ESU admits almost everyone who applies. A first-time freshman needs a high school diploma plus one of three things: a 2.25 unweighted GPA, a 21 ACT, or a 1060 SAT. Because a test score is optional, the ACT range shown above only reflects the students who chose to send one. For most families, getting in is the easy part. The real work at ESU is lining up the money, and most of that money is tied to one date: December 1.
Rudd (KS, Pell-eligible) • Jones Premier (Lyon/Coffey/Osage)
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Residency & Waivers
Special Waivers Available
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Emporia State (Read This First)
Getting admitted is not the same as applying for scholarships. Most of ESU’s money sits in a separate Scholarship Library form. Admission only opens the door to it.
December 1 is the date that matters. The Scholarship Library, the Rudd full ride, the Jones Premier full ride and the Premedical Fellowship all point to it. Treat it as your real deadline, even if your student is still deciding.
Use the unweighted GPA. The Presidential Scholarship is based on unweighted GPA, so estimate with the number that leaves out the AP and honors bumps.
Test-optional doesn’t apply everywhere. Your student can get in and earn the Presidential award without a score, but the Rudd Scholarship requires an ACT or SAT just to apply. A good ACT can also move your student up the Presidential ladder.
Transcripts have a clock on them. All official transcripts must reach ESU by the 20th day of your student’s first semester, or the Presidential award doesn’t pay.
The 48-state deal is for on-campus students. Students from Alaska and Hawaii still pay the non-resident rate, and online programs are priced differently.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Emporia State University is test-optional for admission, but scholarships can work differently (see the next question).
Do you need test scores for scholarships at Emporia State University? No test score needed here; the Presidential Scholarship goes by GPA or ACT, whichever qualifies, and the honors and nursing awards work the same way.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 18-24; SAT: N/A.
Average net price? About $14,653/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
Yes. Institutional waivers are available.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Emporia State University: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in October 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Emporia State University has published. Colleges usually release next year's costs in the spring, and we update this page when they do.
Budgeting tip: costs typically rise 2% to 5% a year. For 2027–2028, plan on roughly
$400 to $900 more than the in-state total below.$500 to $1,300 more than the out-of-state total below.
In-State: billed cost per year
$18,120
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$7,192
Housing & meals (typical)
$10,928
Total billed cost
$18,120
Out-of-State: billed cost per year
$26,516
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$15,588
Housing & meals (typical)
$10,928
Total billed cost
$26,516
That is $8,396 more per year than Kansas residents pay, before any waivers or scholarships.
Average federal net price: $14,653 per year.
This is what first-time, full-time students who received grant aid paid after grants and scholarships, for in-state students only, based on the most recent federal data. It counts books and living costs, so it can run higher than the billed total above. Families who got no grants are not in this average, so many middle-income families pay more. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
Out-of-state families: this average does not include you. Run the college's own net price calculator for a number based on your situation.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
Almost every out-of-state family pays the Kansas resident rate here. Since fall 2023, full-time on-campus undergraduates from all 48 continental states receive a waiver down to in-state tuition, so a student from Texas, Ohio or Georgia is billed the same tuition as a student from Emporia. Only residents of Alaska, Hawaii and US territories pay the published non-resident rate. The waiver does not extend to Partnership students or to certain accelerated online programs, so confirm with Student Accounts if your student is enrolling in one of those. ESU still maintains its older Hornet Nation, Corky Plus and MSEP/NEARR waivers, but for a full-time on-campus undergraduate those no longer change the price, because the 48-state waiver already puts you at the resident rate.
💡 Flat-Rate Tuition: The Quiet Discount
ESU doesn’t charge full-time on-campus students for more than 12 credit hours a semester, as long as at least one hour is on campus. If your student takes 15 hours, the extra 3 are free. Over four years, a student who takes 15 hours every semester gets roughly a semester’s worth of classes at no extra tuition, and finishing on time is the cheapest plan there is.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Emporia State University
Do out-of-state students really pay in-state tuition at Emporia State?
Yes, if they live on campus and come from one of the 48 states ESU lists, which covers the continental U.S. Those students pay the same tuition and fees as a Kansas resident, about $7,192 for 2026–27. There’s no separate application for this. It’s simply how ESU prices on-campus undergraduates.
Who still pays the higher non-resident rate?
Students from Alaska and Hawaii, plus anyone not covered by ESU’s 48-state list. Their tuition and fees come to about $15,588 a year. Online and partnership programs follow their own pricing, so check with Student Accounts if your student isn’t enrolling as a regular on-campus undergrad.
What does a full year really cost once you add books and travel?
ESU’s official 2026–27 budget for a full-time in-state student is about $24,076 a year. That includes tuition and fees, housing and food (about $10,928), plus allowances of about $2,144 for books and supplies, $2,264 for transportation and $1,478 for personal expenses. The books, travel and personal costs aren’t billed by ESU, but they’re real, and they count toward the cost of attendance that caps your total aid.
Is the average net price really around $14,653?
That’s the federal average for what families paid after grants and scholarships, not counting loans. Families with financial need or strong grades often pay less. Families who qualify for no aid will land closer to the full sticker price. ESU’s Net Price Calculator gives a more personal estimate.
Which housing and meal plan is the budget based on?
The financial aid budget assumes a two-person residence hall room and a full meal plan. A double in the Towers runs $2,830 a semester and the All Access meal plan is $2,325 a semester. Singles and suites cost more, and smaller meal plans are only open to upperclassmen.
Will tuition go up after freshman year?
Probably a little. ESU’s posted rates are subject to Kansas Board of Regents approval each year. The Presidential Scholarship amount stays the same as long as your student meets the renewal rules, so a small tuition increase comes out of your pocket, not the scholarship.
Mid-September to October 1: The Jones Premier application opens (Sept. 16), then the Rudd Scholarship (Oct. 1).
