Ferris State University Scholarships (2026–2027)

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Last Updated on November 2, 2026
What This Page Covers:
  • Tuition, housing, and average family net price
  • Automatic merit ranges and qualifier benchmarks
  • Flagship and hidden-gem awards
  • Honors and stacking strategy

📊 Admissions Snapshot

  • Acceptance Rate: ~82%
  • Middle 50% ACT: 20-24
  • Middle 50% SAT: 900-1120
  • Average GPA: 3.35
🎓 Getting Into Ferris: The Short Version

  • The application is free and decisions come out on a rolling basis, so there is no single admissions deadline to sweat.
  • Michigan students with a 3.0 GPA are assured admission through the Michigan Assured Admission Pact.
  • Test scores are optional for admission. About 82% of applicants were admitted last year, and the typical freshman had around a 3.35 GPA.
  • Every U.S. and Canadian student pays the same tuition. A student from Ohio or Illinois gets the Michigan price.

Comparing multiple schools? Try the Scholarship Tool to search by GPA, test scores, and state →

📌 Ferris State University at a Glance

Average Net Price
$10,825/year (in-state estimate)
Average paid for residents.
Automatic Merit
$3,000 to $10,000/yr
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
15 opportunities
9 automatic · 3 hidden gem · 3 honors
Typical Qualifiers
GPA 3.00+ ($3,000) up to 3.90 + 31 ACT or 1350 SAT ($10,000)
Entry-level benchmarks for automatic merit.
Testing Policy
Test-optional
Scores needed for some merit tiers
Competitive awards ignore test scores
No superscore.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Feb 28 • FAFSA: TBD
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Financial Aid Forms
FAFSA Only
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Ferris State (Read This First)

  • Out-of-state families get the Michigan price, but not Michigan money. Tuition is the same for everyone, yet the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, TIP and the Ferris Pledge are for Michigan residents only.
  • Only the top award cares about test scores. The $10,000 Founder’s Scholarship needs a 3.90 GPA plus a 31 ACT or 1350 SAT. A 4.0 student with no qualifying score gets $6,500 instead, so a test score can be worth $3,500 to $4,500 a year.
  • The GPA bands are hard lines. A 3.49 earns $4,500 a year. A 3.50 earns $5,500. That one hundredth of a point is $4,000 over four years, and Ferris uses the GPA exactly as the high school reports it.
  • Miss the renewal GPA and the scholarship is gone for good. Ferris does not drop students to a smaller award. The two biggest scholarships need a 3.30 college GPA every year.
  • Self-reported grades can cost you. If the final official transcript comes in lower than what your student typed on the application, Ferris reduces or cancels the award. The good news runs the other way too: a higher final GPA or new test score can bump the award up if it arrives before the first day of classes.

FAQ

Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Ferris State University is test-optional for admission, but scholarships can work differently (see the next question).

Do you need test scores for scholarships at Ferris State University? Test scores only matter for the top $10,000 Founder's tier (3.90 GPA plus a 31 ACT or 1350 SAT from one test date). Every other Ferris freshman award is GPA-only.

What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 20-24; SAT: 900-1120.

Average net price? About $10,825/year after aid.

Does this school use waivers/reciprocity? No broad regional reciprocity path.

💰 Cost of Attendance at Ferris State University: 2026–2027 Rates

Figures verified against official sources in November 2026.

📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Ferris 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 $600 to $1,400 more than the total below.

✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.

All students: billed cost per year
$28,708
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees $16,070
Housing & meals (typical) $12,638
Total billed cost $28,708

Average federal net price: $10,825 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.

Three Things the Cost Table Doesn’t Show You
  • The price per credit goes up once your student is a junior. In 2026-2027, freshmen and sophomores pay $534 a credit and juniors and seniors pay $582. At Ferris’s standard 14 credits a semester, that is about $1,344 more per year. Ferris switches the rate based on credits earned, so if your student arrives with a stack of AP or dual enrollment credit, ask whether those credits move them to the higher rate sooner.
  • Kendall College of Art and Design costs more per credit. Studio courses run $946 a credit for U.S. students, but the top Ferris scholarship still tops out at $10,000 a year.
  • Ferris’s full budget is $32,222. That includes about $3,500 for books, travel and personal spending that Ferris never bills you for. Your actual bill is tuition, fees, housing and the meal plan.

FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Ferris State University

Do out-of-state students pay more at Ferris State?
No. Since fall 2018, every undergraduate who is a U.S. or Canadian citizen pays the same tuition as a Michigan resident. There is no waiver to apply for and no reciprocity program to qualify for. Only international students pay a higher rate.

What do families actually pay at Ferris after aid?
The federal average net price for freshmen getting grants or scholarships was $10,825 in 2023-2024. It varies a lot by income: families earning under $30,000 paid about $2,556, families earning $48,000 to $75,000 paid about $7,638, and families over $110,000 paid about $18,603.

Why will our bill go up junior year?
Ferris charges a higher per-credit rate once a student has earned 56 credits. In 2026-2027 that is $582 a credit instead of $534. Plan for the jump, especially if your student is bringing in college credit from high school.

Does the Ferris Pledge cover housing and meals?
No. The Ferris Pledge covers tuition and required fees for Pell-eligible Michigan freshmen. Housing, food and books are still on the family, and that is roughly $12,600 a year if your student lives on campus.

Does tuition stay the same all four years?
No. Ferris’s Board of Trustees sets new rates every July, and the per-credit rate also steps up at junior standing. Scholarship amounts, on the other hand, stay fixed for up to eight semesters as long as your student keeps the renewal GPA.

How can I estimate our own cost?
Use Ferris’s Freshman Net Price Calculator. It uses current tuition and Ferris’s own scholarship rules, so it gives a much closer number than the sticker price.

Sources:
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/CostOfAttendance.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/administration/businessoffice/tuition-rates.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/outofstate.htm
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=169910

📅 Ferris Scholarship Timeline (Simple Version)

  • Fall of senior year: Apply for admission (it’s free). File the FAFSA as soon as it opens on Oct 1, because the Ferris Merit Grant and work-study money go out first come, first served.
  • Late December: ScholarshipUniverse, Ferris’s donor scholarship portal, opens (it opened Dec 22 last cycle).
  • Feb 28: ScholarshipUniverse closed on this date last cycle. This is the real deadline for donor money and the Bulldog First Year Alumni Scholarship.
  • Before the first day of classes: Last chance to send a higher final GPA or a new test score to move up a scholarship tier.

Parent rule of thumb: the automatic merit takes care of itself, but the extra money is all about the FAFSA in October and ScholarshipUniverse before the end of February.

Automatic Merit Scholarships: Ferris State University

Ferris’s main freshman awards are the Woodbridge N. Ferris Scholarships, named for the school’s founder. They are awarded automatically when your student is admitted, with no separate application. Your student gets one award, the highest tier they qualify for. Four of the five tiers are based on GPA alone. Only the top tier, Founder’s, also needs a test score, and Ferris uses the best single test date (no superscoring).
💡 The SAT Shortcut to $10,000

Founder’s asks for a 31 ACT or a 1350 SAT, and those two scores are not equal. On the official ACT and SAT comparison chart, a 1350 SAT lines up with about a 29 ACT, while a 31 ACT matches roughly a 1390 to 1410 SAT. Michigan juniors already take the SAT free at school. So if your student has a 3.90 or higher GPA, the SAT is the easier road to the top award, and it’s worth $3,500 to $4,500 a year over what they’d get on GPA alone.

