Colleges with Scholarships for a 4.0 GPA
A 4.0 GPA puts your student in one of the strongest positions possible for merit aid. At this level, many colleges offer top automatic scholarship tiers, and some students begin to move into range for full tuition, full ride, and highly competitive flagship awards — especially when strong test scores or class rank are also part of the picture.
What this means: At a 4.0 GPA, your student is not just competitive for scholarships — they may be in range for some of the biggest merit opportunities available. The focus shifts from simple eligibility to maximizing award value and targeting the colleges most likely to reward that profile.
Important context: These results reflect scholarship opportunities at a national level. Some awards are automatic, while others depend on test scores, class rank, honors college admission, residency, or separate competitive selection processes. Always review each college’s full scholarship page for exact criteria and deadlines.
Browse 4.0 GPA Scholarships by Region
Regional views help families identify where top-tier merit scholarships, full tuition offers, and full ride opportunities are most common.
Scholarship Matches
Based on a 4.0 GPA | Nationwide
Showing Merit Scholarship Opportunities
These are colleges where a 4.0 GPA puts your student in range for high-value merit aid — including major automatic scholarships, full tuition opportunities, and some of the most competitive scholarship programs in the country.
Important: Higher-value scholarships at this level may still require separate applications, interviews, honors college admission, or earlier priority deadlines.
Scholarship Matches
Based on a GPA 4.0 profile. Institutions with actionable merit aid identified.
Colleges Listed
265
1000 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.
🏛️ Houston Christian University
$108,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Founders Scholarship
GPA: 3.88 | Ends: Tied to HCU's freshman admission cycle for the fall or spring term; admitted students are evaluated automatically with no separate scholarship deadline.
Strategic Note: Near-perfect students, roughly 3.88 unweighted and up with mostly A's since freshman year. This is HCU's top automatic tier and it lands with no essay, no interview, and no extra application. At $27,000 a year it covers about two thirds of tuition and fees on its own.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Oklahoma State University
$93,600 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Rising Scholar Institutional Nominee — Out-of-State (OSRHE)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Out-of-state nominees — OSU may nominate up to 45 students total across in-state and out-of-state combined. Competitive applicants typically have a 33+ ACT and a 3.9+ unweighted GPA.
+ 10 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Rhodes College
$43,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Cambridge Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1450 | Ends: Considered automatically with the admission application
Strategic Note: The very top academic admits: students with near-perfect GPAs, the most rigorous course loads Rhodes sees, and ACT scores at or above 31. This is the flagship tier.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Pepperdine University
$35,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ George Pepperdine Achievement Award
GPA: 3.60 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Most admitted students. 98 percent of new Seaver students receive institutional merit and/or need-based aid. A 3.60 unweighted, recalculated GPA in academic classes locks in the $16,000 floor; awards climb toward $35,000 with AP, IB, or honors rigor, strong essays, and leadership.
🏛️ Jacksonville University
$33,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Quinnipiac University
$32,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Student Academic Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Awarded with admission; no separate scholarship deadline
Strategic Note: Any full-time, on-campus transfer with at least a 2.5 cumulative college GPA is reviewed. Quinnipiac does not publish how it sets the amount inside the $26,000 to $32,000 range, but stronger college transcripts generally land higher.
🏛️ Valparaiso University
$31,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: No scholarship deadline. Merit is assigned during admission review, so apply early.
Strategic Note: Students in the 3.40–4.19 weighted GPA range. Those closer to 4.0+ with rigorous coursework tend to land at the $31k top of the range; the $29k floor is more typical for solid 3.4–3.6 profiles.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Trinity University
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ President's Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Feb 1
Strategic Note: Strong applicants who land squarely inside Trinity's admitted academic profile — solid recalculated core GPAs and rigorous course loads, but typically not at the very top of the applicant pool.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Saint Peter's University
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NJ
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Rolling; awarded with the admission decision
Strategic Note: Admitted freshmen with a 4.0 GPA who are not selected for the full-tuition Presidential Scholarship.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Presbyterian College
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ SC
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Founders Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Awarded at admission; no separate scholarship deadline
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a 4.00 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or South Carolina residents with a 4.85 or higher on the SC 5.0 scale.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Xavier University (Ohio)
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Musketeer Forever Scholars Program
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Apply to Xavier during senior year with all required materials; Early Action (Nov 1) gives the earliest decision.
Strategic Note: Ohio and Greater Cincinnati seniors with a 3.5 weighted GPA whose regular merit offer would otherwise land below $30,000. Think of it as a price guarantee, not a bonus.
🏛️ Robert Morris University
$29,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ RMU Freshman Merit Scholarship (Tier 1)
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: Rolling; awarded at the point of admission
Strategic Note: Freshmen with a weighted GPA of 3.90 or higher. RMU can recalculate GPA with its own method, so a borderline 3.90 is not a sure thing.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Evansville
$29,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Dean's
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1280 | Ends: Feb 1 (updated GPA or test scores accepted through Feb 1)
Strategic Note: Strong A students with a weighted 4.0, or an ACT 27 / SAT 1280. A very reachable award.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Alabama at Birmingham
$28,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Elite (Out-of-State)
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students at the very top of UAB's grid: 4.0+ GPA plus a 32+ ACT or 1420+ SAT on one test date. This is UAB's highest published out-of-state automatic award.
+ 9 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Alabama
$28,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 11 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Rider University
$28,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NJ
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Rider Merit Scholarships (First-Year)
GPA: 2.70 | Ends: Rolling. Early Action (Nov 15) gets priority scholarship consideration; a complete application by Jan 15 gets full merit consideration. Musical Theatre and Acting applicants must apply by Nov 15.
Strategic Note: Nearly every admitted first-year student receives a merit award. Higher GPAs and stronger course rigor land closer to the $28,000 ceiling, while solid-but-mid-range applicants typically receive awards in the lower part of the range.
🏛️ Saint Francis University
$27,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Trustees' Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Rolling with admission. No separate scholarship form.
Strategic Note: Freshmen with a 4.00 GPA up to just under 4.25.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Maryville College
$26,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 4.00
Strategic Note: Straight-A students with a weighted GPA at or above 4.0, which usually means honors and AP coursework rather than a perfect unweighted transcript. At a college with roughly a 1,150 student enrollment this is a small group, but it is a hard number and not a competition, so if you clear the line the money is yours. The catch families miss is the four semesters of Academic Mentor work. That is two full years of a campus job commitment tied to the largest award on the grid.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tulsa
$26,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ TCC Honors Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Rolling transfer admission — submit your application and official transcripts showing TCC Honors Scholar designation to be automatically considered at the time of admission review.
Strategic Note: Tulsa Community College graduates who earned their Associate's degree as a TCC Honors Scholar with a 3.50 GPA or higher. The Honors Scholar designation has to appear on the awarded Associate's degree — that credential is what triggers UTulsa's highest transfer award.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Missouri University of Science and Technology
$26,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Groundbreaker Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Automatic with admission; earlier completed files favored.
Strategic Note: Higher-achieving non-Missouri residents — especially strong STEM-bound students with solid high school academics and, if submitted, competitive test scores. The scholarship scales upward with academic strength.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Maine
$25,110 / YRGPA 4.0+ ME
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Global Flagship Match Commitment
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Dec 1 Early Action for maximum consideration; rolling after
Strategic Note: International students who graduated from a Maine high school and meet UMaine's academic criteria.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Milligan University
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Hampton University
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Office of Admission Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1000 | Ends: November 15 (completed Early Action application with official SAT or ACT scores)
Strategic Note: U.S. first-time freshmen with a 3.5+ unweighted GPA and official scores of 1000+ SAT or 22+ ACT who have a complete application in by November 15. Higher test scores push award amounts up, and because awards are rolling until funds run out, complete files that arrive early are the safest bet.
🏛️ DePaul University
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ State Scholar Plus Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: Nov 15 (Early Action required)
Strategic Note: Top 10% graduates with a 3.75+ unweighted GPA who apply by Nov 15. This is DePaul's answer to families comparing private vs. flagship-public costs — the package (up to $100,000 over four years) is designed to close that gap meaningfully.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Niagara University
$24,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Community college transfer students who are active PTK members, walk in with at least a 3.00 GPA, and submit membership documentation. This is one of Niagara's most generous transfer awards and beats the top standard transfer tier.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of New Mexico
$23,149 / YRGPA 4.0+ NM
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Arizona Reciprocal Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: May 1 (Fall) / Dec 1 (Spring)
Strategic Note: Arizona-resident transfers with at least a 3.0 cumulative transfer GPA. Brings out-of-state tuition all the way down to NM resident rates.
+ 16 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Providence College
$23,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ RI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ St. Rose of Lima Transfer Tuition Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Transfer priority: Apr 1; final: Jun 1 for fall entry
Strategic Note: Fall transfer students with at least a full year of college coursework, a 3.5+ cumulative GPA, and a demanding full-time liberal arts schedule.
🏛️ Georgia State University
$21,630 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Campus Atlanta Scholarship (100% Out-of-State Waiver)
GPA: 3.60 | Ends: Nov 15 priority; rolling afterward while funds remain
Strategic Note: The strongest nonresident freshmen above the minimum GPA threshold. A 3.60 college-prep GPA makes a student eligible for review, but it does not guarantee the full waiver because awards are limited and competitive.
🏛️ University of Missouri
$21,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Tiger Border County Award — Level 1
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: Priority application deadline
Strategic Note: Nonresident students living just across the Missouri border (in an actual bordering county, not just a bordering state) with a 3.8+ GPA. No ACT/SAT required — it's purely GPA-driven. A great option for test-optional students who live nearby.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Montana
$21,120 / YRGPA 4.0+ MT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition Discount
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1 (automatic consideration); space-available after
Strategic Note: Students from WUE states with at least a 3.0 who apply by December 1. UM calls it highly competitive and says not every qualified applicant gets it, because a scholarship committee picks from the pool. If you are not picked, you are still considered for UMAAS.
🏛️ University of Louisville
$21,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Michigan Technological University
$21,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ National Scholars Program (Non-Residents)
GPA: 3.35 | Ends: Nov 1 priority; Feb 1 final
Strategic Note: Incoming first-year students from outside Michigan whose GPA lands on the published grid. On the GPA-only path, a 3.35 earns $12,000 per year, a 3.75 earns $15,000, a 3.90 earns $17,000, and a 4.00 earns $19,000. Adding an official test score is the only way to reach the $21,000 Platinum tier, which is worth up to $84,000 across four years. No essay and no separate application.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Florida Southern College
$21,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Academic Merit — Tier 1 (3.75+ GPA)
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Top-performing transfers with strong college GPAs (3.75 and up) — students who genuinely built momentum at their first institution and are ready to level up at FSC.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Mississippi State University
$21,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Freshman Non-Resident Academic – ACT 31+, GPA 3.60–4.09
GPA: 3.60 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: ACT/SAT through February of senior year; priority date Dec 1.
Strategic Note: Non-resident students with ACT 31+ and GPAs 3.60–4.09.
+ 9 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
$20,942 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 21 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Georgia College & State University
$20,326 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Distinguished Scholar Out-of-State Tuition Scholarship
GPA: 3.64 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1179 | Ends: April 1
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with strong academics who meet the published GPA, SAT, or ACT threshold and complete their application early enough before funding runs out. The numbers matter here, but timing matters too.
🏛️ Indiana University Indianapolis
$20,046 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ IU Indianapolis Student Excellence Award
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: No scholarship deadline. Applied automatically at admission.
Strategic Note: Any admitted undergraduate from Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan or Puerto Rico with a 3.0 GPA or better. No competitive selection and no essay.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Samford University
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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: Admitted freshmen with a 3.5 or higher high school GPA and an ACT of 26 or higher or an SAT of 1240 or higher. Transfer applicants need a 3.5 college GPA and at least 24 completed credit hours. Students who submit no test scores are still considered, using a recalculated weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
🏛️ Christian Brothers University
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200
Strategic Note: This is the sweet spot tier for a solid A-minus student. A 25 ACT is right around the national average for college-bound testers, so this is genuinely reachable rather than aspirational. The GPA path is the quiet one — plenty of families assume they need a test score and never realize a 3.75 alone gets them here. If your kid is test-optional and has the grades, apply anyway and let the transcript do the work.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Lipscomb University
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Charleston Southern University
$19,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ SC
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Jairy C. Hunter, Jr. Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: No separate scholarship deadline; awarded on a rolling basis upon admission.
