midwest ELCA congregation.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Augustana?
Aid Type
Stacks with Academic Scholarship?
Parent Translation
Buntrock Scholarship
Yes
It covers half of what is left after your other Augustana awards, so it sits on top.
Music, theatre, art awards
Yes
Talent money adds on, but you get one music award (plus a $1,000 marching band bump).
AU Launch
Absorbs it
Launch counts your other grants first and fills the rest of tuition.
State aid (SDOS, Freedom)
Yes
SDOS is flat. Freedom is need-based, so a bigger merit award can shrink it.
Outside scholarships
Yes
Augustana won’t cut its own awards, though everything together can’t pass the cost of attendance.
If your family is active at an ELCA church anywhere in the Midwest, the Buntrock application is the single most valuable form you’ll fill out for Augustana. It needs a personal statement and a letter from your pastor, and a committee of Augustana and ELCA reviewers scores applications with names removed. At least 30 first-year students win it each year.
App Requiredreligious affiliation
Buntrock Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
$13,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Students active in a Midwest ELCA congregation
👥 ~At least 30 first-year students each year winners/yrNew first-year students active and engaged in a Midwest ELCA congregation. Must file the FAFSA.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Augustana academic and talent scholarships. Because it covers half of the net price after those awards, a bigger academic award can make the Buntrock dollar figure smaller. Same amount every year once awarded.
📄
How to Apply
1) Be offered admission to Augustana. 2) Complete the Buntrock application, including a personal statement on how you plan to stay engaged in the church before and after graduation. 3) File the FAFSA. 4) Have your senior pastor submit a recommendation (youth pastor, council president or another elected leader if the congregation has a vacancy).
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers half of the net price of attendance (tuition, fees, double room and qualified meal plan) up to $13,000 per year. Funded by a $13.8 million gift from Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock. Renewable for four years at the same amount with a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Recipients live on campus with a meal plan for the first two years, join faith and spiritual life programming and attend a first-year retreat. No deadline is published; ask the Office of Financial Aid.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-year students with a real, active connection to a Midwest ELCA congregation: youth group, choir, confirmation teaching, camp. Official membership is not required. A committee of Augustana and ELCA reviewers scores the applications blind with a rubric, so the personal statement and the pastor's letter carry the weight.
Data last verified Nov 8, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
Do we have to be ELCA members for the Buntrock Scholarship?
Not officially. Augustana looks for a meaningful, active connection to a Midwest ELCA congregation. Students from other Lutheran church bodies or other denominations are not eligible.
How much is the Buntrock Scholarship worth?
Half of your net price for tuition, fees, a double room and the meal plan, up to $13,000 a year. The amount stays the same all four years as long as your student keeps a 2.5 GPA and stays full time.
When is the Buntrock deadline?
Augustana doesn’t publish one. Treat it like an early-fall task: get admitted, file the FAFSA and give your pastor plenty of time to write the letter. Call the Office of Financial Aid at 605.274.5216 to confirm.
Does Augustana have a National Merit scholarship?
Augustana links to National Merit information but doesn’t publish its own National Merit package. A top scorer should expect the high end of the Academic Scholarship and should ask Admission directly.
What should students prepare for the Buntrock application?
A personal statement about how they plan to stay involved in church life before and after college. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder help organize the examples, and a brag sheet makes the pastor’s letter easier to write.
🧠 Parent Strategy: Talent Money Doesn’t Care About Your Major
At Augustana, a nursing major who played in the high school band can earn music money, and a biology major who built sets can earn theatre money. These awards stack on the Academic Scholarship, and most families never ask.
Get admitted first. Every talent award requires an offer of admission.
Marched in high school? The Viking Marching Band Scholarship is $4,000 a year with no audition.
Made All-State? The Music Honors Scholarship ($4,000) is awarded automatically after a placement audition.
Ask your church about a scholarship, even a small one. Augustana matches it up to $500 through PACT.
Tell Admission about any Augustana grad in the family, grandparents included ($1,000 a year).
Parent translation: the academic award is the floor. A band kid with a Lutheran grandparent and a church scholarship can add $5,000 to $6,000 a year without winning a single competition.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These awards aren’t automatic, but most stack with the Academic Scholarship. Music awards are the exception: you get one music scholarship, plus a $1,000 bump if you also march. Expect a form, an audition or a portfolio for most of them.
App Requiredtalentaudition
Pro Musica Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Audition application Feb. 1 per Augustana's aid page; in-person Pro Musica Day is Feb. 14 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$8,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Music audition required (any major)
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Academic Scholarship. Augustana music awards do not stack with each other, except the $1,000 Viking Marching Band add-on.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted, then submit the School of Music Scholarship Form with a recorded audition, or book an in-person slot on Pro Musica Day (Sunday, Feb. 14).