December 1: The big one. Scholarship Library priority date, plus the Rudd, Jones Premier and Premedical Fellowship deadlines.
Spring: Honors College new-member applications are due for a fall start. ESU juniors apply for the Shepherd Scholarship.
April 1: Kansas state aid priority date. File the FAFSA well before this.
First 20 days of the first semester: All official transcripts must be in, or the Presidential award doesn’t pay.
Parent rule of thumb: get the admission application in early in senior fall so the Scholarship Library opens in time for December 1.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at Emporia State University
The Presidential Scholarship is ESU’s main merit award, and there’s no separate application. ESU looks at your student’s admission file and places them on a five-step ladder based on unweighted GPA or ACT. Your student only needs to hit one of the two numbers for a step. Students from Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties also get the Jones Success Scholarship automatically, starting with the Fall 2026 class.
Unweighted GPA
or ACT
Per Year
Over 4 Years
3.95+
30+
$3,000
$12,000
3.75–3.94
28–29
$2,500
$10,000
3.50–3.74
25–27
$2,000
$8,000
3.25–3.49
23–24
$1,500
$6,000
3.00–3.24
21–22
$1,250
$5,000
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic
Freshman Presidential Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Rolling, awarded on admission. All official transcripts must be received by the 20th day of your start semester. · 📢 Results: After admission and transcript review. ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$1,250–$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA✎ ~21 ACT
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, but total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the total cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
This is ESU's main merit award and you do not apply for it, admission gets you considered automatically. The grid: 3.95+ GPA or 30+ ACT pays $3,000; 3.75-3.94 or 28-29 ACT pays $2,500; 3.5-3.74 or 25-27 ACT pays $2,000; 3.25-3.49 or 23-24 ACT pays $1,500; 3.0-3.24 or 21-22 ACT pays $1,250. Two things worth knowing. First, ESU states the GPA is UNWEIGHTED, so use your unweighted number when you estimate, not the inflated weighted one on your transcript. Second, if you start in spring instead of fall you only get half the award that first semester, though you can then renew for seven more semesters. Renewal needs a 3.0 ESU GPA and 24 ESU credit hours each year. Source note, the page's summary blurb says 30 credit hours for renewal while the body of the page says 24; the body is the operative text and is what we recorded.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Almost everyone admitted with a 3.0. This is not a competition, it's a price list, and roughly any admitted student clearing a 3.0 unweighted or a 21 ACT lands somewhere on it. The real question isn't whether you win, it's which rung you land on, and the jump from $1,250 to $3,000 is worth chasing. If your child is sitting at a 3.9 or a 29 ACT, one more test sitting or one more strong semester can be worth $500-$750 a year, which is $2,000-$3,000 over four years. That's the highest-leverage hour of work available at this school.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
Transfer Presidential Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Rolling, awarded on admission. All official transcripts must be received by the 20th day of your start semester. · 📢 Results: After transcript evaluation. ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 2 yrs)
$1,250–$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, but total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the total cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Same dollar grid as the freshman award but scored on your college GPA alone: 3.95+ pays $3,000, 3.75-3.94 pays $2,500, 3.5-3.74 pays $2,000, 3.25-3.49 pays $1,500, and 3.0-3.24 pays $1,250. The catch most families miss is the renewal window. Transfers get this for two years total (four semesters), not four years like freshmen, you renew once after your first year, not three times. Budget accordingly. If you transfer in with fewer than 24 credit hours you get bumped to the freshman rules instead, which can actually work in your favor on length. Spring starters receive half the award in that first semester.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Community college transfers with a solid associate-degree GPA, which is a much larger group than people assume. There's no test score in this formula at all, so a student whose ACT was mediocre in high school but who did well at a community college gets a clean slate here. If you're a PTK member, note that the PTK award is separate and stacks on top of this one, check both.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Jones Success Scholarship
📅 Deadline: No application. Awarded automatically to eligible tri-county students who enroll full time. ✓ Renews (2.25 GPA, 4 yrs)
$1,000–$2,500/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Residents of Lyon, Coffey or Osage counties only.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
ESU rebuilt this award for Fall 2026, so ignore older descriptions. It is now automatic: no application, and it is not need-based. Students who live in Coffey, Lyon or Osage county and enroll full time (12+ hours each fall and spring) are awarded it on a set ladder: $1,000 in year one, $1,500 in year two, $2,000 in year three and $2,500 in year four, for up to $7,000 total. Two changes matter for families. First, a gap year no longer costs you the award: students who delay can still enter within 8 semesters of high school graduation, starting at the Year 1 amount. Second, transfers now qualify, entering at the year that matches their high school class (two years out of high school means starting at the Year 3 amount) and renewing for up to three years. Students who enlist in the military right after high school keep eligibility. To renew, your student must stay a resident of the three counties, finish 24 credit hours in year one with at least a 2.5 GPA in the spring term, keep a 2.25 GPA after that, and take part in the Stinger Success Program (two advisor meetings a semester, the first-year foundation course and a first-year learning community). ESU's Jones Foundation overview page still shows the older rules; the Jones Success page itself is the current source.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Every tri-county student who enrolls full time and keeps up with the renewal rules. There is no competition and no form to file, so the only way to lose it is on the back end: dropping below 12 hours, missing the 2.5 spring GPA in year one, skipping Stinger Success meetings, or moving out of the three counties. Read the renewal list once with your student before classes start. Because the amount climbs each year, the award is worth the most to students who stay all four years.
Data last verified Oct 14, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Note: The Presidential Scholarship is based on unweighted GPA. Unlike many schools, ESU lets these awards stack with its other scholarships, as long as your student’s total aid stays under the cost of attendance.
Automatic Scholarships: FAQs (Emporia State University)
Does my student have to apply for the Presidential Scholarship?