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with a high school GPA of 3.90 or higher. No essay, interview, or test score is required; the award is assigned once the admission file is complete. SC residents in this range who qualify for more than the minimum Pell Grant should also check Buc Promise, which can close the remaining tuition gap.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ New Mexico State University
$18,326 / YRGPA 4.0+ NM
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Competitive Tuition Discount
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 26 | Ends: Rolling — based on admission and credentials on file
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen meeting one of two combinations — 3.5 GPA with a 23 ACT, OR 3.0 GPA with a 26 ACT (transfers — 3.5 cumulative college GPA). Limited slots, so getting credentials in early is the practical advantage.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Alcorn State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ 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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🏛️ Seton Hall University
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NJ
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
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How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: Rolling for fall and spring entry
Strategic Note: Incoming transfers with a competitive college record. The higher the transfer GPA, the higher the award within the $5,000 to $18,000 range.
🏛️ Carson-Newman University
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.90
Strategic Note: Solid A students. A 3.90 is a real bar but it is nowhere near the top of the class at a school with Carson-Newman's admit profile, so a disciplined student who took a normal college-prep load and did the work clears it. The thing worth understanding is that this is a floor, not a ceiling. Landing here does not stop you from also chasing Insignis, an Honors award, or a departmental scholarship on top.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Tennessee Knoxville
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ International Volunteer Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: May 1 (admission); April 1 (test score receipt)
Strategic Note: First-year international students (non-resident visa holders graduating from non-U.S. high schools) with a 3.8+ UT Converted and Weighted Core GPA who apply by May 1 and have ACT/SAT scores received by April 1. The same three-tier grid applies as for OOS domestic students: 4.0 GPA + 34–36 ACT or 1490–1600 SAT = $18,000/yr; 4.0 GPA + 30–33 or 1360–1480 = $9,000/yr; 3.8+ GPA + 28+ or 1300+ = $3,000/yr.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ California Baptist University
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Trustees Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Rolling; follows general freshman admission deadlines.
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen (fewer than 24 transferable college units) with a cumulative weighted high school GPA of 4.0 or higher. CBU does not use test scores for admission or merit, so the transcript carries the whole decision.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Belhaven University
$17,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Michigan–Dearborn
$17,232 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tuition Differential Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Reviewed automatically once the student is admitted
Strategic Note: Michigan families whose residency paperwork got flagged, often after a recent move back to the state.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Massachusetts Boston
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UMass Boston Freshman Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: November 1 (Early Action I) for priority merit consideration
Strategic Note: Admitted first-year students with a recalculated GPA of 3.3 or higher who apply by Early Action I on November 1. Stronger course rigor, grades and recommendations move students into the higher tiers, and out-of-state students see the largest dollar ranges.
🏛️ Auburn University
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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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🏛️ Union University
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President's Scholarship (Freshman)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1260
Strategic Note: Strong students with a 27 to 28 ACT and an A-minus average. If your student is in this tier and sitting at a 27 or 28, pushing to a 29 does not raise this award by a dollar — but it opens the door to the Founders' Scholarship competition. That is the only reason to retake.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ West Virginia University
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WV
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Climb Higher Scholarship (Level 1)
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: August 1 for fall entry; January 2 for spring entry (admission, transcript, and test-score submission deadline).
Strategic Note: Students with at least a 3.8 high school GPA plus an official 30 ACT or 1360 SAT (superscored within the same test) who are admitted, with transcripts and scores in, by August 1. West Virginia residents receive $5,000 a year at Morgantown; out-of-state students receive $17,000 a year at Morgantown.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Oklahoma
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Award of Excellence (Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: Dec 15
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a 31+ ACT or 1390+ SAT and a 3.5+ scholarship GPA. At $17,000 per year, this brings OU's sticker price meaningfully closer to in-state rates.
+ 12 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Utah State University
$16,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Nonresident Scholar Award
GPA: 3.70 | Ends: Aug 1, 2027 (request it instead of WUE+ before fall classes begin)
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
$16,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: January 1
Strategic Note: Freshmen coming in with roughly a 3.8+ GPA and a 28 ACT (or SAT around 1300 and up) who lock in their admission application by January 1. UAPB rewards students who complete everything early — waiting until spring often means the top tier is already spoken for.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Boise State University
$16,339 / YRGPA 4.0+ ID
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Nursing Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: Dec 15
Strategic Note: Nursing-bound students from a WUE state with a 3.90 or higher unweighted GPA. The regular WUE excludes Nursing majors, so this is their only WUE path, and the GPA bar is much higher.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Idaho State University
$16,176 / YRGPA 4.0+ ID
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Rate
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: July 1 (fall entry); November 1 (spring entry)
Strategic Note: Students from WUE states with a 2.5+ GPA who apply by July 1. It is the safety net for western families whose student lands just under the 3.0 Bengal waiver line.
🏛️ Colorado State University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Green & Gold Scholarship (Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.20 | Ends: January 15 (fall start); November 1 (spring start)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state first-year students with a 3.2+ GPA, most admitted nonresidents who hit the GPA floor receive an award sized to a published grid. A 4.0+ GPA earns $16,000/year; the award steps down by tenths from there. National Merit Finalists, College Board First-Generation Recognition Scholars, and National Achievement Scholars who name CSU their first choice are automatically placed in the top $16,000 tier.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Kentucky
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Bluegrass Scholarship (Non-Resident, $16,000 Tier)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: High-achieving out-of-state students with a 30+ ACT or 1360+ SAT and a 3.50 GPA, or a 3.80 unweighted GPA without a test, who apply early.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Ball State University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: Dec 1 (priority)
Strategic Note: Top admitted applicants. Ball State does not publish hard cutoffs, but the scholarship calculator on their site will tell you what you qualify for once you plug in GPA, scores and state of residence. Run it before you assume anything.
🏛️ University of Nevada, Reno
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NV
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and Pack Exchange Program (PEP)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Friday before semester fees are due (Feb 15 recommended)
Strategic Note: Most B-average students from the 18 WUE states and territories who apply on time.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Oregon State University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Provost Scholarship (Nonresident Freshmen)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Nonresident first-years with at least a 3.00 unweighted GPA. Most recipients come in well above the minimum, and the dollar amount scales with the strength of the whole application.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Montana State University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Achievement Award (Non-Residents)
GPA: 2.70
Strategic Note: Any out-of-state freshman with a 2.7 or higher self-reported GPA who completes the admission application. The jump from $9,000 to $13,000 at a 3.29 GPA is the biggest single step on the grid, so students near that line should double-check the GPA they report.
🏛️ University of Kansas
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ KU Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.95 | Ends: Dec 1
Strategic Note: Top out-of-state and international admits with a 3.95+ GPA. No test scores required — KU uses weighted or unweighted GPA, whichever helps the student most.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Arkansas Tech University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ University of Idaho
$15,762 / YRGPA 4.0+ ID
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Invitation to Idaho (Non-WUE Nonresidents & International)
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Students from non-WUE states like Texas, Illinois, Florida or New York, plus international students, with an incoming GPA of 3.0 or higher. Below 3.0 there is no automatic nonresident discount.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Northern Arizona University (NAU)
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AZ
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President's Excellence (Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.50
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students from non-WUE states with a 3.5+ unweighted core GPA. This is NAU's strongest automatic award for non-WUE out-of-state students — $15,000 per year with zero application required.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Florida Gulf Coast University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Blue & Green Scholars Award
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1320 | Ends: Mar 1 (final application deadline)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with strong weighted GPAs and top-band test scores who get their application and official scores in by the November priority deadline. Waiting until the March final deadline puts your student behind families who moved earlier.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Miami University (Ohio)
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Merit Scholarship 3.95–4.29 GPA (Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.95 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: Strong out-of-state students with mostly A's and a solid dose of honors or AP courses. This is where a large share of competitive non-resident applicants land.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of New Hampshire
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NH
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: Nov 15 (Early Action) / Feb 1 (Regular)
Strategic Note: Strong admits whose recalculated weighted GPA falls in the 3.90–4.00 range — solid honors and AP transcripts, but typically a notch below the Trustee's-tier 4.01+ profile.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Campbell University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Virginia Commonwealth University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Washington State University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ WUE Cougar Distinguished Scholars Award
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: Mar 31
Strategic Note: High-GPA out-of-state students. Combined with the $2,000 WUEE engineering boost, WSU says this nearly closes the gap to in-state tuition for engineering and computer science majors.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Michigan State University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ MSU Non-Resident Scholarship
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Nov 1 (early action for maximum consideration)
Strategic Note: Domestic out-of-state students with a 3.4+ GPA are guaranteed at least $7,000 per year at the 1855 level. Stronger academics and demonstrated involvement push students into the $10K (Dean's), $12K (Provost's), or $15K (President's) tiers. There's no published ACT/SAT cutoff — holistic profile matters.
🏛️ Western Washington University
$14,910 / YRGPA 4.0+ WA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Apply by January 31 for priority scholarship review (November 1 Early Action gets the earliest review)
Strategic Note: Strong students from the 20 WUE states and territories Western lists, with unweighted GPAs above the 3.25 floor. Western says only a select group receives it, so a GPA just over the minimum is not a guarantee.
🏛️ Trevecca Nazarene University
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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.
+ 9 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Southern Utah University
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Founders' Non-Resident Eight-Semester Renewable Scholarship (East States)
GPA: 3.70 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: March 1 (Fall start); November 1 (Spring start)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students from outside the WUE region with a 3.70+ unweighted GPA. No test needed.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of North Florida
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ First Coast Waiver
GPA: 3.90 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: Jan 15 (freshman priority)
Strategic Note: Top nonresident freshman admits with a weighted 3.9 GPA and a superscored 1300 SAT / 28 ACT / 92 CLT, admitted by the January 15 priority date.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Memphis
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Texas Southern University
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Regents Scholarship (First-Time Freshmen)
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1370 | Ends: Funds-limited; align with TSU's freshman admission priority dates and apply early for best chance.
Strategic Note: Tippy-top of the class — students with very strong unweighted GPAs (3.75+), top-5% rank when available, and strong test scores when submitted. Apply early; this tier is the first to exhaust its budget.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Detroit Mercy
$14,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Detroit Mercy Transfer Grant
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Rolling. Apply for transfer admission as early as you can, since awards are set at admission.
Strategic Note: Every admitted transfer student with a 2.0 or better. This is the rare award with a published grid, so you can calculate it before you apply.
🏛️ Morehead State University
$13,800 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Rogers Scholar Award
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 19 | SAT: 990 | 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.
+ 6 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Wright State University
$13,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Green & Gold Scholarship – Lake Campus (3.80+ GPA, Non-Resident)
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: Feb 1
Strategic Note: High-GPA out-of-state students choosing the Lake Campus. $7,500 to $13,500 a year automatically.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Utah Tech University (formerly Dixie State)
$12,765 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Legacy Waiver (Nonresident)
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: July 15
Strategic Note: Out-of-state children of Dixie or Utah Tech graduates, especially students who do not reach a top academic tier. Families should budget for year two, when this waiver ends.
🏛️ Fort Lewis College
$12,696 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ New Mexico Reciprocal Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Must have applied to FLC by June 1 to be considered.
Strategic Note: New Mexico residents with 3.0+ HS GPA (or GED 165+ in all four subjects); lowers out-of-state tuition to the in-state rate.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Utah Valley University
$12,400 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Non-Resident Exemplary Scholarship
GPA: 3.70 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1280 | Ends: February 1 (admission application, transcript, and ACT/SAT scores on file)
Strategic Note: The next 10 strongest out-of-state seniors after the Presidential group, typically with a 3.7 to 4.0 GPA and a 27+ ACT, all on file by February 1.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Fort Hays State University
$12,200 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Special Out-of-State (SOS) Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Rolling; submit documentation as early as possible prior to the start of the academic year.
Strategic Note: First-time, full-time on-campus freshmen who graduated from a California or Florida high school with at least a 2.5 GPA and complete the quick SOS scholarship form. This award is a big deal — $12,200 per year ($48,800 over four years) essentially prices FHSU like a local school for CA and FL students.
🏛️ University of Louisiana at Monroe
$12,100 / YRGPA 4.0+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Warhawk Waiver
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: Apply by May 1. ULM must receive all official ACT/SAT scores by May 31.
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.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of North Alabama
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic & Presidential Awards
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1 freshman scholarship priority date
Strategic Note: Every first-time, full-time freshman who applies on time with a 3.00 unweighted GPA lands somewhere on the grid, with or without a test score. The catch is what testing costs you: a 3.6 student with no ACT gets $1,500, while the same student with a 28 gets $8,500. That is a $7,000 a year difference for one Saturday morning. UNA also accepts scores through the April test date of senior year, so a spring retest can still move a student up a tier.