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
Founder's Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (3.3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.9+ GPA✎ ~31 ACT✎ ~1350 SATIncoming first-time freshmen at the Big Rapids campus or Kendall College of Art and Design with a 3.90 high school GPA (4.0 scale, as the high school reports it) and a 31 ACT composite or 1350 SAT from one test date. Full-time enrollment (12+ credits) every fall and spring semester.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Ferris gives one Woodbridge N. Ferris award per student, the highest tier earned. It cannot be paired with the Forward Scholarship. Ferris Next, donor scholarships, Pell and Michigan state aid can sit on top, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Kendall students get the same $10,000 even though studio tuition costs more per credit. No summer disbursement. Renewal requires a 3.30 cumulative Ferris GPA plus Satisfactory Academic Progress. Miss it and the award is gone for good, with no drop to a lower tier. Up to 8 full-time semesters; unused semesters are forfeited at graduation unless the student continues into a Ferris graduate or professional program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Near-straight-A students who also test well. The SAT route is the easier one: a 31 ACT lines up with roughly a 1390 to 1410 SAT, but Ferris only asks for a 1350. Michigan juniors take the SAT free at school, so that score is often already on file. Most Ferris freshmen score between 900 and 1120 on the SAT, so this tier goes to a small slice of the class.
Automatic
President's Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (3.3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$6,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 4.0+ GPAIncoming first-time freshmen at Big Rapids or Kendall with a 4.00 high school GPA on a 4.00 scale. Ferris uses the GPA exactly as the high school reports it, weighted only if the school weights it. Full time (12+ credits) every fall and spring.
✚
Stacking & Combining
One Woodbridge N. Ferris award per student. Not combinable with the Forward Scholarship. Ferris Next, donor scholarships, Pell and Michigan state aid can stack on top, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Renewal requires a 3.30 cumulative Ferris GPA. There is no slide to a lower tier if the student misses it. No summer disbursement.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with a perfect 4.0 on the high school's own scale. About 1 in 10 Ferris freshmen reported a 4.0 last fall. No test is needed, which makes this the top award for test-optional applicants. A 4.0 student who also hits a 1350 SAT or 31 ACT gets Founder's instead.
Automatic
Provost's Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$5,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.5+ GPAIncoming first-time freshmen at Big Rapids or Kendall with a 3.50 to 3.99 high school GPA on a 4.00 scale. Full time (12+ credits) every fall and spring.
✚
Stacking & Combining
One Woodbridge N. Ferris award per student. Not combinable with the Forward Scholarship. Ferris Next, donor scholarships, Pell and Michigan state aid can stack on top, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Renewal requires a 3.00 cumulative Ferris GPA. No slide to a lower tier. No summer disbursement.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Solid A-minus students. The band runs from 3.50 to 3.99, and about a third of last fall's Ferris freshmen fell in that range, so this is the most common award for strong students. No test score needed.
Automatic
Dean's Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$4,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.3+ GPAIncoming first-time freshmen at Big Rapids or Kendall with a 3.25 to 3.49 high school GPA on a 4.00 scale. Full time (12+ credits) every fall and spring.
✚
Stacking & Combining
One Woodbridge N. Ferris award per student. Not combinable with the Forward Scholarship. Ferris Next, donor scholarships, Pell and Michigan state aid can stack on top, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Renewal requires a 3.00 cumulative Ferris GPA. No slide to a lower tier. No summer disbursement.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
B-plus students. About 15% of last fall's Ferris freshmen had a 3.25 to 3.49. If your student is sitting at a 3.45 going into senior year, a strong final transcript can push them into the $5,500 tier, as long as Ferris has it before classes start.
Automatic
Crimson Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (2.75 GPA, 4 yrs)
$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPAIncoming first-time freshmen at Big Rapids or Kendall with a 3.00 to 3.24 high school GPA on a 4.00 scale. Full time (12+ credits) every fall and spring.
✚
Stacking & Combining
One Woodbridge N. Ferris award per student. Not combinable with the Forward Scholarship. Ferris Next, donor scholarships, Pell and Michigan state aid can stack on top, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Renewal requires a 2.75 cumulative Ferris GPA. No slide to a lower tier. No summer disbursement.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Solid B students. About 12% of last fall's freshmen had a 3.00 to 3.24. A 3.0 is also the line for Michigan's assured admission, so many Michigan applicants who clear admission land here.
Automatic
Forward Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
Non-Renewable
$1,000
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.3+ GPAIncoming first-time freshmen with a 2.25 to 2.99 high school GPA on a 4.00 scale. Full-time enrollment.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be combined with any Woodbridge N. Ferris award. Ferris says it can be combined with the Ferris Next and Momentum scholarships.
💡
Strategic Detail
One-time, non-renewable. Not part of the Woodbridge N. Ferris program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with a 2.25 to 2.99 who are just below the Crimson line. About a fifth of last fall's freshmen had a 2.50 to 2.99. It is a one-time $1,000, so it helps with the first-year bill but not after.
Automatic
Ferris Next Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (2.75 GPA, 4 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠  Ferris dual enrollment credit in high school
First-time college students admitted to a Ferris degree program who earned at least 3 credits with a 2.0 cumulative GPA through a Ferris collaborative high school agreement. Must start at a Ferris site within five years of high school graduation and stay full time.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Adds on top of a Woodbridge N. Ferris award, the Forward Scholarship or the Momentum Scholarship, up to the cost of attendance.
💡
Strategic Detail
Ferris's 2026-2027 Dual Enrollment Handbook calls this the Ferris Now Scholarship; the financial aid office calls it Ferris Next. It is the same award. Renewable 3 more years with a 2.75 cumulative Ferris GPA (a 4th renewal year needs administrative review). Offers made before a dual enrollment grade posts are cancelled if the student earns below a C.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who took Ferris classes through their high school or career tech center, which is common in West Michigan districts such as Kent ISD and Rockford. Three Ferris credits with a C or better is the whole bar.
Automatic
Momentum Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (2.35 GPA, 4 yrs)
$3,500/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠  Graduates of Ferris-sponsored charter high schools
🏫 2.4+ GPAGraduates of a Ferris-sponsored charter high school with a 2.35 cumulative GPA. Full time (12+ credits) each semester.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Ferris says it combines with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, and Momentum students also receive the $1,000 Ferris Next Scholarship.
💡
Strategic Detail
Paid half in fall and half in spring. Renewable 3 more years with a 2.35 cumulative GPA and Satisfactory Academic Progress. The freshman scholarship page adds that renewal depends on available funds.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Graduates of the dozen or so Michigan charter high schools that Ferris authorizes, such as Clara B. Ford Academy and Michigan Collegiate High School. Admission is guaranteed at a 2.35 GPA, and FAFSA-documented need gets preference.
Automatic
Ferris Pledge
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  Pell-eligible Michigan residents
Incoming first-year Michigan residents admitted for fall who are Pell-eligible and meet all Michigan Achievement Scholarship requirements. Full time (12+ credits) each semester.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Built by combining Pell, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and other Ferris aid until tuition and required fees reach zero.
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers tuition and required fees only. Fall and spring only. Renewable up to four years with an optional fifth year if on track to graduate. Transfer students are not eligible. Ferris's Pledge page still quotes an older $13,524 tuition figure; the promise is tuition and required fees at whatever the current rate is.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Michigan freshmen from lower-income families. If the FAFSA shows Pell eligibility and the family meets the Michigan Achievement Scholarship rules, Ferris fills in whatever tuition and required fees are left. Housing, food and books are still on the family.
Data last verified Nov 2, 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: Woodbridge N. Ferris Scholarships are paid in fall and spring only, never summer, and require full-time enrollment (12+ credits) every semester. They last up to eight semesters. If your student graduates early, the unused semesters are forfeited unless they continue straight into a Ferris graduate or professional program, like pharmacy or optometry.