No. ESU uses the admission application and transcripts to place your student on the ladder. What your student does have to do is get every official transcript to ESU by the 20th day of their first semester, including any dual-credit college transcripts.
If my student’s GPA and ACT land on different steps, which one counts?
The ladder is GPA or ACT, so hitting either number qualifies your student for that step. A student with a 3.6 GPA and a 28 ACT reaches the $2,500 step through the ACT. That’s why one more test sitting can be worth $500 to $750 a year for a student near a cutoff.
Can my student use the SAT instead of the ACT?
ESU says an equivalent SAT score qualifies, but it doesn’t publish the conversion chart. If your student only has an SAT, ask admissions which step their score maps to before you budget.
What does it take to keep the Presidential Scholarship?
Freshmen can renew for three more years. Each year your student needs a 3.0 cumulative ESU GPA and 24 ESU credit hours. ESU’s page summary says 30 hours, but the full rules on the same page say 24, and the full rules govern. Your student also has to take at least 12 hours every fall and spring.
What if my student starts in the spring?
Spring starters get half the award that first semester and can renew for seven more semesters. They need 12 hours with a 3.0 that first spring to stay eligible.
How does the transfer version work?
Transfers with 24 or more transferable hours are placed on the same dollar ladder, but by college GPA only (no test score). The catch is length: transfers keep it for two years total, not four. Transfers with fewer than 24 hours fall under the freshman rules instead.
What is the Jones Success Scholarship, and who gets it?
It’s automatic money for full-time students from Coffey, Lyon or Osage county, with no application and no need test. The amount climbs each year: $1,000, then $1,500, $2,000 and $2,500, for up to $7,000. Starting in Fall 2026, a gap year no longer disqualifies a student, and transfers can join at the year that matches their high school class. Renewal takes a 2.5 GPA in the first spring, a 2.25 GPA after that, and taking part in ESU’s Stinger Success advising program.
Can these awards stack with other ESU scholarships?
Yes. ESU’s rule is simple: scholarships stack until your student’s total financial aid reaches the cost of attendance.
ESU’s competitive awards are few, but two of them are genuine full rides. Both are aimed at specific students. The Rudd Scholarship is for Pell-eligible Kansas students, and Jones Premier is for future nurses and teachers from Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties. If your student fits either one, it deserves their best essays this fall. Both deadlines are December 1.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at ESU?
Aid Type
Stacks?
ESU Parent Translation
Presidential Scholarship
Yes
Your student gets one step on the ladder, and it stacks with everything else up to the cost of attendance.
Rudd & Jones Premier
Fills the gap last
These pay whatever is left after other aid. Other scholarships don’t add money on top; they reduce what the foundation pays.
Premedical Fellowship & Shepherd
Yes
Fixed-dollar awards that sit on top of merit, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
Music, band and spirit awards
Yes
Open to non-majors and stack with academic money. These are often the biggest add-on for an average student.
Need-based grants (Pell, Jones grant)
Usually
These fill gaps after merit. FAFSA timing matters, so file early.
The Premedical Fellowship picks one incoming freshman a year, and the Shepherd Scholarship is something your student applies for as a junior. Neither changes the freshman-year price much. Both are worth knowing about early, because the students who win them plan ahead.
Full RideApp RequiredKansas residentsPell-eligible
Rudd Scholarship
📅 Deadline: December 1 · 📢 Results: Finalists named in January, interviews January to February, winners announced in April. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Ride
need_merit
✔ Stackable
⚠ Kansas residents who qualify for a Pell Grant.
🏫 3.0+ GPA👥 ~Forty scholarships available; ESU's page does not say how they split across the four partner universities. winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Pays whatever is left of tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board after all other grants and scholarships are applied, so it works as a last-dollar award. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the Rudd Foundation between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1. The application asks for a high school transcript, two essays, Pell Grant eligibility, an ACT or SAT score and two recommendations. Finalists interview in January and February.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
A competitive four-year full ride for Kansas students with financial need, funded by the Wichita-based Rudd Foundation and good at only four schools: Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Kansas State and Wichita State. Applicants must be Kansas residents who qualify for in-state tuition, be Pell-eligible, have a 3.0 unweighted GPA, have an ACT or SAT score on file, be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and enroll full time the fall after graduation on track to finish in four years. Scholars live on campus in approved housing (with priority room selection and early move-in) and take part in the Rudd Scholar Program: recognition dinners, cohort events, advising meetings and internship help. Note that ESU is test-optional for admission, but Rudd is not: a test score is required to apply.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Pell-eligible Kansas seniors with steady grades and a story about grit. Selection weighs the ability to succeed in college, graduate in four years and contribute to a community, so the essays and recommendations carry real weight. The 3.0 unweighted floor is well within reach for many students who would never think of themselves as full-ride candidates. If your family qualifies for Pell and lives in Kansas, this is the single most valuable application your student can file this fall.
Full RideApp Required
Jones Premier Nursing + Education Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Applications accepted Sept. 16 to Dec. 1 through the ESU Scholarship Portal. ✓ Renews (3.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Ride
merit_geographic
✔ Stackable
⚠ Lyon, Coffey or Osage county seniors entering nursing or education.
🏫 3.7+ GPA✎ ~28 ACT👥 ~Up to six per year, one nursing student and one education student from each of Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties. winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers full cost of attendance after any other scholarships or grants are applied, so it functions as a last-dollar award. Total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the ESU Scholarship Portal during the Sept. 16 - Dec. 1 window and submit the two required essays. A selection committee of ESU faculty, staff and volunteers names finalists and conducts interviews.