🏛️ Eastern Michigan University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Emerald Scholarship
GPA: 2.50
Strategic Note: Traditional first-year students under 21 with U.S. residency and a cumulative high school GPA on a 4.0 scale. Almost everyone admitted gets something. The GPA floor is now 2.50, and test scores only matter at the two ends of the grid: they unlock the top two tiers for 3.75+ students and they are required to qualify at all in the 2.50 to 2.74 band.
🏛️ Western Colorado University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Rady Merit Scholarship (Engineering Partnership, Out-of-State)
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Accepted to Western and declared Engineering Partnership Program major by April 15
Strategic Note: The richest automatic award Western offers nonresidents: $9,000, $10,500 or $12,000 a year for a 3.5 or higher GPA. Limited to students admitted to the Engineering Partnership by April 15. Budget for the switch to CU Boulder tuition in the later years.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Iowa State University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Achievement Award (Nonresident)
GPA: 3.10 | Ends: Mar 1
Strategic Note: Most nonresident admits who land in the qualifying GPA/test grid. Students at the 4.0 tier capture the top $12,000/year award; lower tiers start at $3,000/year.
🏛️ University of North Texas
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UNT Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: March 1 (admission deadline)
Strategic Note: Any admitted freshman who hits at least a 3.25 unweighted GPA AND finishes in the top 25% of their class — the higher you climb on either axis, the bigger the dollar amount. Top 1% of class with a 3.75+ unweighted GPA hits the $12,000/year ceiling.
🏛️ Oakland University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Platinum Presidential Scholar
GPA: 3.90 | ACT: 33 | SAT: 1450 | Ends: March 1 for fall; Dec 1 for winter; July 1 for summer.
Strategic Note: The top tier of incoming freshmen — students carrying a 3.90+ GPA alongside an ACT of 33 or higher (or SAT of 1450+). These are the students OU is actively competing to enroll, and the $48,000 package over four years reflects that. Platinum recipients are also the only group eligible to apply for the Pescovitz Presidential full-tuition top-up through the Honors College.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Southern Arkansas University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Distinguished Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: March 1 (early decision January 15); awards are limited and may run out sooner
Strategic Note: Straight-A students with a 30-plus ACT. If you have the numbers, this is yours to claim as long as you apply before funds run out, so the real winners are the organized families who file in the fall.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Alaska Fairbanks
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AK
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Nanook Pledge Scholarship (Nonresident Rate)
GPA: 3.20 | Ends: June 15 (fall), November 1 (spring) admission deadline
Strategic Note: Admitted nonresident first-year students paying the full nonresident tuition rate with a high school GPA of 3.2 or higher. The grid pays $12,000 a year at 3.8 and up, $8,000 at 3.5 to 3.79, and $5,000 at 3.2 to 3.49. No essay and no separate application. Test scores are not used.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Southern Indiana
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Rolling (awarded with admission)
Strategic Note: High-achieving out-of-state freshmen with at least a 3.5 GPA who are willing to live on campus year one. At more than $12,000 annually, this can dramatically close the gap between in-state and out-of-state pricing at USI.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Prairie View A&M University
$11,400 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Academic Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1190 | Ends: April 1
Strategic Note: Strong first-time freshmen with at least a 3.25 GPA and an ACT 24 or SAT 1190 in a single sitting who finish admission and testing early. This is the second-tier automatic award — solid academic profiles, not quite Regents-level numbers.
🏛️ Grand Valley State University
$11,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1430 | Ends: Considered automatically at admission review. Updated transcripts and test scores accepted for reconsideration through August 27, 2027.
Strategic Note: The top academic admits, with a 3.8 or better unweighted GPA and a 32 ACT or 1430 SAT. This is the only GVSU award where a test score actually changes the number. A 3.8 student with no score submitted gets $6,000. The same student with a 32 ACT gets $11,000. That one test is worth $5,000 a year, or $20,000 across four years.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Oral Roberts University
$11,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tier 1 Freshmen Academic Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Feb 1 priority; rolling admission after
Strategic Note: Admitted incoming freshmen who land a 4.0 unweighted cumulative high school GPA and enroll full time on the residential campus. No essays, no interviews — your transcript does the talking.
+ 8 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Jacksonville State University
$10,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Gamecock Prestige
GPA: 2.00 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1390 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: Top test scorers (31+ ACT or 1390+ SAT) with at least a 2.0 GPA, with the highest awards reserved for students whose GPA is 3.0 or above.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Radford University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Radford Excellence Scholarship (Out-of-State)
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: February 1 (apply for admission by this date to be reviewed for automatic merit)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with a 4.0 or higher GPA who apply for admission by Feb. 1. At $10,000 a year, it covers roughly two-thirds of the out-of-state premium (about $14,466 in 2026-27 tuition and fees).
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Southern Mississippi
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ MS
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Florida Atlantic University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Spirit of Atlantic / HOOT Scholarship (Non-Resident: Tier 1)
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1410 | Ends: Apply by FAU's freshman priority deadline
Strategic Note: Non-Florida freshmen who are US citizens or permanent residents and meet the Tier 1 band — a 4.0 GPA plus 1410 SAT, 32 ACT, or 101 CLT. Automatic at admission, so your strongest test on file at review time is what matters.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Tennessee Tech University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholars: $10,000 (ACT 36 / 3.75 GPA)
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 36 | SAT: 1570 | Ends: Dec 15 (admission for full award); Jan 15 (scores/transcript); Jun 1 (secondary deadline for reduced award)
Strategic Note: Students with a 3.75+ unweighted GPA, a 36 ACT or 1570–1600 SAT (single sitting — no superscoring), and a transcript received by Tech no later than Jan 15. This is the top of the grid and goes to genuinely elite academic performers.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Murray State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Trustee
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 33 | SAT: 1450 | Ends: No separate scholarship application; awarded at admission. New ACT/SAT scores and GPA are accepted through mid-August before fall classes begin.
Strategic Note: Murray State's highest automatic merit tier goes to very high-stat domestic freshmen with a weighted GPA near the top of the scale and a 33+ ACT or 1450+ SAT. This is predictable money if the student's scores and transcript are on file in time.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Colorado Denver
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Automatic Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Awarded automatically with admission and shown in the admission letter
Strategic Note: International first-years and transfers with a 3.0+ GPA on the U.S. 4.0 scale who enroll in on-campus programs and aren't sponsored by a government or employer.
🏛️ Santa Clara University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ SCU Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: SCU transfer admission application deadline; TAA must be approved by March 15.
Strategic Note: Transfer students entering in fall from approved Bay Area community colleges who have an approved TAA, at least 30 transferable units, and a 3.3+ GPA. This is one of SCU's most under-talked-about funding streams for community college transfers — well worth the upfront TAA paperwork.
🏛️ Kansas State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship (former automatic)
GPA: 3.90 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420
Strategic Note: No longer awarded to 2026-2027 entrants; see current Kansas Resident Awards grid.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of South Carolina Upstate
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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; apply early. Students must be unconditionally admitted before scholarship deadlines.
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students in the top 20% with a 3.0 GPA and a 1000+ SAT on file who apply early.
🏛️ University of Arkansas at Little Rock
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor’s Academic Distinction
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1030 | Ends: August 1 (admission plus transcript and test scores on file)
Strategic Note: 4.0 GPA students with at least a 20 ACT or 1030 SAT who live in Arkansas or a contiguous state, complete admission early, and get transcripts and scores to UA Little Rock by August 1.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Queens University of Charlotte
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
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 Utah
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President John R. Park Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Dec 1
Strategic Note: Students with a straight-A unweighted transcript whose application and official transcript were in by December 1.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Louisiana Tech University
$9,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ William Carey University
$9,100 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ East Tennessee State University
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Merit Scholarship — Elite
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: With admission
Strategic Note: Top academic international undergraduates around a 3.7+ GPA at admission.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Eastern Kentucky University
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Regent's Award
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1310
Strategic Note: This is EKU's top in-state automatic merit tier for very strong Kentucky students. The clearest winners are students with at least a 3.8 unweighted GPA and a 28 ACT or 1310 SAT who plan to enroll full-time on campus. GSP students with qualifying test scores may receive this award regardless of GPA.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Mary Washington
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Award Out of State
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: Nov 15 (priority) / Feb 1 (final consideration)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a 4.0 weighted GPA and a 1300+ SAT or 27+ ACT who live on campus.
+ 15 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Tampa
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Weber State University
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Ben Lomond Scholarship (Nonresident Transfer)
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: rolling (year-round, first-come, first-served)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state transfer students with a 3.75+ cumulative transfer GPA who finish their WSU admission paperwork well before the slot allocation runs out.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ McNeese State University
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of South Florida
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Green & Gold Directors Waiver (Nonresident)
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 29 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Strong nonresident admits; brings costs close to in-state
🏛️ Texas Tech University
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Merit Scholarship — $9,000 Tier
GPA: 3.96 | ACT: 34 | SAT: 1500 | Ends: April 1
Strategic Note: This is the very top corner of the grid: students with an unweighted GPA between 3.96 and 4.00 AND a 1500+ SAT or 34+ ACT (superscored), admitted by April 1. If your student is a near-4.0 with elite test scores, this $9,000-per-year award is essentially their floor.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Tennessee State University
$8,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ TSU Renaissance Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | 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 3.75 or higher OR ACT 28+ or SAT 1300+ who get their admission file complete early — awards are rolling and funds are finite, so timing matters.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Alabama State University
$8,328 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ M-9 Promise (Out-of-State Tuition Offset, Freshmen)
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: July 30
Strategic Note: This is the clearest Marion 9 out-of-state freshman 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 freshmen who meet the GPA requirement and are admitted.
🏛️ Central Michigan University
$8,250 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Maroon and Gold Merit (3.95 to 4.0 GPA)
GPA: 3.95 | Ends: Dec 1
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen with a 3.95 to 4.0 GPA. These students are exactly the Centralis applicant pool, and a Centralis win replaces this award rather than adding to it.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Toledo
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Rocket Nation Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: January 19 priority date; after that, awarded as funds remain
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with a 3.0+ GPA who apply by the priority date. No separate application.
🏛️ Middle Tennessee State University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Virginia State University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Excellence (Honors) Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: May 1
Strategic Note: Incoming first-time freshmen with a 4.0 GPA at time of application; award also confers Honors College admission.
🏛️ Colorado State University Pueblo
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholar
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1370 | Ends: May 1 (admission application, transcript, optional scores)
Strategic Note: Students at the very top of their class: a 4.0 weighted GPA, a 30 ACT or 1370 SAT, or top 2% rank. Any one of the three is enough.
🏛️ Northern Illinois University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Freshman Merit Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 1 (Summer/Fall priority); Oct 1 (Spring priority)
Strategic Note: Almost every admitted freshman with a 3.0 or better. This is a broad automatic award, not a competition. The $8,000 tier requires a 4.0. Most students land somewhere in the $3,000 to $7,000 range. Test scores play no part in it at all.
🏛️ University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WI
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Merit Award – Nonresident Tier 3 ($8,000)
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: Dec 1 (priority) / Feb 1 (final) admission deadline for automatic consideration.
Strategic Note: Top-of-class nonresident admits with an unweighted GPA of 3.8 or higher. These are the A and A+ students who stand out immediately in UWEC's admit pool — the award kicks in automatically, so the only job is applying early.
🏛️ Bowling Green State University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Freshman Academic Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: New international first-year students coming straight from high school. The award is tiered by GPA plus English proficiency or test scores, from $1,000 a year (3.0 GPA, TOEFL 71) up to $8,000 a year (3.7 GPA or higher with TOEFL 101, ACT 31 or SAT 1380). No separate application.
🏛️ University of West Florida
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Admissions Academic Merit — Out-of-State Tier 1
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 31 | SAT: 1400 | Ends: Early December — Scholarship Priority Consideration Deadline for the following Summer/Fall entering class
Strategic Note: Admitted freshmen sitting in the top (weighted 4.0+ GPA with 31+ ACT / 1400+ SAT / 101+ CLT) band who get their file — application, transcript, and official test scores — complete by that early-December priority deadline. This one is truly automatic. If your child hits the marks and you file on time, it's theirs.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Lamar University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Excellence Scholars
GPA: 3.95 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Top-25% high school seniors with a recalculated 5.0-scale weighted GPA at or above 3.95, or solid test-takers with SAT 1200–1320 / ACT 25–28, who finish their Lamar admission application by the January 15 priority date.
🏛️ University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
$7,914 / YRGPA 4.0+ WI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Titan National Scholar (Non-Resident)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Rolling with admission
Strategic Note: Virtually every admitted out-of-state freshman (excluding Minnesota residents, international students, and online/specialty program students) who has at least a 2.5 unweighted high school GPA. There's no application to submit and no cap on the number of recipients — if you qualify academically, you're in.