Automatic Merit: FAQs (Ferris State University)

Do we have to apply separately for a Woodbridge N. Ferris Scholarship?
No. Ferris reviews every admitted freshman automatically. Just make sure your student sends the final official high school transcript after graduation, because federal rules require it before any aid pays out.

Can my student get more than one Woodbridge N. Ferris Scholarship?
No. It is one per student, the highest tier they earn. A student with a 3.90 GPA and a 1350 SAT gets Founder’s ($10,000), not Founder’s plus Provost’s.

Does Ferris superscore the ACT or SAT?
No. Ferris uses the highest ACT composite or SAT total from a single test date. It will not mix section scores from different days.

Does Ferris use a weighted GPA?
Ferris uses the GPA your high school reports. If the school weights AP and honors classes, Ferris uses the weighted number. If the school doesn’t weight, neither does Ferris.

Can the award go up after it’s offered?
Yes. If the final transcript shows a higher GPA, or your student retakes the ACT or SAT and scores higher, Ferris bumps them to the higher tier as long as the new information arrives before the first day of classes. A lower retest score never moves the award down.

What GPA does my student need to keep it?
A 3.30 college GPA for Founder’s and President’s, a 3.00 for Provost’s and Dean’s, and a 2.75 for Crimson. Miss it and the scholarship ends permanently. Ferris does not offer a smaller award as a backup.

Can out-of-state students get these scholarships?
Yes, the same awards at the same amounts. And because Ferris charges U.S. students one tuition rate, an out-of-state student with a $10,000 Founder’s Scholarship pays the same net tuition as a Michigan student with the same award.

What if my student’s GPA is below 3.0?
Students with a 2.25 to 2.99 get the one-time $1,000 Forward Scholarship. It cannot be combined with a Woodbridge N. Ferris award, and it does not renew.

Is there a scholarship for students who took Ferris classes in high school?
Yes. The Ferris Next Scholarship gives $1,000 a year to students who earned at least three Ferris credits with a C or better through a high school partnership. It stacks on top of a Woodbridge N. Ferris award. Ferris’s dual enrollment handbook calls the same award the Ferris Now Scholarship.