Selection criteria: Committee review of academic record and essays, followed by finalist interviews.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
This is the single largest award at ESU and the one worth building a plan around if you live in the right three counties. It covers full cost of attendance, tuition, fees, room, board and books, and winners also get automatic acceptance into the Honors College. Only six are given each year: one nursing and one education student from each of Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties. Note the GPA here is explicitly WEIGHTED at 3.7+, which is unusual for ESU and more generous than it looks; alternatively a 28 ACT qualifies you. It is a real competition with two essays and a finalist interview. Renewal needs a 3.5 and you must stay in nursing or education. It is a last-dollar award, meaning other scholarships you win get applied first and this fills the remaining gap.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Six students a year, and the county split is the whole story. Because one nursing and one education seat is reserved per county, a strong applicant from Coffey or Osage, much smaller counties than Lyon, is competing against a far shallower field than a Lyon County applicant with identical stats. If you're in a small county and hitting a 3.7 weighted or a 28 ACT, your realistic odds are genuinely good and this deserves your best essay effort. Lyon County applicants should apply but should also have a backup plan. The essays are not filler, they ask specifically about serving your home community, and committees reward applicants with concrete local ties and a credible reason for choosing teaching or nursing.
App Required
Emporia State University Premedical Fellowship
📅 Deadline: December 1 ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$10,000
✔ Stackable
👥 ~One recipient per year. winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Log in to the ESU Scholarship Portal and complete the Premedical Fellowship application. The priority deadline is December 1.
Selection criteria: Competitive selection of a single recipient from incoming freshmen on the premedical track, with first preference to Kansas students.
💡
Strategic Detail
The most valuable single award at ESU outside the Jones Premier, and almost nobody knows it exists. $10,000 total, paid as $2,500 a year for four years, to ONE incoming freshman on the premedical track. Created in 2017 by ESU alumni physicians. The money is only half the value: it includes a PAID clinical internship the summer after junior year, 20 paid hours a week for six weeks, matched with a physician mentor, rotating through clinic, hospital and specialty settings, plus a longitudinal patient project. That is precisely the kind of clinical exposure medical school applications are judged on, and it is very hard to get elsewhere as an undergraduate. Kansas students get first preference. Priority deadline is December 1 via the ESU Scholarship Portal. Renewal requires staying premed with a 3.0.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
One student a year, so treat it as a reach, but a reach with an unusually shallow applicant pool, because it is buried three levels deep on the ESU site under healthcare scholarships and most premed applicants never find it. Kansas residents have a stated advantage. The honest framing for families: apply because the expected value is high even at low odds, and because the application is a portal form rather than a months-long project. Also weigh the internship separately from the money, ESU reports its premed students had a 100 percent medical school acceptance rate in 2022, and a mentored paid clinical summer is a meaningful part of why that kind of number is achievable at a small school.
App Required⚠ Upperclassmen Only
Shepherd Scholarship
📅 Deadline: The application period opens during the spring semester each year. Non-Renewable
$4,522/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA👥 ~Up to 12 scholars per year. winners/yr🎓 Upperclassmen
✚
Stacking & Combining
Total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit through the ESU Scholarship Portal, a completed application, a sample of your best college work, a letter of application, transcripts, and at least two letters of recommendation sent separately by faculty or staff.
Selection criteria: Competitive committee review of the work sample, letter of application, transcripts and recommendations.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
ESU's top award for students already enrolled, and one nobody applies for as a freshman because you cannot, you need 60 credit hours first. Up to 12 students a year receive up to $4,522 for the following academic year plus designation as an ESU Shepherd Scholar for their senior year. Funded by an endowment Emporia natives R. Hershel and Augusta Shepherd established in 1995. Two things families should flag now even though it's years away. First, you must have two semesters left after applying, so the practical window is spring of your junior year, apply later and you're ineligible. Second, it requires a portfolio piece: a research paper, a recorded performance, an art project. Students who've saved good work have a real advantage. You do NOT need to be in the Honors College.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
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.
Data last verified Oct 14, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
When is the Rudd Scholarship deadline, and what happens after?
Applications run from October 1 to December 1. Finalists are named in January, interviews run January into February, and winners hear in April. The application asks for a transcript, two essays, proof of Pell eligibility, an ACT or SAT score and two recommendations.
Who can apply for the Rudd Scholarship?
Kansas residents who qualify for in-state tuition, are eligible for a Pell Grant, carry a 3.0 unweighted GPA and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Rudd only works at four schools: Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Kansas State and Wichita State. ESU’s page says forty scholarships are available but doesn’t say how they’re split among the four schools.
Does my student need a test score for Rudd even though ESU is test-optional?
Yes. ESU doesn’t require a score for admission, but the Rudd application does. If your student hasn’t tested, register now so a score is ready before December 1.
Who qualifies for the Jones Premier Nursing + Education Scholarship?
High school seniors from Lyon, Coffey or Osage county who plan to study nursing or education. Your student needs either a 3.7 weighted GPA or a 28 ACT, plus two essays and a finalist interview. Up to six students win each year: one nurse and one teacher from each county. Winners also get automatic admission to the Honors College.
What does “covers whatever is left” mean for Rudd and Jones Premier?
Every other scholarship and grant gets applied first, and the foundation pays the remaining cost of tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Winning other awards won’t put extra money in your pocket. It just lowers what the foundation covers, and your family’s bill stays close to zero either way.
How does the Premedical Fellowship work?
One incoming freshman on the premed track receives $10,000, paid as $2,500 a year. The bigger prize is a paid clinical internship the summer after junior year: six weeks at 20 paid hours a week across clinic, hospital and specialty settings, with a physician mentor. Kansas students get first preference, and the priority deadline is December 1.
Can out-of-state students win any of these?
The Premedical Fellowship (with Kansas students given preference) and the Shepherd Scholarship are open to any ESU student. Rudd and Jones Premier are limited to Kansas residents.
Does ESU offer a National Merit package?
ESU’s scholarship pages don’t list one. A National Merit student would still land on the top Presidential step and could compete for the awards above.