🏛️ Grambling State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Scholarship (25+ ACT)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: January 31 (automatic academic scholarship consideration for students who apply by this date)
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with a 25 ACT or better, 1200 SAT or better, and a 3.0 GPA, applying by January 31. The 28 ACT and 3.5 GPA sub-tier with campus housing is the closest thing Grambling has to a full ride, and for a Louisiana resident with TOPS it effectively is one.
🏛️ Colorado Mesa University
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Trustee Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Submit the New Student Enrollment Form by May 1, 2027 for a summer or fall 2027 start. First-time students from Mesa, Montrose, Delta, Garfield and Eagle counties remain eligible after that date. Updated GPA or test scores must reach CMU by August 1, 2027 for reconsideration.
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with a 3.90-4.0+ GPA and 1200+ SAT or 25+ ACT.
🏛️ Western Kentucky University
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Scholarship: 3.80+ GPA and 30 ACT / 1360 SAT
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: Fully admitted to WKU by December 31 of senior year, with the official high school transcript and ACT or SAT scores on file. WKU uses the best single test date; superscores are not considered.
Strategic Note: This is the cleanest automatic win at WKU: students with a 3.80–4.00 unweighted GPA plus a 30+ ACT or 1360+ SAT who get the file completed by the scholarship deadline.
🏛️ University of Northern Colorado
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Trustee Nonresident
GPA: 4.00
Strategic Note: Nonresident and international first-year students who enter UNC with a 4.00 weighted high school GPA and enroll in at least 12 credits per term. The 4.00 is the only gate, no test scores, no essays.
+ 7 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Missouri–Kansas City
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Blue and Gold Distinguished Award
GPA: 3.65 | ACT: 30 | Ends: Rolling; priority consideration for fall if admitted by January 15
Strategic Note: The highest-achieving incoming freshmen who hit both bars — ACT 30 or higher AND at least a 3.65 high school core GPA. This is UMKC's top automatic award, introduced for Fall 2026.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Illinois Chicago
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Fellows Award (AIM HIGH)
GPA: 3.70 | Ends: Application and FAFSA or Illinois RISE application both due November 2, 2026
Strategic Note: Illinois students who hit one of the three academic paths and also clear the income test, and who get the application and the FAFSA in by November 2.
🏛️ Southern University
$7,350 / YRGPA 4.0+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Jaguar Out-of-State Fee Waiver
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1160 | Ends: Granted at admission; no separate scholarship application
Strategic Note: New out-of-state freshmen who meet any one of the three thresholds, plus transfer students with a 2.75 transfer GPA, who enroll full time and file the FAFSA.
🏛️ Grand Canyon University
$7,250 / YRGPA 4.0+ AZ
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: At admission (rolling); Chancellor awards are limited and offered first-come, first-served
Strategic Note: Students walking in with a genuine 4.0 unweighted GPA who apply and commit early enough to grab one of the limited Chancellor spots before they're gone.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Longwood University
$7,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Incoming first-year students with a 4.0+ high school GPA who apply by the Early Action deadline and have strong overall applications. Early Action applicants are guaranteed up to $7,000/year; Regular Admission applicants are in the running for up to $6,000/year but it's not locked in. Either way, this is Longwood's top automatic merit tier.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Central Arkansas
$6,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Achievement Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Jan 25
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen who post a perfect 4.0 through the 6th/7th semester and get admission and documents in by the January 25 deadline. No test scores or essays required, but the GPA has to be clean.
🏛️ Liberty University
$6,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Liberty Academic Scholarship Tier 6
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: Rolling
Strategic Note: Students who graduate high school with a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA. At this level, even without a test score, the base award is $6,500/year, and adding an SAT 1240+/ACT 26+ score pushes it to $7,500. Hit SAT 1540+/ACT 35+ and the entire award converts to full tuition.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Colorado Colorado Springs
$6,250 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UCCS Peak Award
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1110 | Ends: Awarded automatically at admission; no separate application. UCCS does not publish a hard cutoff on its awards page, and past cycles stopped awarding on June 1 for fall entry, so apply early.
Strategic Note: Out-of-state, non-WUE freshmen and transfers with roughly 3.5+ weighted HS GPAs (or transfer GPAs of 3.0+ with at least 24 credit hours) who enroll full-time and keep moving forward academically. Students in the 3.0–3.49 weighted GPA range without test scores get a second look through a supplemental form.
🏛️ Stephen F. Austin State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Excellence Scholarship ($6,000 tier)
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: June 30
Strategic Note: Valedictorian-tier admits , students with a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.75 or higher who also rank in the top 1% of their graduating class. If your student is the academic standout of their high school, this is where they land on the chart.
🏛️ Austin Peay State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: November 15 admissions priority date for scholarship consideration.
Strategic Note: Students who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in high school — no test scores required. Course rigor can strengthen an application but isn't an eligibility factor. These are the students who walked away with straight A's and want that work recognized on day one. Worth saying plainly: the 75 service hours per semester are real work, and a family should price that in before treating this as free money.
🏛️ University of Oregon
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ IB Diploma Scholarships
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Students who earn the full IB Diploma, send official exam scores, and carry at least a 3.40 GPA. Higher IB totals pay more, and nonresidents receive double the resident amount at every tier.
🏛️ University of Colorado Boulder
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Excellence Scholarship (Nonresident)
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: June 1 (fall); Oct 1 (spring)
Strategic Note: Nonresident transfer students with strong college performance (3.75+ GPA) and at least 12 post-high-school credits. It's CU Boulder's flagship transfer merit award for the out-of-state pool.
🏛️ Portland State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OR
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Out-of-State Opportunity Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: June 15 (apply to PSU); Aug 1 (final transcripts)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students who do not qualify for WUE, either because they live outside the western states or fall short of the 3.0 GPA and test thresholds. It is fully automatic with no essay.
🏛️ Troy University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ ONETROY Transfer Scholarship (Troy Campus)
GPA: 2.50
Strategic Note: Almost any transfer student who clears 45 hours and a 2.50 gets something here, and the low bar is intentional. The real question is not whether you qualify, it is which tier you land in, and the jumps are a thousand dollars apiece. If your student is sitting at a 2.97 or a 3.47, one more strong semester at their current school is worth $1,000 a year for two years before they ever transfer.
🏛️ Arkansas State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Wayne State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Warrior Transfer Award
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Complete your undergraduate admission application by the transfer scholarship deadline. No separate scholarship application is required.
Strategic Note: Community college transfers who hit 24 credits and a 3.0. Unlike the first-year awards, these thresholds are published, so you can actually plan around them.
🏛️ Western Illinois University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ International Undergraduate Freshman Scholarship – Upper Tier
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Guaranteed scholarship deadline is August 1 for fall entry and January 1 for spring entry. Students admitted after these dates are reviewed for awards based on available funding.
Strategic Note: New, non-sponsored international freshmen who enter WIU with fewer than 24 college credits and whose GPA is confirmed by WIU at 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. This scholarship cannot be earned after arriving on campus — GPA must be verified at the point of admission.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Tennessee Southern
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ University of Wyoming
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WY
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Pokes Transfer Commitment (Non-Resident & International Transfers)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: August 1 (fall start enrollment confirmation); January 5 (spring start)
Strategic Note: Nonresident and international transfer students with a cumulative transfer GPA of 3.0 or higher and at least 12 transfer credits. Three flat levels: $2,000 at 3.00 to 3.30, $4,000 at 3.31 to 3.84, $6,000 at 3.85 to 4.00. No essays, no test scores, no separate application.
🏛️ University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Platinum
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 30 | Ends: May 1 (annual Fall merit scholarship deadline)
Strategic Note: Top-of-the-class seniors landing a 30 ACT alongside a 4.0 GPA, or students earning valedictorian status — that alternate route in is easy to miss on a first read of the criteria.
🏛️ Mississippi University for Women
$5,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Southern Illinois University Carbondale
$5,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ University Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: Rolling. Awarding begins in September for Fall 2027 admits and in October for Spring 2028 admits, and concludes when funds are exhausted.
Strategic Note: Top A-range students with unweighted GPAs of 3.8 or above who are admitted early enough to receive funding. No test scores required. These same students are the only ones eligible to pursue the Chancellor's Scholarship — so this automatic award is really the first step toward SIU's most prestigious honor.
🏛️ University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
$5,450 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of St. Thomas
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Automatic with transfer admission; PTK membership must be verified.
Strategic Note: Community college transfer students who hold active PTK membership and have a 3.0+ college GPA. If you earned your PTK pin at a two-year school, this award kicks in automatically when you transfer.
🏛️ University of Tennessee–Martin
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Indiana State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Incentive Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: May 1 (fall admission); Dec 15 (spring admission)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state freshmen with a 3.0+ GPA who live outside Indiana and aren't eligible for a regional rate — essentially any motivated non-Indiana student who earns a college-prep diploma.
🏛️ LSU New Orleans
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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 to 4.00 non-weighted cumulative GPA qualify on grades alone, no test score needed. Students at 3.0 or better who also post a 30 ACT or 1360 SAT qualify through the combined path. Realistic for a student who kept a strong record all four years, and there are no extra hoops.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Elon University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: No separate application. Awarded during admission review; apply by the November 1 admission deadline for full consideration.
Strategic Note: Engineering or computer science applicants who took the PLTW track in high school and kept a perfect GPA. This is one of the few Elon awards with a hard published cutoff, so it is easy to tell in advance whether you qualify.
🏛️ Western Michigan University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Bronco Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.60 | Ends: Early Action (Dec 1)
Strategic Note: First-year fall admits with a 3.60 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale who have a complete application file by Dec 1. WMU recalculates transcripts that are not already on a 4.0 scale, so weighted GPAs get converted. Where your student lands inside the $14,000 to $20,000 range comes down to how far above 3.60 that recalculated GPA sits.
🏛️ Coppin State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MD
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Gold First-Year Student Merit Award
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: First-year applicants at or above a 3.0 GPA who get the admission application in before December 1. Coppin encourages essays, resumes, and recommendations even though they are optional, so students who send them give the committee more to go on.
🏛️ Tuskegee University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tuskegee University Transfer Grant
GPA: 3.20
🏛️ Illinois State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Redbird Academic Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Nov 1 (priority admission deadline)
Strategic Note: New domestic freshmen who apply by Nov 1 with a 3.0+ cumulative high school GPA. Award amounts are set by how competitive the applicant pool is that year, so stronger GPAs generally land toward the higher end of the range.
🏛️ Southeast Missouri State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Copper Dome Scholarship (4.0 GPA)
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: March 1 for fall; November 1 for spring. Awards are made at the time of admission.
Strategic Note: Beginning freshmen with a perfect 4.0 high school GPA who don't qualify for the President's Scholarship (typically because they don't meet the test score threshold) and meet SEMO's standard admission requirements. If your student has the GPA but not the 28 ACT or 1300 SAT, this is their award.
🏛️ Nicholls State University
$4,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ LA
●Automatic
Predictable tier-based criteria
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Academic Honor Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 21 | Ends: Jan 31
Strategic Note: Students with at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA and a qualifying ACT score win only if their GPA/test combination lands in one of Nicholls' funded grid cells. The strongest awards go to students closer to a 3.8–4.0 GPA and/or the higher ACT bands, especially 30+.
🏛️ Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Automatic
Guaranteed for high-stat profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholars
GPA: 3.95 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: Feb 1 admission application; Mar 1 FAFSA
Strategic Note: Students in the top 10 percent of their class, or students with roughly a 3.95 or higher unweighted GPA paired with a 28 ACT or 1300 SAT.
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 4.0+ FL
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Wichita State University
$80,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Richard D. Smith Scholarship (DSI)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1260 | Ends: November 8, 2026 (scholarship materials); November 1, 2026 (admission)
Strategic Note: The single largest DSI prize — one winner. Realistically goes to a standout all-around applicant (well above the 3.5 GPA / 27 ACT / 1260 SAT entry bar) who performs strongly at the on-campus competition. Open to all majors, but genuinely elite.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of the Pacific
$49,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Powell Scholars Program
GPA: 3.70 | Ends: January 15 (final Powell application deadline)
Strategic Note: Pacific's ideal candidate has an unweighted GPA of 3.7 or higher, Honors/AP/IB rigor, and leadership in at least two areas such as student government, service, cultural groups, research, creative work, or sports. Finalists interview on campus in February.
🏛️ Boston College
$40,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Early February of junior year
Strategic Note: BC juniors with strong academic records and a sustained record of leadership and service to the Hispanic/Latino community at BC and beyond.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Gardner-Webb University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ NC
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Ignite Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Application deadline in late January (January 23 in the most recently published cycle), with on-campus interviews held over two weekends in late January and early February. Gardner-Webb had not posted updated dates as of September 2026, so confirm the current year's date with Admissions.
