Southeast Automatic Scholarships
Also known as: scholarships in the South, Southern colleges with automatic merit, and Southeast merit aid schools.
If your student wants a college where strong grades and test scores can lead to real scholarship money, the Southeast – or what many families simply call “colleges in the South” – is one of the best places to look.
This region includes several states where public universities still publish clear merit charts, automatic scholarship tiers, or predictable admission-based awards. That can make the college search feel a lot less like guesswork.
What This Page Covers
- Colleges across the Southeast that offer automatic scholarships
- Schools where merit aid may be more predictable based on stats
- A faster way to compare regional options without checking each college one by one
- Helpful starting points for families trying to build an affordable college list
In plain English: this is the region where many families find the biggest gap between the sticker price and the price they might actually pay.
Some of these colleges offer automatic merit based on GPA alone. Others use a mix of GPA and ACT/SAT scores. And in several Southeast states, statewide programs can sometimes stack with college-based aid and lower the total cost even more.
Why the Southeast (and “Colleges in the South”) Are Worth Watching
The Southeast stands out because it includes some of the most merit-friendly public universities in the country. In states like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, and others, families can often find schools where strong academic numbers lead to clear scholarship opportunities.
That does not mean every school is cheap. It means this region gives families more chances to spot colleges where the price may become manageable before the final financial aid offer ever arrives.
For many families, that makes this one of the smartest regions to search first.
Colleges in the Southeast With Automatic Scholarships
The colleges below are pulled directly from our database for the Southeast region. As we expand the tool and update scholarship data, this section can grow automatically without needing a full page rebuild.
Maximum identified automatic merit in this area.
🏛️ University of Alabama Birmingham 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 3.25.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Alabama 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of South Florida 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 3.80.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Liberty University 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 2.70.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Central Arkansas 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Sewanee: The University of the South 🎓
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Full Tuition Opportunity.
GPA requirements start at 0.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Rhodes College
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $43,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Stetson University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $35,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Howard University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $30,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Florida Southern College
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $26,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Hampton University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $25,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Campbell University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $25,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Mississippi State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $24,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Lipscomb University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $23,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Georgia College & State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,326 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.64.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Louisiana State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Louisville
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Alcorn State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ George Mason University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.75.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Charleston Southern University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $19,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ The University of Tampa
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $18,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.80.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Samford University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $18,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Coastal Carolina University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $17,988 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ West Virginia University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $17,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Auburn University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $17,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $16,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.75.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Southern Mississippi
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $16,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Winthrop University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $15,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Emory University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $15,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.80.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Florida Gulf Coast University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $15,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Memphis
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $15,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.25.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Morehead State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $13,800 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Florida
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $13,718 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Kentucky
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Louisiana at Monroe
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,100 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Alabama State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.75.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ College of Charleston
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Tennessee Knoxville
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $11,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.80.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Central Florida
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 4.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Jacksonville State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Arkansas State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Old Dominion University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Tennessee Tech University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.40.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Lamar University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 0.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of New Orleans
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Murray State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.75.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Radford University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.30.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of South Carolina Upstate
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 0.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Louisiana Tech University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $9,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ McNeese State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $9,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.25.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of West Florida
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $9,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.60.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Mary Washington
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $9,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ East Tennessee State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $9,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Middle Tennessee State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $8,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Eastern Kentucky University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $8,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Mississippi (ole miss)
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $8,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Arkansas
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $8,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Grambling State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $7,683 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Western Kentucky University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $7,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $6,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Austin Peay State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $6,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $5,450 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $5,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Nicholls State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $4,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Tennessee–Martin
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $4,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Troy University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $4,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Southeastern Louisiana University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $3,750 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Northern Kentucky University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $3,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Christopher Newport University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $3,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.60.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $1,500 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.25.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Georgia State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $1,000 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.60.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Tennessee State University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.00.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Southern University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 2.75.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Bethune-Cookman University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ North Carolina A&T University
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.25.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Carolina Wilmington
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.90.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.90.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of South Carolina
Awards are automatically granted if stats are met.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
GPA requirements start at 3.50.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Furman University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $36,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Tulane University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $32,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Presbyterian College
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $30,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Wofford College
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $30,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Queens University of Charlotte
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $30,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Miami
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $28,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Mercer University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $25,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Belmont University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $22,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Richmond
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $22,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Gardner–Webb University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $20,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Jacksonville University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $18,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Elon University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $12,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Alabama
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ High Point University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $10,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Carolina Asheville
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $5,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Carolina Greensboro
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $5,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Georgia Institute of Technology
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $5,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Appalachian State University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $4,000 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Western Carolina University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of Georgia
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Clemson University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ University of North Georgia
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ James Madison University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
🏛️ Virginia Tech University
Awards are competitive and based on holistic institutional review.