💡
Strategic Detail
$8,000 per year, renewable, plus $1,000 with Viking Marching Band participation.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: The strongest first-year audition players and singers, any major. Recipients play or sing in their placed ensemble and take private lessons every semester, which cost $525 to $910 a semester, so net out the lesson fee.
App Requiredtalentaudition
Bach Collegium Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$9,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Music audition plus Band or Choir participation
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Augustana music awards do not stack with each other (the $1,000 marching band add-on is the exception), so this is the top of the music ladder rather than an extra on top of Pro Musica.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted, audition through the School of Music, and complete the Bach Collegium registration form.
💡
Strategic Detail
$9,000 per year, renewable. Requires participation in Augustana Band or Augustana Choir, about three extra hours a week, one lecture concert per semester and private lessons each semester.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Early-music singers and players who also commit to the Augustana Band or Augustana Choir. It is the largest music award on the list and the least known, because it only appears on the School of Music page.
App Requiredtalentaudition
School of Music Scholarships (Honors, Studio, Ensemble)
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000–$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Music audition or All-State selection
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Students receive one music scholarship; the $1,000 Viking Marching Band add-on can sit on top. All of them stack with the Academic Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Be admitted and submit the School of Music Scholarship Form (recorded or in-person audition).
💡
Strategic Detail
Music Honors Scholarship $4,000 per year (formerly All-State Music Scholarship), Studio Scholarship up to $5,000, Music Ensemble Scholarship $1,000; each renewable and each adds $1,000 with Viking Marching Band. Augustana's financial aid page still lists Music Honors at $3,000; the School of Music page shows $4,000.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Music Honors ($4,000) is the easy one: it goes automatically to students selected for an All-State or honor band, choir or orchestra, then they audition for placement. Studio (up to $5,000) and Ensemble ($1,000) cover strong players and singers who did not make All-State. Non-majors are welcome.
App Requiredtalent
Viking Marching Band Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$4,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Marching band participation each fall
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Academic Scholarship. A student who also holds another music award receives the $1,000 band add-on instead of the full band scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the School of Music Scholarship Form and the marching band registration form. No audition.
💡
Strategic Detail
$4,000 per year, renewable. Participation required each fall plus up to three spring appearances. Augustana's financial aid page still lists $3,000; the School of Music page shows $4,000.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Any student who will march every fall, no audition and no music major needed. It means arriving up to a week early for band camp and a heavy fall schedule on game weeks, but for a high school band kid it is close to guaranteed money.
App Requiredtalent
Media Production & Entrepreneurship (MPRO) Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$4,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Interview or portfolio of media work
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Housed in the School of Music, so treat it as one of the music awards for stacking. Stacks with the Academic Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the MPRO registration form and an interview or portfolio review of your media work.
🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
$4,000 per year, renewable. Must enroll in MPRO 1001 in the first year and MPRO 1000 each semester.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who already run sound, video or streaming for school events or church. It pays for real work: recipients crew up to one event a week.
Be admitted, complete the Theatre Scholarship application and upload two contrasting monologues or a design portfolio.
💡
Strategic Detail
Up to $3,000 per year, renewable. Augustana's arts overview page still lists $1,000 to $2,000; the Pro Dramatis page and the aid page show up to $3,000. Arts scholars keep a 2.5 GPA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Actors and also the backstage kids: costume, lighting, sound, set and makeup designers all qualify. Any major. Recipients put in a weekly company call plus shop hours.
Be admitted, then submit the Art Scholarship application with 5 to 10 works in at least two media and a 300-word artist statement.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Up to $3,000 per year, renewable. Augustana's arts overview page still lists $1,000 to $2,000; the Pro Artis page and the aid page show up to $3,000. Arts scholars keep a 2.5 GPA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Art majors and minors with a portfolio across at least two media. Recipients help in the gallery early on and often work as studio techs later.
App Requiredmajor
YT Johnson Science Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Planned science major
🏫 3.7+ GPA✎ ~27 ACT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Academic Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the online scholarship application and an interview.
🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
$1,000 per year, renewable. 27 ACT, or 3.7 GPA when no ACT is submitted.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Future science majors with a 27 ACT, or a 3.7 GPA if they did not submit a score. Few families apply because it needs a separate form and interview.
App Requiredmajor
Fryxell Humanities Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Humanities majors, English and journalism preferred
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Academic Scholarship.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the online scholarship application.
💡
Strategic Detail
$1,000 per year, renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Incoming students headed for the humanities, with preference for English and journalism majors. The applicant pool is small.
App Requiredresidencyneed
Hatterscheidt Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 13 Non-Renewable
$2,500
✔ Stackable
⚠ South Dakota seniors with financial need
🏫 3.0+ GPASouth Dakota residents who are high school seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA and financial need.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Need-based money that adds to merit, up to the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Email financial.aid@augie.edu to apply and file the FAFSA.