Strategic Note: Eight students per incoming class are chosen from the interview pool. Successful candidates typically carry at least a 3.75 unweighted GPA, have pushed themselves with honors or AP coursework, and show up to the interview ready to demonstrate real leadership, genuine service, and the intellectual curiosity GWU is looking for. The on-site essay matters too — this isn't just an academic competition, it's a full picture of who your student is.
🏛️ Saint Joseph's University
$35,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ McConnell Scholars Program
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: February 15 (separate application).
Strategic Note: A small cohort of first-years with a track record of leadership on gender equity, such as advocacy, mentoring or organizing.
🏛️ University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Creighton University
$32,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NE
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Muchemore Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: Mar 1 (FAFSA priority deadline)
Strategic Note: Nebraska high school graduates whose academic profile puts them in roughly the top 3% of Creighton’s incoming class and who demonstrate financial need. If you’re a strong Nebraska student and need assistance, don’t skip the FAFSA — this one is worth $128,000 over four years.
+ 4 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Maryville College
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ McGill Fellowship
GPA: 3.60 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: This is the award that makes the McGill application worth filing even if your student is not the single strongest candidate in the country. Twenty of these go out every year against five Scholarships, so the odds are four times better and the money is still 30,000 dollars a year. Anyone who clears the 28 ACT and 3.6 GPA line should apply, because the downside is one essay and two recommendation letters.
🏛️ University of Louisville
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Illinois Chicago
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ College of Engineering WIEP Scholarship Program
GPA: 3.20 | Ends: Candidates identified in early December after admission
Strategic Note: Women admitted early to UIC Engineering who already have a track record with WIEP outreach programs and who show up to the December brunch.
🏛️ University of Texas at El Paso
$30,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Legislators appoint through Sept 30 each year; each office sets its own internal deadline
Strategic Note: Students who contacted a legislative district office early and made their case in person. There is no central application and no marketing, so the pool is thin. Legislative offices often struggle to find a qualified nominee, which means a prepared student who asks has a genuinely good shot.
🏛️ Xavier University (Ohio)
$29,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Tri-State Community College Scholars (Transfer)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Rolling; apply through the Xavier transfer application.
Strategic Note: Tri-State community college graduates who want a private four-year degree at close to public-university pricing.
🏛️ Rochester Institute of Technology
$29,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NY
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ RIT High School Awards
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: Apr 15 of junior year (counselor nomination deadline)
Strategic Note: Juniors whose counselor knew about the program and nominated them by April 15. Plenty of qualified students miss this simply because nobody at their school submitted the form.
🏛️ University of Toledo
$28,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: November 1
Strategic Note: A small group of freshmen with 3.8+ GPAs whose résumés show leadership, work, and community involvement, and who write strong short essays.
🏛️ Southern Illinois University Carbondale
FULL RIDEGPA 4.0+ IL
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: November 1 (application deadline for Fall entry).
Strategic Note: A small, genuinely competitive cohort drawn exclusively from the University Excellence Scholar pool. In the most recent published cycle, 34 students were chosen out of 612 applicants. These are well-rounded high achievers with rigorous coursework, real leadership, meaningful community engagement, and the ability to hold their own in an interview.
🏛️ Worcester Polytechnic Institute
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ WPI Innovation Award
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: School-official nominations open January 15 and close May 15 of the student's junior year. The next window opens January 2027.
Strategic Note: Juniors with top grades and a strong STEM record whose counselor or principal submits the nomination during the spring window.
🏛️ East Tennessee State University
FULL RIDEGPA 4.0+ TN
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ University of Maryland Eastern Shore
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MD
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ David A. Scott Scholarship Program (formerly UMES Land-Grant Scholarship)
GPA: 2.80 | Ends: Mid-spring (2026 application closed; watch for the next cycle)
Strategic Note: U.S. citizens entering as freshmen or transfers with at least a 2.8 unweighted GPA, accepted into an approved SANS major, taking at least 15 credits a semester, and planning a career in the food and agricultural sciences.
🏛️ Emory University
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Sonny Carter Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Applications open in mid-February of the junior year and close in late March, with in-person campus interviews in April and decisions at the end of April. Funding applies to the following fall and spring.
Strategic Note: Emory College juniors with a strong academic record who can also show sustained leadership, service, character and physical activity. Emory is explicit that it is looking for a student developing intellectual, physical and moral qualities for the common good, so a pure grades resume is not the profile.
🏛️ Saint Francis University
$25,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Accounting Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1060 | Ends: Follows the admission timeline. Apply and file the FAFSA early.
Strategic Note: Accounting majors whose GPA puts them in a merit tier below $25,000. For them, the guarantee can lift the package.
🏛️ Saint Louis University
$24,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Feb 1
Strategic Note: Students with a 3.25+ GPA who've been genuine agents of change — not just club members, but people who've led efforts to address social injustice. The essay and March campus interview are the heart of this selection; authentic storytelling matters more than a résumé packed with activities.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of New Mexico
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ NM
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Regents’ Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: Dec 2
Strategic Note: The top fraction of a very deep applicant pool — think near-4.0 unweighted GPAs paired with serious leadership, service, and academic engagement. Awarded to both residents and non-residents, with a built-in tuition waiver for non-residents.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ University of Washington
$22,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ WA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS)
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: Feb 25, 2027
Strategic Note: Income-eligible Washington students headed into STEM or health care majors who apply on time and write honest short essays (150 to 500 words, no references needed).
🏛️ University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
$22,032 / YRGPA 4.0+ HI
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Mānoa Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.70 | Ends: Jan 5 (apply for admission); Jan 15 (New Warrior supplement)
Strategic Note: About 15 mainland students a year with 3.7+ GPAs and a strong community impact story.
🏛️ Colorado State University
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1 (CSUSA plus Reisher application; FAFSA by March 1)
Strategic Note: Colorado students who used their first year at CSU to build a record of service, leadership, or work, and who have real unmet need on the FAFSA. This is a second-year award, so it is something to plan for, not apply for as a senior.
🏛️ University of Colorado Boulder
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 15 (rising sophomore); June 15 (transfer)
Strategic Note: Colorado residents already at CU Boulder past their first year, or transferring from a Colorado community college, who show financial need plus a record of service, leadership, work, or other contributions.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Maryland, Baltimore County
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MD
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Meyerhoff Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 24 | Ends: January 15 (final; recommendation letters due too) • December 1 priority
Strategic Note: High-achieving STEM students aiming for a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D., usually with strong math and science grades, calculus, research experience, and teacher recommendations. A nomination from a counselor or teacher is no longer required but is strongly encouraged. Strong preference goes to Ph.D. plans over M.D.-only plans. The program is open to all students who support the advancement of minorities in the sciences.
🏛️ University of Colorado Colorado Springs
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Continuing Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: Colorado residents finishing their freshman year at UCCS with a 3.0+ GPA, Pell eligibility (or AGI under 300% of the federal poverty level), 12+ credits per term, a clear graduation plan, and the willingness to work at least 10 hours per week. Up to 24 awards are made each year, competitive but achievable for the right candidate.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Colorado Denver
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: FAFSA by March 1; apply through Scholarship Universe
Strategic Note: First-years who keep a 3.0 and file the FAFSA every year are set up to apply heading into sophomore year. This is the payoff for planning one year ahead.
🏛️ University of Northern Colorado
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Mid-March (continuing); mid-May (transfer)
Strategic Note: Colorado students with real financial need, solid grades (3.0+), and a clear plan to finish on time. Transfer students from Colorado community colleges are a big part of the pool.
🏛️ Western Colorado University
$22,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Reisher Scholars Program
GPA: 3.00
🏛️ Montana State University
$20,900 / YRGPA 4.0+ MT
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: January 7
Strategic Note: Students from eligible Western states and Pacific territories (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY, plus CNMI, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau). The minimum is a 3.0 GPA, but MSU says recipients routinely have a 3.8 or higher. The short essays on why MSU, overcoming adversity, and service carry real weight.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Indiana University Indianapolis
$20,046 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Herron Nonresident Award Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: No separate deadline. Tied to Herron admission. Submit the Herron portfolio and the IU Indianapolis General Scholarship application by February 1 for full scholarship consideration.
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students admitted to a Herron bachelor's program from one of the 41 eligible states with a 3.0 GPA. You must select a Herron major on your IU Indianapolis application to be considered for Herron awards.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ San Diego State University
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Spring (nomination window announced by the SDSU Scholarship Office)
Strategic Note: Current SDSU students with financial need, strong grades, and a compelling personal story backed by real service. The hard part is getting nominated, so building relationships with faculty and staff matters.
🏛️ Colorado School of Mines
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CO
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Kiewit Scholars Program
GPA: 2.90 | Ends: Posted annually in the scholarship portal. The most recent cycle opened Dec 15 and closed in late February at 11:59 pm, with no late submissions.
Strategic Note: First-year Mines students who already know they want construction engineering and can talk about leadership with real examples. Most families never hear about it because it opens after the first year.
🏛️ Kansas State University
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.85 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1450 | Ends: Dec 15
Strategic Note: Two students per year — genuinely among the top academic and leadership profiles in the entire applicant pool. Expect ACT 32+ (or SAT 1450+), a 3.85+ best GPA, and an extracurricular record that demonstrates real impact, not just participation. The interview is the deciding factor.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Cal Poly Pomona
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Early spring campus deadline; confirm in the Bronco Scholarship Portal
Strategic Note: Continuing CPP students with a 3.0+ GPA and documented financial need whose application is strong enough to become the campus's single nominee, then hold up in a CSU Foundation interview.
🏛️ DePaul University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ IL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC Scholarships
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: High school national boards typically run Oct–Jan; campus-based scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis.
Strategic Note: Students who commit to commissioning as Army officers, meet academic and fitness standards, and are selected by national or campus-based ROTC boards.
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
$20,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Gloria Wille Bell and Carlos R. Bell Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Applications have historically been due March 1 through the Bell Charitable Trust, which is separate from anything U-M runs. The posted cycle year on the CoE page lags, so confirm the current date before you rely on it.
Strategic Note: STEM-bound students who happen to live in Virginia, a Chicago-area school district, or one of the 19 named Michigan counties. Eligibility here is almost entirely an accident of address, so it costs nothing to check the county list and a lot to skip it.
🏛️ LSU New Orleans
FULL RIDEGPA 4.0+ LA
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Homer Hitt Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1420 | Ends: Priority December 15 for fall scholarship consideration; admissions acceptance final February 1 (secondary May 1); finalist interviews March 1 to 10
Strategic Note: Roughly 15 incoming freshmen a year who clear the 32 ACT or 1420 SAT and 3.5 GPA bar and then perform in the finalist interview. The interview is the real differentiator. The committee is looking for students who are genuinely excited about building something in New Orleans, not just the highest numbers in the pile. Leadership, purpose, and a compelling story matter here.
🏛️ North Carolina A&T State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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
🏛️ Arkansas State University
$18,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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 Nebraska at Omaha
$17,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NE
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CBA Scholars Academy
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 26 | Ends: January 15 priority; March 1 final
Strategic Note: High‑achieving incoming business majors with strong GPAs, ACT scores, leadership, and service who are interested in a cohort model with mentoring and internships.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Belhaven University
$16,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Grand Canyon University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ AZ
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Colangelo Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Set annually, typically in the year before fall enrollment; contact your counselor for current dates
Strategic Note: A very small group, just two incoming business students each year, who pair a 3.5+ unweighted GPA with standout community service and entrepreneurial leadership. This is one of GCU's most selective awards.
🏛️ Western Kentucky University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Cherry Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: Admitted to WKU by December 1 of senior year with the official transcript and ACT or SAT scores received. Every qualifier is invited to a Cherry Presidential Interview Day; winners are notified by January 30.
Strategic Note: This is WKU's big competitive academic prize, not just another automatic grid award. Realistic candidates clear the minimum 3.8 unweighted GPA and 30 ACT or 1360 SAT line, but the winners are usually the students who also bring rigorous classes, leadership, service, and a strong interview/competition performance.
🏛️ Western Michigan University
$16,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Foundation Scholarship
GPA: 3.70 | Ends: Feb 15 (Scholarship Universe application; opens Dec 1)
Strategic Note: High-achieving first-year students who combine strong academics (3.70+ GPA) with verified, significant financial hardship — specifically students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, current or former foster youth/wards of the state, or students experiencing homelessness as defined by McKinney-Vento. Meeting the GPA and need criteria is just the floor — this award is highly selective and competitive beyond minimum thresholds.