Merit funding potential: Up to $0 / year.
Verified for 2026/27 Planning
Cut Out-of-State Costs: The Academic Common Market (ACM)
The Academic Common Market is a regional tuition program that allows students in participating Southern states to attend certain out-of-state public colleges at in-state tuition rates.
There’s a catch — it only applies to specific majors that are not offered in your home state. But when it applies, the savings can be significant.
- Who qualifies: Students from participating Southern states
- What you get: In-state tuition at an out-of-state public university
- Big limitation: Only available for approved majors that your home state does not offer
In plain English: if your student has a specific major in mind, ACM can turn an out-of-state school into an in-state price — sometimes saving tens of thousands over four years.
👉 See how the Academic Common Market works →
States Included in This Southeast Region
Right now, this Southeast page pulls from the state pages we have already built in this region:
Mississippi
One of the clearest states for published merit scholarship tiers.
Tennessee
Includes both campus merit and major state programs like HOPE.
Georgia
Strong state scholarship culture, especially for in-state families.
Florida
Bright Futures shapes the landscape, with added university merit at some campuses.
Alabama
One of the strongest states in the country for aggressive automatic merit.
Louisiana
A mix of campus merit and state aid, especially through TOPS.
Arkansas
Several merit-friendly options for students with solid GPA and scores.
Kentucky
Includes public universities where merit can meaningfully reduce total cost.
North Carolina
More selective overall, but still includes schools worth tracking for predictable merit.
South Carolina
A strong blend of state scholarships and institutional awards.
Virginia
Less broad than some neighboring states, but still includes merit-friendly options.
West Virginia
One of the better-kept secrets for automatic scholarships, offering predictable merit aid that can bring costs down fast-especially for out-of-state students.
Final Thoughts
Families often assume the biggest scholarships will show up at the most famous schools. In reality, some of the best automatic merit opportunities come from colleges that are simply trying to attract strong applicants and make themselves more affordable.
That is why a page like this matters. It gives you a faster way to spot real possibilities across an entire region instead of chasing random search results one college at a time.
As we expand the database, this page should become one of the easiest ways to compare Southeast colleges where merit aid is not just possible, but more predictable.
If this page helped you narrow the list, share it with another parent who is trying to find colleges that may actually be affordable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Southeast Automatic Scholarships
Do all colleges in the South offer automatic scholarships?
No. Some Southeast colleges publish clear automatic merit scholarships, while others use competitive or holistic processes. This page focuses on schools where merit aid is more predictable based on GPA or test scores.
Do automatic scholarships in the Southeast require test scores?
It depends on the college. Some schools still use GPA-only awards, while others require ACT or SAT scores to unlock higher scholarship tiers. Always check each college’s scholarship page for current requirements.
Can out-of-state students qualify for these scholarships?
Yes, many Southeast colleges offer automatic scholarships specifically for out-of-state students. In some cases, these awards are designed to reduce the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition.
Do automatic scholarships stack with state aid programs?
Sometimes. In states like Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, statewide programs may combine with institutional scholarships, but stacking rules vary by school. Always confirm how awards interact before making a decision.
Are automatic scholarships guaranteed?
They are not always guaranteed, but they are typically more predictable than competitive scholarships. Many colleges publish GPA and test score ranges that historically qualify for specific award levels.