At ESU, money comes through two doors. The first opens automatically when your student is admitted (Presidential, Legacy, Jones Success). The second only opens if your student fills out the
Scholarship Library application, one form that matches them against many funds at once.
Get admitted early in senior fall.
Complete the Scholarship Library application by December 1, and fill in every optional question, since each answer can match your student to another fund.
Fill out the separate interest forms for band, choir, strings or spirit teams if your student performs.
Confirm a grandparent or parent ESU graduate for the Legacy award.
Screenshot every confirmation page.
Parent translation: skip the Scholarship Library, and your student still gets the Presidential award. But you’ve left the rest of the table unexplored.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These are the awards most families never hear about. Some take one phone call (Legacy), some take an interest form (Marching Hornets), and a few are limited to local counties or health majors. Nearly all of them stack with the Presidential Scholarship.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
ESU Scholarship Library (Centralized Application)
📅 Deadline: December 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Get admitted to ESU, then complete the single Scholarship Library application to be matched against multiple scholarship opportunities at once. Complete the FAFSA as well.
Selection criteria: Varies by individual fund within the library.
💡
Strategic Detail
Not a single scholarship but the front door to most of ESU's money, one form, matched against many individual funds including the departmental awards. ESU's instruction is blunt: complete your application by December 1 to be eligible for the most scholarship opportunities. That date is the most important deadline on this entire page, because missing it doesn't cost you one award, it costs you access to the whole library. Sequence matters: get admitted first, then the library opens to you, then file the FAFSA. The portal itself is hosted on an outside vendor domain linked from ESU's scholarship page, which is normal. Note that the Presidential, PTK, Legacy, Athletic and Music awards are handled separately and are NOT in the library.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who apply early and completely. There is no single winner here, the library is a matching engine, and the students who do best are the ones who file well before December 1 and fill in every optional field, because each answer is what qualifies them for another fund they'd never have found by hand. The families who lose out are almost never the unqualified ones; they're the ones who assumed the admission application was enough, or who waited until January. If you do one thing at ESU after getting admitted, do this.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Legacy Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Rolling, tied to admission and verification of legacy status. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Presidential and other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
A quiet $1,000 a year that requires no application and no minimum GPA or test score, if a parent, stepparent or grandparent graduated from ESU, it is simply awarded. Two details families miss. First, grandparents count, so it's worth actually asking; plenty of students qualify through a grandparent nobody thought to mention. Second, new for 2026, it now extends to second-bachelor's students. The cap is eight semesters total across all undergraduate degrees you pursue, which we've recorded as four years. You must be full-time and degree-seeking. It stacks cleanly on top of the Presidential.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Anyone with the family tree, full stop. There is no competition here and no academic floor, it is the easiest money at ESU and the most commonly left on the table, purely because families don't think to check. Make the phone call to the grandparents before you assume you don't qualify. Combined with a mid-tier Presidential award, a legacy student is looking at $3,000-$4,000 a year without writing a single essay.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Athletic Band and Spirit Team Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies by ensemble; spirit team auditions are typically held in spring for the following fall. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the interest form for your ensemble. Marching Hornets require no scholarship audition. Spirit Teams require auditions, with dates listed on the interest forms. Enroll in the ensemble course with the Office of the Registrar.
Selection criteria: Based on ensemble participation, with amounts increasing by year of involvement.
💡
Strategic Detail
Open to any student regardless of major, and one of the most overlooked awards at ESU. It goes to students who enroll and participate in the Marching Hornets, Hornet Cheer, Stingers Dance Team, ESU Colorguard, Hornet Revue Pep Band, Volleyband or Elegante Independent Winterguard. The Marching Hornets require no scholarship audition at all; spirit teams do audition, with dates on the interest forms. ESU's current music scholarships page does not publish dollar amounts, and older ESU sources gave conflicting figures, so ask the band office for your student's exact award before you build it into a budget.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who played in high school band and are willing to keep marching. For the Marching Hornets there is no selection step, so the students who miss out are mostly the ones who never fill out the interest form. Be realistic about time: athletic band means regular rehearsals plus home football games. If your student played an instrument and is even considering ESU, this is worth a call before you compare offers.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Choir Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Choir placements are held each year; schedule an audition via the ESU Choirs interest form. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the ESU Choirs interest form to schedule an audition. Attend choir placements each year and enroll in your assigned ensemble.
Selection criteria: Audition-based, with amounts increasing by year of involvement and awards subject to availability.
💡
Strategic Detail
Open to non-majors. Awarded by audition and, in ESU's words, based on availability, so the pool is limited and auditioning early helps. Your student must attend choir placements every year and enroll in the assigned ensemble to keep it. Vocal auditions ask for two contrasting classical songs from memory, simple sight singing and short pitch-matching exercises, and an accompanist is provided free. ESU's current music scholarships page does not list dollar amounts, so ask the music office what to expect.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who sang in a solid high school choir and audition on time. The requirements are modest enough that a committed high school chorister can prepare in a few weeks. Because awards depend on availability, late auditions are the usual way students miss out, not weak voices.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
String Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Schedule an audition via the String Scholarship Interest Form. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the String Scholarship Interest Form to schedule an audition, then enroll and participate in the ESU Chamber Orchestra or another string ensemble.
Selection criteria: Audition-based, with amounts increasing by year of involvement.
💡
Strategic Detail
Open to non-majors who enroll and play in the ESU Chamber Orchestra or another string ensemble. Awarded by audition: two contrasting solo pieces or two contrasting movements from a sonata or concerto, one memorized major scale of two to three octaves, and sight reading of two excerpts. ESU's current music scholarships page does not list dollar amounts, so confirm the figure with the music office.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
String players, who are scarce at almost every college. Violists, cellists and bassists are often in short supply, so a solid high school string player can be in a stronger spot here than a stronger pianist or singer. If your child has played strings for several years, schedule an audition before assuming ESU's price is fixed.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Music Talent Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Arranged individually via the Opportunities in Music form; audition days are scheduled through the music office. ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the Opportunities in Music form to arrange an audition date, then attend a Music Talent Scholarship Audition Day. Bring a Student Resume Form and a Form Letter of Recommendation to the audition.