💡
Strategic Detail
$2,500, non-renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
South Dakota seniors with a 3.0 and FAFSA-shown need who send the email before March 13. Most families never hear about it.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Onlylegacy
Alumni Legacy Award
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Family member with an Augustana degree
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Academic Scholarship and talent awards.
💡
Strategic Detail
$1,000 per year, renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students whose parent, grandparent, sibling or spouse earned an Augustana bachelor's or master's. Grandparents count, which many families forget to mention.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Onlyfamily
Family Tuition Grant
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Immediate family member enrolled full time
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other Augustana awards. Paid only in years when the family member is also enrolled full time.
💡
Strategic Detail
$1,000 per year while an immediate family member is enrolled full time.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Siblings (or other immediate family) enrolled full time at the same time.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlychurch
PACT Grant (Parish and College Together)
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$500/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Requires a scholarship from your church
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
A match on top of a church scholarship; stacks with everything else.
📄
How to Apply
Your church submits a PACT Agreement Form, or you submit the Report an Outside Scholarship Form. Notify Augustana by July 1.
💡
Strategic Detail
Augustana matches a church scholarship up to $500. Payments requested by Aug. 1 for fall and Jan. 1 for spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Any student whose congregation gives them a scholarship; Augustana's page doesn't limit it to Lutheran churches. Augustana matches up to $500, so even a $250 church award turns into $500.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Onlytransferhonor society
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Transfer students in Phi Theta Kappa
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Transfer Scholarship.
💡
Strategic Detail
$2,000 per year, renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Community college transfers in Phi Theta Kappa who remember to check the box on the application.
Automaticneed
Augustana Grant
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Based on FAFSA need
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Need-based Augustana money that fills in after merit. For Pell-eligible students entering Fall 2027 it is part of how AU Launch reaches full tuition.
💡
Strategic Detail
Amount varies, based on need. Renewable. Must file the FAFSA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Families with FAFSA-shown need who file by March 1. The amount is never published, so the net price calculator is the only way to preview it.
Data last verified Nov 8, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Money the college does not control. Federal programs, city promise funds, foundations, and employers. The college may help you apply, but someone else writes the check, and these almost always stack with the college's own awards.
Outside MoneyApp Requiredneedcitizenship
Horatio Alger Denny Sanford Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$25,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ Financial need and U.S. citizenship
🏫 2.5+ GPA👥 ~6 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Outside money. Augustana does not cut its own scholarships for outside awards, but total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance, which can trim loans or work study first.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the Horatio Alger scholarship application, which opens Dec. 1.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Six scholarships of $25,000 each, paid over four years. Requires financial need, community service, a 2.5 GPA and U.S. citizenship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who have pushed through real financial hardship and kept up community service. Only six are awarded, so it is a long shot, but a $25,000 one.
Data last verified Nov 8, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
Can my student get two music scholarships?
No. Augustana awards one music scholarship per student. The exception is the $1,000 Viking Marching Band add-on, which can sit on top of Pro Musica, Studio, Honors or Ensemble.
Do music scholarships cost anything?
Most require private lessons, which run $525 a semester for 30 minutes and $910 for 50 minutes in 2026-27. On a $1,000 Ensemble award, lessons can eat most of the money, so ask about the lesson requirement for your level.
Is the theatre scholarship only for actors?
No. Pro Dramatis covers designers and crew too: lighting, sound, costumes, sets, makeup and stage management. Students send a portfolio instead of monologues.
We see different amounts on different Augustana pages. Which is right?
The department pages are the most current. The School of Music lists Music Honors and Viking Marching Band at $4,000, and the theatre and art pages list up to $3,000. Some older Augustana pages still show lower numbers, so confirm with the department.
What if we miss the Feb. 1 or March 1 talent dates?
March 1 is a preferred date for theatre and art, and music auditions run through Pro Musica Day (Feb. 14). After that, call the department directly before assuming the money is gone.
Augustana’s honors option is the Civitas Honors Program, a small, citizenship-themed program built around team-taught seminars. It is a program, not a separate honors college, and each first-year cohort is capped at 40 students from any major. Students apply separately from admission.