🏛️ Kennesaw State University
$15,900 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Flight to Excellence Scholarship (Out-of-State Tuition Waiver)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 20 | SAT: 1050 | Ends: November 2, 2026 for Fall 2027 first-year applicants. November 16, 2026 for Spring 2027. Transfer applicants should confirm the current date directly with Undergraduate Admissions.
Strategic Note: Out-of-state and international students who cleared the bar early rather than barely. KSU says outright that hitting the minimum does not get you a waiver and that preference goes to students who exceeded the GPA requirement. The pool is small: out-of-state students make up under three percent of the entering class, so this is not a scholarship most applicants are even competing for.
🏛️ University of Tennessee Knoxville
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Michigan Technological University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Schmiedel Family Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Dec 15
Strategic Note: Exactly one incoming engineering student per year, drawn from a handful of named high schools in the donors' hometowns. If your student attends one of those schools and is headed into engineering with a 3.50 or better, the applicant pool is a rounding error compared with any statewide award. If they do not, this one is not available at any GPA.
🏛️ West Virginia University
$15,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WV
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Neil S. Bucklew Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 30 | SAT: 1360 | Ends: Must be admitted to WVU as a first-time freshman by January 19, 2027 (fall 2027 entry). Eligible students receive scholarship materials by mail starting in late October or early November and must return them by the date listed.
Strategic Note: Twenty high-achieving West Virginia seniors each year who meet the 3.8 GPA and 30 ACT / 1360 SAT floor, are admitted early, and complete the mailed application. Five of the twenty are elevated to the Foundation Scholarship.
🏛️ Southern Utah University
$13,816 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Legacy Non-Resident Scholarship
GPA: 2.80 | ACT: 18 | SAT: 960 | Ends: March 1 priority; first come, first served until funds run out
Strategic Note: Children of SUU alumni who would not otherwise qualify for a renewable non-resident award. For almost everyone else, the four-year award is worth far more.
🏛️ Arizona State University
$13,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AZ
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Leadership Scholarship Program
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: January 9
Strategic Note: High school seniors with a strong, sustained record of leadership and community service who stand out in their school community, earn their counselor's nomination, and perform well in the competitive LSP selection process and finalist interview.
🏛️ Florida A&M University
$13,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Texas Christian University
$12,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Gideon Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Aligned with transfer scholarship and AcademicWorks spring cycles; specific dates published each year.
Strategic Note: High-achieving community college Education majors with at least a 3.5 GPA and up to 60 transferable hours who align with the College of Education’s priorities.
🏛️ Southern Connecticut State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ CT
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ NOYCE STEM Education Scholarship
GPA: 2.80 | Ends: Rolling (fall and spring semesters)
Strategic Note: Math or Science 7-12 education majors committed to teaching in high-need districts.
🏛️ Mississippi State University
FULL TUITIONGPA 4.0+ MS
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship Package
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Roughly the top one percent of PSAT takers in your state. If your child took the PSAT junior year and scored high enough for Semi-Finalist, this is essentially guaranteed money once they are admitted. If they did not, there is no application to submit and no way to earn this one after the fact.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Troy University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1230 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: Students in the mid to high 20s on the ACT with a 3.5 or better who file the portal application on time. This is the widest of Troy's meaningful merit bands and where most strong applicants actually land, and it is also the award that carries an automatic invitation to apply to Troy's honors program. One wrinkle: Troy's scholarships page lists the range as a 25 to 29 ACT while Troy's honors page lists the same award as a 26 to 29. Both pages agree on 1230 to 1350 for the RSAT. If your student is sitting right at a 25, apply anyway and let Troy sort it out.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Texas Southern University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Army ROTC
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: ROTC board cycles (fall–winter)
Strategic Note: U.S. citizen students who commit to ROTC, maintain 2.5 GPA, and pass all program fitness/service requirements.
🏛️ Bowling Green State University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Thompson Working Families Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | Ends: February 18
Strategic Note: Students from working families who already volunteer and have solid grades. BGSU has 1,416 Thompson Scholars on campus in 2026-27, so this is not a long shot for the right family. File the FAFSA early and do not skip the separate application.
🏛️ Illinois State University
$12,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Jesse W. Fell Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | Ends: Dec 15 (scholarship application)
Strategic Note: ISU's most academically competitive incoming freshmen — typically 3.75+ GPA with rigorous course loads, demonstrated leadership, and strong interview performance. This is ISU's flagship freshman merit award.
🏛️ Weber State University
$10,988 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Legacy Nonresident Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Scholarship Universe priority Feb. 1
Strategic Note: Out-of-state students with a parent who graduated from Weber State and who plan to establish Utah residency after year one.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Florida Gulf Coast University
$10,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Presbyterian College
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ South Carolina State Scholarships (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Palmetto Fellows is filed through the high school guidance office in senior year; LIFE and HOPE are certified after graduation
Strategic Note: South Carolina residents who meet the state's GPA, test, and class rank rules. LIFE and HOPE are within reach for most students with a 3.0 SC UGP GPA.
🏛️ University of Nevada, Reno
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NV
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | ACT: 21 | SAT: 1070 | Ends: No application; acknowledge award online the summer after graduation
Strategic Note: A large share of Nevada graduates who took the core curriculum and kept a B-plus average.
🏛️ Southern University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Stephen F. Austin State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ SFA STEM Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: February 1
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen and transfer students entering a STEM major with a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in the major. The award continues until graduation as long as eligibility holds, so the four-year value can reach $40,000.
🏛️ University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Virginia State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ VSU Food and Agri-Science Scholarship Program
GPA: 3.00 | SAT: 1000
Strategic Note: Admitted or current students in the College of Agriculture who submit the full application packet with a 3.0 or higher GPA and a clear career interest in food and agricultural sciences.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of California, Irvine
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UCIAA Endowed Scholarship
GPA: 3.65 | Ends: Invitation only; application opens late spring after admission
Strategic Note: Admitted students with a 3.65+ unweighted GPA who notice the invitation email and finish the essays. Awards are announced in August, and renewal depends on satisfactory academic performance.
🏛️ Carnegie Mellon University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Jennings Family Brave Companions Fund
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Mid-February each year (summer 2027 deadline: Feb 12, 2027)
Strategic Note: Students proposing impactful summer experiences in less-frequented or lower-income destinations, often first-generation or with significant financial need.
🏛️ South Dakota State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ SD
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Klingbeil Scholars (CAFES)
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1100 | Ends: Nov 14
Strategic Note: High-achieving ag/tech/precision ag majors
+ 5 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ California State University, Fullerton
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CBE Yardi Scholars
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1 (general Fall CSUF scholarship application; the 2026 window ran January 5 to March 1)
Strategic Note: First-generation business students who use the short essay to show real involvement and the values the donor lists: integrity, communication, collaboration, and community service.
🏛️ University of St. Thomas
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Summit Engineering Scholarship (Transfer)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Priority consideration for students admitted with a complete FAFSA on file by June 1.
Strategic Note: Academically strong engineering transfer students from two-year colleges (or Pell-eligible transfers from four-year schools) who demonstrate significant unmet financial need.
🏛️ University of San Diego
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Choral Scholars Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Spring audition cycle. USD's admissions page lists Feb 1 for Choral Scholars applications; the Music Department has not posted spring 2027 dates yet. Plan for early February and confirm with music@sandiego.edu.
Strategic Note: Strong singers with solid grades who can commit to the ensemble all four years. The major can be anything, including biology, business, or engineering, as long as the student completes the music minor coursework. A polished audition with two contrasting memorized pieces is what wins.
🏛️ Alcorn State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Indiana State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Apply in ScholarTrack; reapply each year
Strategic Note: Indiana residents heading into teaching who hit any one of three marks: top 20 percent of the graduating class, a top 20 percent ACT or SAT score, or a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Priority goes to graduating high school seniors, though current college freshmen and sophomores can apply. Renewal requires a 3.0 GPA and 30 completed credit hours a year, so it rewards students who stay on pace.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Tuskegee University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ University of Missouri–Kansas City
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ KC Scholars (administered with UMKC)
GPA: 2.50 | ACT: 16 | SAT: 800 | Ends: Varies by KC Scholars program year
Strategic Note: Kansas City-area residents from one of six qualifying counties with at least a 2.5 GPA, ACT 16+ or SAT 800+, and a FAFSA Student Aid Index at or below $12,000. This program was built for students who have the drive but need real financial support to make it happen.
🏛️ Morehead State University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ MSUTeach Scholarships (STEM Teaching)
GPA: 2.80 | 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.
🏛️ Baylor University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Baylor2Baylor Medical Program
GPA: 3.70 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1430 | Ends: Baylor Application for Admission by November 1, 2026 and Scholarship Events application by 11:59 p.m. CT on November 12, 2026, indicating interest in the Baylor2Baylor Medical Program.
Strategic Note: Six students a year, nationally. The published bar is top 5 percent class rank or a 3.7 GPA, with scores typically at 1430 SAT or 32 ACT, plus U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. A short list from the event is invited to interview with Baylor College of Medicine. Parents should read this as a medical school admissions decision made four years early rather than as a scholarship: the money is modest next to the guaranteed seat, and the two-tier split between $10,000 and $3,000 per year is a selection-rank outcome, not a score you can prepare toward.
🏛️ Oakland University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MI
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Keeper of the Dream Award
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Applications typically close in mid-October, with awards presented at the January Keeper of the Dream Celebration.
Strategic Note: Returning undergraduates with at least a 3.0 GPA who demonstrate significant leadership and service in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus or in the community.
🏛️ University of Massachusetts Lowell
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Nominations: Nov 5 (EA I); Jan 5 (EA II); Feb 5 (RD)
Strategic Note: STEM applicants with at least one Project Lead The Way course (three or more gets preference), a 3.000+ GPA, and a nomination from their school. Only one nomination is allowed per high school.
🏛️ Case Western Reserve University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ FIRST Scholarship Program
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: February 15 (scholarship application). Winners notified by April 1.
Strategic Note: Genuine FIRST team members, not one-event participants, who can describe their role on the team and what it taught them. With only two awards, the essay does the heavy lifting.
🏛️ University of Southern California (USC)
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Town and Gown of USC Scholarship
GPA: 3.40 | Ends: Nov 15, 2026
Strategic Note: Southern California students (graduates of high schools from the Kern County line south to the Mexico border) who are U.S. citizens with at least a 3.4 unweighted GPA, strong leadership, and real community involvement. An interview is part of the process.
🏛️ Drake University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IA
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ George A. Carpenter Scholarship
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: December 1 (admission and NAS application, 11:59 p.m. CST)
Strategic Note: The three strongest NAS semi-finalists who didn't win the full-tuition award. If your student is in that top semi-finalist tier, this is a realistic outcome — $10,000/year stacked on their Presidential Scholarship is a substantial package.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Lane College
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Esse Non Videri Scholarship
GPA: 3.85
Strategic Note: A 3.85 unweighted is roughly an A- average with very little slippage, and at a school where the typical admitted student is well below that, this award goes to a genuinely small group. If your student is carrying a 3.9 and looking at Lane, they are near the top of the applicant pool and should apply with real confidence. If they are at 3.6 and hoping to be rounded up, plan on the $5,000 Leadership award instead and treat this as a stretch. The renewal bar is the part families underestimate - holding a 3.85 through four years of college is much harder than earning one in high school, and losing it mid-degree is a real risk.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Radford University
$10,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Excellence Scholarship (Out-of-State)
GPA: 4.00 | Ends: March 1 (transfer priority deadline for automatic merit review)
Strategic Note: Out-of-state transfer students with a 4.0 across all attempted college coursework who apply by March 1.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ William Carey University
$9,800 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
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🏛️ Cleveland State University
$9,448 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Richard Eaton Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Not published; March 1 is CSU's scholarship priority date
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen interested in communication with at least a 2.5 high school GPA. The top of the range ($9,448) is unusually large for a donor award, so it is worth asking about if your student is headed toward communication.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Greensboro
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
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How This Is Awarded
→ Spartan Education Scholars Program
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: Varies by cycle; contact the School of Education
Strategic Note: North Carolina students who already know they want to teach, particularly in special education, deaf education, or middle grades, and who will stick with the major and the program expectations for four years.
🏛️ University of Oregon
$9,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OR
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Scholarship
GPA: 3.85 | Ends: Feb 1
Strategic Note: Oregon high school seniors with at least a 3.85 GPA and a significant, documented history of leadership and volunteer service. Selection weighs academic preparation, activities and talents, leadership, service, work experience, and four short-answer essays.
🏛️ Campbell University
$8,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Teaching Scholars Academy
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 24 | SAT: 1170 | Ends: Set by the School of Education; contact them in the fall of senior year
Strategic Note: Students who can show a real track record of working with kids, not just an interest in teaching. The 25 volunteer hours, the essay, and the interview all point the same direction: the committee wants evidence, not intent.