Selection criteria: Music scholarship committee review of the audition, musical talent, academic progress, leadership and music participation.
💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
The general-purpose music award, separate from the ensemble-specific choir, string and athletic band scholarships, and explicitly open to any student regardless of major. ESU does not publish amounts for this one, so ask the music office. Two practical notes. First, you audition on a scheduled Music Talent Scholarship Audition Day, which doubles as a campus visit: you meet faculty, sit in on classes and rehearsals. Second, renewal is not automatic, you re-audition every year and the scholarship committee re-approves. Bring the Student Resume Form and the downloadable Form Letter of Recommendation to your audition; showing up without them is a common stumble. Audition requirements are published in detail for voice, piano, brass, woodwind, strings and percussion. You can also request a free lesson from a faculty member in your instrument area beforehand.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who treat the audition day as the opportunity it is. Because the criteria include academic progress, leadership and participation, not just playing ability, this rewards a well-rounded student musician over a narrowly brilliant one. The free pre-audition lesson is the underused lever here: contacting a faculty member in your instrument area beforehand gets you coaching from the person who may sit on your panel. Very few applicants do it. Since the award requires ensemble participation every semester and an annual re-audition, it suits students who genuinely intend to keep playing, not those looking for a one-time check.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
Phi Theta Kappa Membership Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Rolling, tied to transfer admission for fall or spring entry. Non-Renewable
$1,500
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with the Transfer Presidential Scholarship, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
💡
Strategic Detail
A one-time $1,500 for transfer students who were active in Phi Theta Kappa at their community college, paid in two $750 installments across your first two semesters. Fall starters get $750 in fall and $750 in spring; spring starters get $750 in spring and $750 the following fall. Understand that this is one-time, not annual, it does not renew after that first year. There's no essay and no competition; you just have to submit your PTK membership documentation along with your transcripts, and that submission step is the whole ballgame. It stacks on top of the Transfer Presidential, so a PTK member with a 3.75 college GPA is looking at $2,500 plus $1,500 in year one.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Every PTK member who remembers to send the paperwork, and that qualifier is doing real work. This is pure documentation, not merit, yet students lose it every year simply by not submitting proof of membership during the admission process. If your student was ever inducted into PTK, dig out the certificate now. Worth noting for community college students still deciding: PTK induction typically requires around a 3.5 GPA and a modest fee, and this single award repays that fee many times over. If you're a semester away from eligibility, it's worth joining.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Jones Undergraduate Education Grant
📅 Deadline: Annual; a new application is required each year. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Residents of Lyon, Coffey or Osage counties for at least one year.
🎓 All UndergradResidents of Coffey, Lyon or Osage county for at least one year. Students who moved to the area to attend college do not qualify. Must be degree seeking at one institution and enrolled in 12+ hours each semester.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Paid directly to the institution. Total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply directly through the Jones Foundation (jonesfdn.org or 620-342-1714), not the ESU portal. A new application is required every year. File the FAFSA too, since the grant is need-based.
Selection criteria: Need-based review.
💡
Strategic Detail
A need-based grant rather than a merit scholarship, for the same three counties as the other Jones awards. ESU publishes no dollar figure for this one at all, any amount you see quoted elsewhere is a guess, so treat the size as unknown until Financial Aid tells you. It pays directly to the school against tuition, fees and books, and covers a maximum of eight semesters. The critical operational detail: it does NOT auto-renew. You must file a new application every single year, and this is the most common way families lose it in year two. Put a recurring calendar reminder in place the day you're awarded. File the FAFSA, since need drives it.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Tri-county students with demonstrated financial need, layered on top of whatever merit money they've already earned. Because it's need-based rather than competitive, the determining factor is your FAFSA, not your transcript, which makes it one of the few awards here where a middling student with genuine need does better than a strong student without. It also stacks with the Presidential and Jones Success, so a tri-county family with real need should be pursuing all three at once rather than picking one.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Newman Regional Health Auxiliary Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Application opens in May or June each year; confirm the closing date with the Newman Regional Health Auxiliary. ✓ Renews
$500–$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Students from Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Osage, Morris or Coffey counties.
🏫 2.7+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the Newman Regional Health Auxiliary when the window opens in May or June. Include proof of enrollment at ESU. You must reapply each year to renew.
💡
Strategic Detail
Run by the auxiliary at Newman Regional Health, the hospital in Emporia. Awards range from $500 to $1,000, and the committee decides each year how many students receive one. Your student must be enrolled at ESU, be working toward a degree or certification that leads to a health career, keep a 2.70 cumulative GPA, and come from Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Osage, Morris or Coffey county. Nursing, pharmacy, lab, radiology, respiratory therapy and physical therapy all count, as do non-clinical health care fields. Renewal is not automatic; you reapply each year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Local health-track students who notice the summer window. Because the application opens in May or June, not during the fall scholarship rush, many eligible students simply miss it. The applicant pool is limited to six counties and to health majors, which keeps the odds reasonable.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation Health Care Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Not published on the ESU page; check the Kansas Hospital Association site for the current cycle. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Students in health care programs at accredited Kansas schools.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other ESU scholarships, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Apply online through the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation. Applications are electronic only, can be saved and finished later, and PDF uploads are preferred. Apply again each year.