Priority: 3.5 cumulative high school GPA, though the committee says intellectual curiosity matters most
Application: Civitas form plus a sample of your best high school work (an essay, art, research, a composition or a video)
Timing: Applications received by Oct. 31 are reviewed by mid-November, then monthly until the 40 seats fill
Civitas Honors Scholarship
App Required
Niebuhr Honors Scholarship (Civitas)
📅 Deadline: Applications received by Oct. 31 are reviewed by mid-November; review continues monthly until the 40-seat cohort fills. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
👥 ~Civitas first-year cohort capped at 40 winners/yrFirst-year students invited to the Civitas Honors Program. Priority for a 3.5 cumulative high school GPA. Civitas students keep a 3.0 overall GPA.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds to the Academic Scholarship. Augustana notes that some exclusions apply without listing them, so confirm in the aid letter.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the Civitas Honors Program application with a sample of your best high school work (writing, art, research, a composition or video). Accept your Civitas invitation and enroll as a first-year student.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Renewable $1,000 scholarship for first-year students invited to the Civitas Honors Program who enroll at Augustana. Not available to students who join the program after their first year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Curious first-year students who apply to Civitas early in senior fall. Priority goes to a 3.5 GPA or higher, but the committee says intellectual curiosity matters most. Students who join Civitas later in college do not get the scholarship.
Data last verified Nov 8, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
The Niebuhr Honors Scholarship is only for students invited to Civitas as first-year students. Students who join the program later in college do not receive it.
Timing Note: Civitas fills on a rolling basis. Getting the application in by Oct. 31 of senior year puts your student in the first review, before seats start going.
What Civitas Actually Adds
Small seminars: Honors sections of first-year religion and literature courses that students take anyway, so no extra general education load.
A vocation project: A senior thesis-style project in the student’s major, presented publicly.
Honors study abroad: Through the Principia Consortium at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
Funding for research abroad: Civitas students can apply to the committee for help with off-campus study tied to their project.
Civitas Honors Program FAQs (Augustana University)
Is Civitas admission automatic?
No. It is a separate application with a work sample, and the first-year cohort is limited to 40 students.
How much is the honors scholarship?
$1,000 a year, renewable. It is modest, and it adds on top of the Academic Scholarship rather than replacing it.
Will Civitas add extra classes?
Not many. The first-year Civitas courses are honors versions of religion and English courses that count toward general education, and the vocation project can count toward some majors.
Can pre-nursing or pre-med students fit it in?
Augustana says yes. With planning, students in heavy pre-professional majors have finished the program.
What GPA do Civitas students need to keep?
A 3.0 overall GPA.
Sources:
https://www.augie.edu/civitas
⭐ College Specialty
Augustana is a Lutheran liberal arts university that happens to sit in the middle of a medical town. Sioux Falls is home to Sanford Health and Avera, and that shapes what Augustana does best: health care, life sciences and the practical business fields that feed the city’s banking and fintech companies. Classes are small (about 12 students per faculty member), and the school has a steady record of national award winners, including 11 Truman Scholars, the most recent in 2026.
Nationally Known Program: Nursing: Augustana’s four-year BSN is CCNE-accredited and posts some of the highest NCLEX pass rates among South Dakota BSN programs. Clinicals run through Sanford, Avera and the Sioux Falls VA. A 16-month Accelerated BSN serves students who already have a degree.
Biology and Pre-Health: One of the most popular majors, with research and clinical access in a regional health care hub. South Dakota’s first undergraduate bioinformatics program is here too.
Business, Finance and Accounting: Includes a fintech program built with Pathward, plus internships in a city known for banking and payments.
Dual-Degree Engineering: A 5-year path that pairs an Augustana physics, chemistry or math degree with an ABET-accredited engineering degree from the University of North Dakota, plus other 3-2 partner options.
Sign Language Interpreting: A program few schools in the region offer, mixing ASL, interpreting, Native American studies and theatre.
Music: The Augustana Choir and the long-running Christmas Vespers concert are regional traditions, and music scholarships are open to every major.
Other popular paths: Exercise science, education, psychology, and computer and data science.
🔗 Official Augustana University Links
Use Augustana’s official pages below to check admission rules, scholarship terms, costs and institutional data. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines and award details.
Big picture? Augustana is a private school that prices like one on paper and then gives almost all of it back. Every admitted student starts with $22,000 to $29,000 a year, Pell-eligible families entering in Fall 2027 can have tuition covered outright, and South Dakota students get something no other school in the state offers: Augustana matches their Opportunity Scholarship.
The real wins are in the details. Live on campus so you keep the full award, chase the talent money even if your student isn’t majoring in music or theatre, and if you have an ELCA church in your life, put the Buntrock application at the top of the list.
For a nursing, pre-health or business student who wants a small school with a big city’s internships, Augustana can come in far closer to a state school than its sticker price suggests.
Your kid did everything right. That does not mean the money follows.
Most families build a college list first and think about scholarships second, which is backwards. This free four-part series shows you where the money actually comes from, and how to build a list around it.
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Written by Leo Dimilo
I started CollegeReadyParent while working through college costs for my own kid, and quickly figured out that the number a school advertises and the number a family actually pays are two very different things. Since then I’ve gone school by school pulling apart award letters, scholarship pages, and cost sheets to find what families are supposed to just know. This site is the version of that research I wish someone had handed me. More about Leo →
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