🏛️ Merrimack College
$8,100 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ MACHS Scholars Program
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: Recipients typically chosen by May 1 for awards applied the following fall.
Strategic Note: STEM admits with a 3.3+ high school GPA and demonstrated financial need who live on campus and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or refugees.
🏛️ University of Oklahoma
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ National Recognition Program Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Dec 15
Strategic Note: Students recognized by College Board programs, with GPA ≥3.5 and service/leadership.
🏛️ University of Southern Mississippi
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Elon University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Nursing Fellows
GPA: 3.80 | ACT: 22 | SAT: 1100 | Ends: Fellows application due November 10 (admission application due November 1).
Strategic Note: Students committed to nursing who have both the grades and the test scores. This is the one Elon program where a test score is genuinely required, so students who planned to go test-optional need to know early.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of North Carolina Wilmington
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Distinguished Merit Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: UNCW Scholarship Application opens Dec 1 and closes Mar 1 for undergraduate consideration
Strategic Note: This is one of the more competitive UNCW merit opportunities. The most realistic students usually have a strong academic record, meaningful leadership or service, and accomplishments that make them stand out beyond a basic admission profile.
🏛️ Marquette University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WI
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ J. William and Mary Diederich Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1310 | Ends: February 1 (apply for admission)
Strategic Note: Five incoming communication students per year who demonstrate leadership and meet at least two of four academic benchmarks: top-10% class rank, ACT 28+, SAT 1310+, or 3.5+ unweighted GPA. International students are not eligible.
🏛️ University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WI
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Hugh B. Jones Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Early February
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen from Redgranite, Wisconsin, with a 3.0 or higher GPA heading to UW Oshkosh. This is an extremely small, tight geographic pool — if your student is from Redgranite, they should absolutely apply.
🏛️ Union University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Southeast Missouri State University
$8,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MO
●Conditional Path
Requires specific designation (e.g., National Merit)
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President's Scholarship
GPA: 4.00 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300 | Ends: March 1 for fall; November 1 for spring. March test scores are the latest considered.
Strategic Note: Top academic freshmen who bring both a 4.0 high school GPA and a 28+ ACT or 1300+ SAT — and who survive the finalist interview. This is SEMO's flagship award, so expect real competition. The interview is the differentiator among students who all look similar on paper.
🏛️ Loyola University Chicago
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Deloitte Accounting Scholarship
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Sophomore and Junior accounting majors in the Quinlan School of Business who maintain a 3.0+ GPA, demonstrate financial need, and have a clear interest in public accounting with preference given to students for whom English is a second language and/or who are first-generation college students.
🏛️ Oklahoma State University
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Horizon Scholars Program
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 27 | SAT: 1260 | Ends: November 1
Strategic Note: Selected applicants who match the Cowboy Code profile through their application materials.
🏛️ University of South Carolina Upstate
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ SC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Palmetto Fellows Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: Submitted by your high school under state CHE timelines.
Strategic Note: Top-6% seniors with strong test scores whose high school submits them to CHE, plus 4.0 students with a 1400 SAT.
🏛️ Jacksonville State University
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ University of California, Davis
$7,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Regents Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Nov 30 (UC application)
Strategic Note: A small group of admitted first-years and junior transfers whose UC applications stand out on academic and personal achievement. UC Davis does not publish a GPA or profile cutoff, and selection is holistic.
🏛️ California State University, Sacramento
$7,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Campus deadline set annually through the Sac State scholarship portal (last cycle: March 2).
Strategic Note: Current Sac State students with a 3.0+ GPA and financial need who can tell a clear story of overcoming a real obstacle while staying strong in school and serving their community. It is a long-shot award, but the payoff is the largest on this page.
🏛️ Stetson University
$7,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Sullivan Writing Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1 (Premier Programs application deadline)
Strategic Note: Academically qualified students, often English majors or Creative Writing minors, who submit strong creative writing samples and a compelling essay.
🏛️ Robert Morris University
$7,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ B.K. Simon Free Enterprise Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Application in early January, project in early February (last cycle: Jan 5 and Feb 6, 2026)
Strategic Note: Southwestern PA seniors with a 3.0+ GPA who put real effort into the project. Only three students win, but the eight-county limit keeps the pool small.
🏛️ University of Alaska Anchorage
$7,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AK
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: June 30 (FAFSA priority deadline, every year)
Strategic Note: AK residents with strong HS academics, curriculum, and test scores who complete the FAFSA.
🏛️ Southern Arkansas University
$6,600 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Columbia University
$6,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ NY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Columbia College Summer Funding Program (Unpaid Internships)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Mid-April each year (Apr 13 in 2026).
Strategic Note: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have already secured an unpaid or low-paid internship and can show need for support.
🏛️ University of Miami
$6,360 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Christian Brothers University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Hidden Gem
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Ned McWherter Scholars Program
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 32 | SAT: 1430 | Ends: March 1. TSAC must receive the completed application and all attachments by this date. Students may only apply during their final year of high school.
Strategic Note: Top Tennessee students who think to apply through the state rather than the college. This one gets missed because it lives on TSAC's portal, not CBU's application, and the March 1 deadline lands in the spring of senior year when most families believe the scholarship work is finished. A student with a 3.75 and a 32 is already at the top of CBU's automatic grid, so this is the piece that stacks on top of it. Funding is limited and renewal applicants are served first, so apply early in the window rather than at the deadline.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Saint Mary's College of California
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Robert W. Summers Scholarship in Communication and Journalism
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Not published; confirm with the Communication Department
Strategic Note: Students with a real portfolio of journalism or media work (broadly defined), a 3.0+ GPA, and a clear 500-word statement on why journalism matters to them.
🏛️ Murray State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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 1, 2027 (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.
🏛️ University of Notre Dame
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Notre Dame Study Abroad & Research Grants
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Varies by program
Strategic Note: Juniors/seniors with 3.5+ GPA and outstanding proposal, faculty support.
🏛️ University of California, Los Angeles
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP)
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Mid-June for the following academic year (June 16 in 2026)
Strategic Note: Students who got into a lab early (often through the SRP-99 course) and have a mentor willing to write the one required letter. No citizenship requirement.
🏛️ New Mexico State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NM
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ President's Associates Excellence (PAE) Leader Scholar Program
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: Roughly a handful of NM-resident first-year admits with a 3.9+ GPA or Academic Index 159+ who can show real leadership — student council, debate captain, founding a club, organizing community service — and write a compelling Scholar Dollar$ essay. Geographic representation across NM is an explicit selection factor, so don't assume only Las Cruces and Albuquerque applicants win.
🏛️ Georgia College & State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Presidential Plus Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 25 | SAT: 1200 | Ends: October 15 Early Action application deadline; competition held December 4, 2026.
Strategic Note: High-achieving students invited to the President's Scholarship Competition who stand out academically and perform well in the competition. Families should think strong grades and scores as the entry point, while leadership, service, essays, and interview performance decide the award level.
🏛️ Niagara University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NY
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Niagara University Science Training and Research (NUSTAR) Fellowship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Applications reviewed starting February 1
Strategic Note: Self-motivated, academically strong science majors who want early, hands-on research experience with Niagara's Ph.D.-prepared faculty. Successful applicants come in with B-or-better grades in high school biology, chemistry, or environmental science, ideally paired with math and additional AP science coursework.
🏛️ University of Arkansas at Little Rock
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor’s Leadership Corps (CLC)
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 19 | Ends: March 1 (mentored program scholarship deadline)
Strategic Note: First-time freshmen with at least a 3.0 GPA plus a 19+ ACT (or Next-Gen Accuplacer scores of 246+ in Writing, Reading, and Math) who bring a real record of leadership and community service. Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and international students, and recipients live on campus their first year.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Seattle University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Thomas J. Bannan Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: 2027 deadlines listed as TBD. Check the College of Science and Engineering scholarships page.
Strategic Note: Junior and senior STEM majors in the College of Science and Engineering with GPAs of 3.5 or higher and active involvement in service, scholarly, and community activities.
🏛️ University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Seton Hall University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NJ
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Joseph & Carmen Unanue Endowed Scholarship (Latino Institute)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Incoming freshmen and international freshmen with at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA, demonstrated financial need, and clear appreciation and engagement with Latino culture and history.
🏛️ Tennessee State University
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ University of South Dakota
$6,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ SD
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Allen H. Neuharth Journalism Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1
Strategic Note: Students with strong writing clips and newsroom experience.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of California, Riverside
$5,750 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Chancellor's Research Fellowship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Early April (April 6 in the 2026 cycle); mandatory workshop in winter quarter weeks 2-8
Strategic Note: Sophomores and juniors with a 3.0 or higher GPA who already have a faculty mentor and can write a tight research proposal with a timeline and budget. Shortlisted applicants may be interviewed.
+ 3 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Memphis
$5,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ University of Akron
$5,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Choose Ohio First STEMM Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Jan. 31 (application opens Oct. 1)
Strategic Note: Ohio residents with at least a 3.0 GPA headed into an eligible STEMM major. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee an award; UA reviews 600+ applications a year.
🏛️ University of Florida
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Awards
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: Application window opens in September through Scholarship Universe
Strategic Note: Engineering majors with 3.3+ GPA & involvement
🏛️ University of North Carolina Asheville
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Business Department Scholarships (Massey, Kahn, Gould Killian)
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.
🏛️ University of Wyoming
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UW Departmental & Donor Awards
GPA: 3.20 | Ends: Most departmental and donor awards close in mid-March; a few programs run later. The General Application must be completed every year.
Strategic Note: Declared majors with solid grades who complete the General Application plus the recommended department applications, and who can point to real involvement in their field.
🏛️ University of Texas at Tyler
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Patriot Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | ACT: 26 | SAT: 1240 | Ends: December 1 admission and scholarship deadline; confirm intent to enroll by May 1 to lock in the offer.
Strategic Note: High-achieving freshmen with a 3.5+ high school GPA OR 26+ ACT / 1240+ SAT, selected through UT Tyler's holistic competitive review. Strong leadership and engagement help differentiate where awards land on the $1K-$5K spectrum.
🏛️ Sam Houston State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Physics Scholarships (Calvert / Steele / Wilson & others)
GPA: 2.80 | Ends: February 15, 2027 for the Fall 2027 cycle. Most SHSU departmental and donor funds inside Scholarships4Kats share this date. Complete the S4K General Application by November 1 first, then go back and apply to the individual opportunity.
Strategic Note: Physics or dual-degree students with GPAs around 2.8–3.0 or higher and good academic progress; stronger test scores can help incoming freshmen qualify.
🏛️ University of Houston
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ College & Departmental Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March–April
Strategic Note: Students who apply early, meet GPA, and demonstrate leadership in their major/field.
🏛️ University of North Dakota
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ ND
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ College & Departmental Donor Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Mar 1
Strategic Note: Students with 3.0+ GPAs who align with donor interests (e.g., rural background, leadership, service)
🏛️ University of South Florida
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Scholarships
GPA: 3.80 | Ends: March 1 (priority deadline)
Strategic Note: Top FCS or Phi Theta Kappa transfers; 3.8+ GPA; chapter recommendation
🏛️ University of Kansas
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Competitive
3.8+ GPA / 30+ ACT typical profiles
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ KU Excellence Scholarship
GPA: 3.90 | Ends: Dec 1 (priority deadline)
Strategic Note: Top-of-pool admits with high GPAs and standout involvements.
🏛️ Purdue University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Class of 1937 Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Mid-January, exact date announced each fall
Strategic Note: Continuing students with a real record of campus leadership who can write about it well. The application asks for a list of significant leadership involvement plus reflective prompts on accomplishments and future potential, and it requires online recommendations.
🏛️ University of Alaska Fairbanks
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AK
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Nanook Brotherhood Project Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Confirm with the Honors College; most UAF foundation awards close February 15
Strategic Note: Members of the Nanook Brotherhood Project or the Brother 2 Brother student organization with a 3.0 cumulative GPA who can show real commitment to community engagement, volunteer service, and social justice.
🏛️ Virginia Tech
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Global Education Office (GEO) Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Feb 6 (fall programs); Sep 6 (winter and spring programs); Dec 6 (summer programs)
Strategic Note: Students with financial need headed to a VT-billed study abroad program who apply by the cycle deadline.
🏛️ Fort Hays State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Robert N. Munsell Pre-Engineering Scholarship
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Typically follows the university scholarship cycle; refer to Physics scholarship flyer and FHSU portal for current dates.
Strategic Note: Up to two full-time, on-campus students in the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, preferably pre‑engineering majors, who meet department qualifications and donor intent.