💡
Strategic Detail
A statewide award from the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation for students enrolled or planning to enroll in health care programs at accredited Kansas schools. Award categories cover undergraduate nursing, other undergraduate health care fields, health care administration, hospital human resources and graduate study. Amounts change every year; in the most recent cycle ESU describes, the foundation and its partners gave 32 scholarships totaling $24,000. Preference goes to current hospital employees, especially those at hospitals licensed for 25 or fewer acute beds.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Nursing and health care students who already work in a hospital, especially a small rural one. That preference is spelled out, so a student working as a CNA or hospital aide at a small Kansas hospital has a real edge. Awards average under $1,000, so treat this as a solid add-on rather than a game changer.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
HPER Department Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Set by the department and the ESU Scholarship Portal. Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the ESU Scholarship Portal, which matches you against all HPER funds you qualify for. Complete every section, ESU states incomplete applications will not be considered.
Selection criteria: Varies by individual fund.
💡
Strategic Detail
This is a bundle, not one scholarship, at least eight separately named funds sit behind a single portal application. ESU publishes NO dollar amounts for any of them, so anyone quoting you a range is guessing; ask the department directly. The good news is you apply once and the portal matches you to everything you fit. The criteria are unusually specific and several are easy to overlook: there's a fund specifically for female student-athletes, one for coaching-education minors who graduated from a Kansas high school, one for juniors in PE or health education, and one requiring Chemistry, Biology or Health and PE with a 3.5. Two of the funds carry an explicit warning that incomplete applications are discarded without review, so fill in every field.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: HPER and physical education majors who actually file the portal application, which is a much smaller group than the number who qualify. Departmental money like this is chronically under-applied for, the pool is limited to one department's majors and many of them never open the portal. If your student is in HPER, the odds here are far better than any university-wide award, even though the dollar amounts are likely smaller. The niche funds are where the real opportunity sits: if you're a female student-athlete, a coaching-education minor from a Kansas high school, or a junior in health education, you may be competing against a handful of people.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
UNBOUND Gravel Academic Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Set by the ESU Scholarship Portal. Non-Renewable
$500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA👥 ~Approximately three per academic year. winners/yr🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Total financial aid plus stackable scholarships cannot exceed the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through the ESU Scholarship Portal.
Selection criteria: Not published.
💡
Strategic Detail
Small but unusually accessible, roughly three awards of about $500 per academic year, and the only stated requirement is a 2.75 cumulative GPA. Worth knowing where this one hides: it is listed on the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department page, but ESU's wording says it goes to eligible students at Emporia State University generally, not to HPER majors specifically. That means students outside that department can apply and almost none of them know it exists. Named for the UNBOUND Gravel cycling race held in Emporia. Since it's buried on a departmental page, the portal is the reliable way to find it, the single portal application will surface it for you.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Whoever finds it. This is the definition of an under-applied award: modest money, a 2.75 GPA floor that most enrolled students clear easily, and placement on a department page that students outside that department never visit. Three awards sounds tiny until you consider how few applications likely come in. $500 will not change your aid picture, but it costs you nothing extra if you're already filing the portal application for other scholarships, and that's the point. File once, get matched to everything.
Data last verified Oct 14, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
What is the Scholarship Library, and why does it matter so much?
It’s ESU’s single application for most of its donor and department scholarships. ESU’s own advice is to finish it by December 1 to be considered for the most awards. The Presidential, Phi Theta Kappa, Legacy, athletic and music awards are handled separately and aren’t part of the library.
Does a grandparent who went to Emporia State count for the Legacy Scholarship?
Yes. A parent, stepparent or grandparent who graduated from ESU qualifies your student for $1,000 a year, awarded automatically once the connection is verified. It covers up to eight semesters for full-time undergraduates, and as of 2026 it also covers students working on a second bachelor’s degree. Ask the grandparents before you assume you don’t qualify.
Does my student have to be a music major for band, choir or string scholarships?
No. All of ESU’s ensemble scholarships are open to non-majors. The Marching Hornets don’t even require a scholarship audition, while choir, strings and spirit teams do. ESU’s current music page doesn’t list dollar amounts, so ask the music office for your student’s figure before budgeting.
My student is transferring from a community college. Is there anything extra?
If your student was an active Phi Theta Kappa member, ESU pays a one-time $1,500 split across the first two semesters, on top of the Transfer Presidential Scholarship. The only step is sending PTK membership paperwork with transcripts, and that’s exactly the step students forget.
Is there money for health care majors from the Emporia area?
Yes. The Newman Regional Health Auxiliary gives $500 to $1,000 to ESU students from Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Osage, Morris or Coffey county who are headed into health careers and keep a 2.70 GPA. Its application opens in May or June, not during the fall rush, so it’s easy to miss. Statewide, the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation also funds health care students, with preference for students already working in a hospital.
Our family is from Lyon, Coffey or Osage county and has financial need. What else should we file?
The Jones Undergraduate Education Grant. It’s need-based, applied for directly through the Jones Foundation (not the ESU portal), and requires a new application every year. Your family must have lived in one of the three counties for at least a year, and moving there for college doesn’t count.
Are there small awards almost nobody applies for?
The UNBOUND Gravel Academic Scholarship is a good example. It’s about three awards of roughly $500 a year, and the only requirement is a 2.75 GPA. It’s listed on a department page, but it’s open to ESU students generally, so most eligible students never see it.
The ESU Honors College is built around leadership, community service and an enriched curriculum. It’s a separate application from admission, but the bar is reachable: an incoming freshman needs either a 26 ACT or a 3.5 high school GPA, plus two short essays.
Who Qualifies: Freshmen with a 26+ ACT or 3.5+ GPA. Transfers and current ESU students need a 3.5 college GPA.
Essays: Two of about 300 words each: what your student hopes to gain and contribute, and what being “an agent of change for the common good” means to them.
First Step After Acceptance: Enroll in the CW 111 Honors Seminar during the first year. ESU warns that it fills fast.
Timing: To receive a new-member scholarship, the fall membership application must be in by the spring deadline.
Honors College Scholarships
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Honors College Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Fall membership applications must be received by the spring deadline to qualify for a new-member scholarship. · 📢 Results: Communicated by the Honors College. ✓ Renews
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.5+ GPA✎ ~26 ACT🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with the Presidential Scholarship and other ESU awards, subject to the cost-of-attendance cap.
📄
How to Apply
Apply to the Honors College using the New Member Application Form and submit two short essays. New-member scholarships require your fall membership application by the spring deadline. After year one, submit the scholarship renewal form to the Honors College each April.
Selection criteria: Awards are based on Honors College member activity and GPA, with amounts set by available funding.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Two gates here, and families routinely confuse them. Gate one is getting into the Honors College, that needs a 26 ACT or a 3.5 GPA plus two 300-word essays. Gate two is the money, which is a separate application you file every April to keep it. The 2026-2027 amount is $1,000. Be aware ESU words this carefully: amounts are "based on available funding" and awards depend on your Honors activity and GPA, so it is not a locked-in four-year guarantee the way the Presidential is. Treat it as a renewable $1,000 you have to re-earn annually. It does stack on top of the Presidential. Note also that ESU's admissions page describes this as automatic with Honors acceptance while the Honors page describes an annual application, plan for the application.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students already strong enough for the top Presidential tiers, since a 3.5 GPA or 26 ACT overlaps heavily with the $2,000-$3,000 rungs. The honest read is that the money is modest and the real value is the programming, smaller classes, honors contract courses, faculty mentoring, the Engagement Center. Do not enroll in Honors for the $1,000; enroll for the curriculum and treat the check as a rebate. The students who keep it are the ones who actually show up for Honors service and events, because engagement is an explicit scoring factor.
Data last verified Jul 22, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
*The 2026–27 Honors scholarship is $1,000. ESU notes that amounts depend on available funding.*
Two ESU Pages, Two Descriptions: ESU’s scholarship page says the $1,000 comes with Honors acceptance. The Honors College page says members must submit a renewal application every April, and that awards depend on Honors activity and GPA. Plan for the second version: treat it as $1,000 your student re-earns each year by staying involved.
What Honors Actually Gets Your Student
Honors contract courses: Your student can turn regular classes into honors courses by working out an agreement with the professor.
Mentoring: One-on-one work with faculty and community mentors on a project your student chooses.
Service learning: Domestic and international service projects run through the Honors College.
Engagement Center: A dedicated, tech-equipped space for Honors students.
Honors College: FAQs (Emporia State University)
Is Honors admission automatic for high achievers?
No. Your student must submit the Honors College application and two essays. The one exception is Jones Premier winners, who are admitted to the Honors College automatically.
Does the Honors scholarship stack with the Presidential?
Yes. A student with a 3.8 GPA could hold a $2,500 Presidential award plus the $1,000 Honors scholarship, as long as total aid stays under the cost of attendance.
Is the Honors scholarship guaranteed for four years?
No. It’s renewable, but your student must file the renewal form each April. ESU bases awards on Honors activity, GPA and available funding. Students who skip Honors service and events are the ones who lose it.
Should my student join Honors just for the money?
Probably not, since $1,000 is modest. The better reasons are smaller discussion-based classes, mentoring and service work that make strong résumé material. Think of the money as a rebate for doing those things.
Does my student need Honors to win ESU’s top junior-year award?
No. ESU states that the Shepherd Scholarship doesn’t require Honors College membership.
Emporia State started in 1863 as a school for training teachers, and it has never really stopped. It’s a smaller regional public university in east-central Kansas, about 2,700 students, where classes are small and professors know students by name. Teaching is still what ESU is best known for, with nursing, business and a quietly strong premed path close behind.
Nationally Known Program: The Teachers College (Elementary Education). ESU’s campus is home to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. In a well-known 2006 national study of teacher preparation, Arthur Levine named ESU one of only four exemplary teacher-education programs in the country, alongside Stanford, the University of Virginia and Alverno College. For a student who wants to teach, few schools at any price carry this kind of name in the field.
Nursing: ESU’s bachelor’s program is accredited by ACEN, and ESU reports a three-year average first-time pass rate of 93% on the national nursing licensure exam. Local students headed into nursing also have access to the Jones Premier full ride and Newman Regional Health money.
Business and Accounting: ESU’s School of Business + Technology has held AACSB accreditation since 2002. That’s the same seal carried by much larger business schools, and it matters to employers and to students who later pursue a CPA or MBA.
Biology and Premed: Biology, chemistry and biochemistry are the main premed paths. ESU reports a 100% medical school acceptance rate for its premed students in 2022, and the Premedical Fellowship adds a paid clinical internship that’s rare for a school this size.
Music and Performance: A busy music program with ensembles open to every major. That’s why band, choir and string scholarships are some of the most practical money on campus.
🔗 Official Emporia State University Links
Use Emporia State’s official pages below to check admissions rules, scholarship terms, costs and campus data. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines and award amounts.
Emporia State makes college affordable mostly by keeping the price low to begin with. Students from 48 states pay Kansas tuition, credits past 12 a semester are free, and the main merit award is a simple price list your student lands on just by applying. That Presidential money is modest, $1,250 to $3,000 a year. ESU’s real advantage is that almost everything stacks: a grandparent’s diploma, a seat in the Marching Hornets, a local county address and a strong ACT can all add up on the same aid letter.
For the right student, ESU can be close to free. A Pell-eligible Kansas senior should treat the Rudd Scholarship as the most important application of the fall. A future nurse or teacher from Lyon, Coffey or Osage county should go after Jones Premier. And every family, from anywhere, should circle December 1, finish the Scholarship Library, and get every transcript in on time. ESU is a teachers’ college at heart, and it rewards the families who do their homework.
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6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