🏛️ Northern Illinois University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Forward, Together Forward Scholarship
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Set annually in MyScholarships; confirm each cycle
Strategic Note: Continuing students who have done something real on campus or in DeKalb and can write about it with honesty rather than polish. Past recipients have been tutors, student organization leaders, and first-generation students juggling jobs with full course loads. The 2.5 GPA floor is deliberately low because this award is about character first.
🏛️ Georgia Institute of Technology
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Lehigh University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Performing Arts Scholarships (Music)
GPA: 2.80 | Ends: January 10
Strategic Note: Strong instrumentalists, from any major, who audition successfully and commit to active participation in required ensembles.
🏛️ University of Georgia
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Rider University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NJ
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Study Abroad Scholarships (Aberger, Madison Miller, Doris DeYoung, Bush International Immersion)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Varies by award and term; most internal scholarship deadlines fall in late spring for the following academic year.
Strategic Note: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing with compelling study abroad plans and, for some funds, demonstrated financial need or prior language study.
🏛️ East Carolina University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ The Frederick E. Klutey, Jr. Memorial Volunteer Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Jan 15
Strategic Note: Pre-health students who started volunteering at ECU Health early enough to bank 50 documented hours.
🏛️ Gonzaga University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 1 by 5:00 pm
Strategic Note: Current full-time Gonzaga juniors and seniors (or 5th-year education students) with a 3.0+ Gonzaga GPA, a FAFSA on file, and a real, demonstrable record of community service, leadership, and dedication to Gonzaga's mission. The essay and two recommendations carry significant weight, this is a values-driven award, not a pure GPA contest.
🏛️ King University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ 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.
🏛️ Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Music & Fine Arts Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 1 (application/audition deadline)
Strategic Note: Talented music and fine arts students who perform well in auditions and maintain active participation in ensembles or studio work.
🏛️ University of North Texas
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UNT Foundation & Donor Scholarships
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: March 1
Strategic Note: Students whose profile lines up with specific donor intentions — strong GPA in a particular major, demonstrated financial need, first-generation status, ties to specific Texas regions, or specific identity-based criteria. One general application can match you to a dozen or more individual awards.
🏛️ University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ UMass Community College Advantage Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Complete the UMass CCAS interest form after your community college confirms eligibility.
Strategic Note: Top-10-percent Massachusetts community college graduates.
🏛️ University of North Florida
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Schilling STEM Scholarship
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: No published deadline. Automatic consideration upon acceptance to UNF.
Strategic Note: Florida-resident STEM majors with demonstrated financial need. The 3.3 GPA minimum sits well below UNF's admitted midrange, so most admitted STEM students clear the academic bar easily. The FAFSA is the real filter. Within the qualified pool, UNF gives priority to the highest GPAs.
🏛️ La Salle University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ PA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Maguire Service Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: June 1
Strategic Note: Freshmen with years of real, ongoing service and a clear plan to keep serving in college. Graduates of the 37 Maguire partner high schools get priority, but strong service candidates from other schools can apply.
🏛️ Towson University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MD
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Porter Family Scholarship in Mathematics and Computer Science
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Departmental (check the Mathematics scholarships page)
Strategic Note: Math or computer science majors with at least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated financial need. File the FAFSA so need can be confirmed.
🏛️ Pepperdine University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ CA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ First Wave Ambassador Scholarship
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: Early April for the following year
Strategic Note: First-gen students who were active in the First-Gen club and want a leadership role. Club members get preference.
🏛️ Bethune-Cookman University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ FL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ STEM-Ex Scholarship (STUT-STEMEx)
GPA: 2.80 | Ends: The program page still shows a May 1 deadline from the 2023 cycle and has not been refreshed since. Treat early May as the working target, but confirm the current date with the STEM-Ex coordinator in the Office of Student Financial Aid before relying on it.
Strategic Note: STEM students with financial need who commit to program requirements such as mentoring, workshops, and academic support activities.
🏛️ Christopher Newport University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ VA
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Canon Virginia, Inc. Leadership Scholarship
GPA: 3.60 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1310 | Ends: Feb 15
Strategic Note: Engineering and computer science students admitted to PLP who clear the stated benchmarks. Eligibility for the paid Canon internship after junior year is what makes this award stand out.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ University of Cincinnati
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Choose Ohio First Scholarship (STEMM Majors)
GPA: 3.25 | Ends: November 1 (one UC page lists December 1)
Strategic Note: Ohio students with a 3.25-plus GPA who declare a participating STEMM major on the application and are complete by November 1.
🏛️ University of Wisconsin–Green Bay
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ WI
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Dr. Charles Ihrke Scholarship Fund (STEM)
GPA: 3.30 | Ends: February 15
Strategic Note: Incoming full-time undergraduate STEM majors who are U.S. citizens or nationals, carry a minimum 3.3 high school GPA, and demonstrate significant financial need. Need is assessed first by Financial Aid — then academic merit determines the final award order among qualifying students.
🏛️ University of Alabama at Birmingham
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ BSMART General & Departmental Awards
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: April 1
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.
🏛️ Augusta University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Miami University (Ohio)
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OH
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Bridges Program Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Bridges application closes in late September of senior year
Strategic Note: Seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA (or top 25% of class) and a rigorous schedule who attend a fall Bridges session, then apply, get admitted, and enroll at Oxford. First-generation status and financial need are considered; test scores are not required.
🏛️ University of Southern Indiana
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Elite Selection
Top 1–2% / Interview / Highly Restrictive
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Harolyn Atwater Torain Leadership Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: December 1, 2026 (USI application, Torain application and supplemental items; late applications not accepted)
Strategic Note: Freshmen with at least a 3.0 GPA and a genuine record of leadership in school or community organizations — especially students who've worked across cultures or communities. The program also values civic engagement. There are 20 spots available annually, and the interview matters as much as the application.
🏛️ Boise State University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ ID
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Alumni Legacy Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Feb 25
Strategic Note: Legacy students with a 3.5 or higher unweighted GPA and a detailed activities resume whose alumni relative belongs to the Boise State Alumni Association. Competitive: qualifying does not guarantee an award.
🏛️ Arkansas Tech University
$5,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AR
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
+ 2 more qualifying scholarships available.
Click Get the Game Plan → to see the full strategy.
🏛️ Emporia State University
$4,522 / YRGPA 4.0+ KS
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Shepherd Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: The application period opens during the spring semester each year.
Strategic Note: Juniors with a genuine body of work and two faculty willing to write for them. Because the application demands a work sample plus two letters sent under separate cover by professors, this quietly rewards students who built relationships with faculty — which at a school ESU's size is very achievable but requires deliberate effort starting freshman year. Twelve awards against an entire junior class with a 3.0 makes this genuinely competitive, and the 3.0 floor is low enough that the GPA is not what separates winners. The work sample and the letters are. Tell your freshman to keep their best papers and go to office hours.
🏛️ Ball State University
$4,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ IN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarship
GPA: 3.50 | Ends: Admitted by Jul 1
Strategic Note: Indiana community college graduates with a 3.5 GPA who were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa and remember to send the letter. The letter is the step people skip.
🏛️ Carson-Newman University
$4,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Grambling State University
$4,500 / YRGPA 4.0+ LA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Delta State University
$4,200 / YRGPA 4.0+ MS
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Magnolia Freshman Scholarship
GPA: 3.75 | ACT: 28 | SAT: 1300
Strategic Note: Four students a year, drawn from the runners-up in the Statesman competition. Realistically that means the strongest handful of applicants in a pool that is not enormous, so a 3.9 student with a 30 ACT has a real and non-trivial shot here, far better odds than the same student would face at a flagship. At $8,400 a year it fully covers tuition on its own. Treat the Statesman essays as the price of admission to this drawing, because that appears to be how students land in the pool.
🏛️ University of Maryland
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ MD
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Maryland Degree Completion Scholarship
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Rolling (Scholarship Universe)
Strategic Note: Seniors in good academic standing with at least a 2.0 GPA, a current FAFSA showing need, maxed-out federal loans and an outstanding UMD balance.
🏛️ Eastern Kentucky University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ KY
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Transfer Student Merit Scholarships
GPA: 3.00
Strategic Note: Kentucky community college students with a 3.0+ college GPA who plan to finish on campus. Phi Theta Kappa members who attended their PTK college within the past five years can add a $1,500 annual PTK scholarship on top of the transfer award.
🏛️ Mercer University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Austin Peay State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TN
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
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.
🏛️ Georgia State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ GA
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ State Farm Scholars Program (Georgia State LIFT, Perimeter College)
GPA: 2.50 | Ends: Apply for summer-term admission to Perimeter College; program application dates posted by Georgia State LIFT
Strategic Note: Students with financial need coming primarily out of DeKalb County high schools who are willing to start at Perimeter's Decatur Campus in the summer and stay engaged with the cohort programming. Graduation rates for this group have run far above the university average, so the wraparound support is doing real work.
🏛️ North Dakota State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ ND
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ ND Native American Scholarship + Match
GPA: 2.00 | Ends: Jul 15 (state application)
Strategic Note: ND tribal members maintaining required GPA and/or demonstrating need.
🏛️ American University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ DC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Stephen C. Grebe Memorial Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Offered each spring for the following summer.
Strategic Note: Biology students who line up a faculty research mentor and apply in the spring.
🏛️ Texas State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Rodeo Austin Scholarship (Business)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: BOSS window Dec–Feb
Strategic Note: Business students with strong academics, leadership, need, and Rodeo Austin eligibility/preference.
🏛️ Alabama State University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Black & Gold Scholarship
GPA: 2.75 | ACT: 18 | SAT: 940 | Ends: February 15
Strategic Note: This is the most accessible listed ASU competitive academic scholarship by GPA/test-score floor. It can matter for families because a student with a 2.75 GPA and 18 ACT may still be in the conversation for institutional aid, but the amount varies and the separate application deadline is important.
🏛️ Oral Roberts University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ OK
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
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How This Is Awarded
→ Margaret L. Lesher Foundation Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Feb 1–May 15
Strategic Note: Upper-level print or broadcast journalism majors with at least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated financial need.
🏛️ Utah Valley University
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ UT
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Sterling Scholar: Region Winner
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: May 15 (Sterling Scholar application and award verification)
Strategic Note: Utah seniors named Sterling Scholar Region Winners in any category who enroll at UVU as freshmen. The competition happens through the Sterling Scholar program, not at UVU.
🏛️ Queens University of Charlotte
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ NC
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Preyer History Fellows
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: Department timeline; varies by year and is posted by the History program.
Strategic Note: History majors who keep a 3.0 and actually ask. Current students file the Preyer application through the department. Prospective students contact the department chair directly, which almost nobody does.
🏛️ University of the Incarnate Word
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ TX
●Hidden Gem
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Music Performance (Band/Ensembles/Chorale)
GPA: 3.00 | Ends: February 15 priority; audition must occur before the term begins
Strategic Note: Music majors, minors, and non-majors who perform strong auditions and remain active in UIW ensembles such as band, chorale, or other performance groups.
🏛️ University of North Alabama
$4,000 / YRGPA 4.0+ AL
●Competitive
Holistic review / Not guaranteed
Get the Game Plan →
How This Is Awarded
→ Leadership Housing Scholarship
GPA: 3.00 | ACT: 20 | Ends: March 1 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.
Strategy for a 4.0 GPA
At a 4.0 GPA, the goal is not just finding scholarships — it is making sure your student is aiming at the right level of opportunity. This is where families should think in layers: automatic merit, honors college funding, full tuition possibilities, and competitive flagship scholarships.
Key insight: At this level, test scores can still matter a lot. A 4.0 GPA may open the door, but higher ACT or SAT scores often determine whether the award is strong, elite, or full tuition.
Many colleges use tiered systems where GPA unlocks the highest scholarship bracket, but some of the biggest awards still go through competitive review. Essays, leadership, course rigor, class rank, and application timing can all influence outcomes even for top students.
- Target full tuition and full ride schools aggressively. This is where the biggest value opportunities become realistic.
- Apply early — priority deadlines matter. Many elite scholarship programs close well before regular admission deadlines.
- Use test scores strategically. Superscoring and retesting can still improve outcomes dramatically.
- Include a mix of automatic and competitive schools. This balances predictability with upside.
- Look closely at honors colleges. Some of the strongest scholarship packages and academic perks are tied to honors admission.
Tip: Don’t assume a 4.0 GPA guarantees the biggest scholarship everywhere. Some colleges still weigh class rank, recalculated GPA, leadership, essays, and test scores when deciding who gets the top money.
This is one of the strongest GPA ranges for merit aid. With the right approach, families can often reduce costs dramatically — and in some cases, even reach full tuition, full ride, or stacked scholarship outcomes.
👉 You can also explore full tuition scholarships here and full ride opportunities here.