What is the Ferris Pledge?
It is Ferris’s promise that Pell-eligible Michigan freshmen who also qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship pay nothing out of pocket for tuition and required fees. Ferris combines federal, state and university aid to get there. There is no separate application, just the FAFSA and a fall admission.

Sources:
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/incoming-freshmen.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/wnffaq.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/ferris-pledge.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/Deadlines.htm

🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)

Ferris State does not run a big competitive scholarship program for incoming freshmen. There’s no essay-and-interview full ride and no scholarship competition weekend listed on Ferris’s freshman pages. The biggest dollars are automatic, topping out at $10,000 a year. The competitive money that does exist lives in ScholarshipUniverse, Ferris’s donor portal (covered in Hidden Gems), and in athletics.

✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Ferris?

Aid Type Stacks with Merit? Ferris Parent Translation
Woodbridge N. Ferris (automatic) N/A Your student gets one, the highest tier they qualify for.
Forward Scholarship No It’s for students below a 3.0, so it never combines with a Woodbridge N. Ferris award.
Ferris Next / Momentum Yes These add on top. A charter school grad can carry Momentum plus Ferris Next.
Donor scholarships (ScholarshipUniverse) Usually They layer on top of merit. The only ceiling is Ferris’s cost of attendance.
Ferris Merit Grant Sometimes It can be reduced or canceled if other scholarships come in after it’s awarded.
Pell, Michigan Achievement, Ferris Pledge Yes Michigan students can stack these with merit. The Pledge fills whatever tuition is left.
Detroit Promise Last dollar It pays whatever tuition is left after everything else, so more merit means it pays less.

Ferris competes in NCAA Division II, with hockey in Division I, so athletic scholarships are real money here. In the most recent Common Data Set, 104 first-year students received athletic scholarships averaging about $6,100. If your student plays a sport at a high level, the coach conversation is the closest thing Ferris has to a competitive scholarship.

This institution does not offer designated Competitive scholarships at this time.

❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs

Does Ferris State offer a full-ride scholarship?
Not one we could find on Ferris’s freshman scholarship pages. The closest paths to free tuition are the Ferris Pledge for Pell-eligible Michigan students and the Detroit Promise for Detroit students. Both cover tuition, not housing.

What is the biggest scholarship at Ferris?
The automatic Founder’s Scholarship: $10,000 a year, or $40,000 over four years, for a 3.90 GPA plus a 31 ACT or 1350 SAT.

Is there a scholarship competition day or interview?
Not for general freshman merit. Ferris’s top awards are formula-based, so there’s no essay contest to prepare for. Save that energy for the ScholarshipUniverse questions in the winter.

Does Ferris give athletic scholarships?
Yes. As a Division II school (Division I in hockey), Ferris can award athletic aid. Recruiting goes through the coaches, not the financial aid office.

Can merit and need-based aid be combined?
Yes. A Woodbridge N. Ferris award stacks with Pell, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and donor awards. Ferris caps total aid at the cost of attendance, and only the Ferris Merit Grant may shrink if new money arrives later.

Sources:
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/incoming-freshmen.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/Programs/FerrisMeritGrant.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/testing/resources/common/CDS2025-2026.pdf

🧠 Parent Strategy: The ScholarshipUniverse Habit

Ferris has more than 800 donor scholarships, and they all run through one portal, ScholarshipUniverse. Getting admitted does not put your student in the running for most of them.

  1. Once admitted, your student logs in with their Ferris account.
  2. They answer every matching question they can: major, activities, leadership, work, family background.
  3. If a parent or grandparent graduated from Ferris, they apply for the $1,000 Bulldog First Year Alumni Scholarship.
  4. Everything is submitted before the window closes (Feb 28 last cycle).
  5. Most notices go out from early May through early July. Your student has to accept each award and send a thank-you before it hits the aid offer.

Parent translation: many donor awards match automatically from GPA and major, but the ones that need an essay or reference only show up if your student fills in the profile. Twenty minutes in January can be worth a few thousand dollars.

💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships

These awards are not automatic. They take an extra step, a FAFSA filed early, or a specific background, but they stack on top of Ferris’s automatic merit and are where most families find their extra money.

App Required
Bulldog First Year Alumni Scholarship
📅 Deadline: 02-28
Non-Renewable
$1,000
✔ Stackable
⚠  Parent or grandparent is a Ferris alum
🏫 2.8+ GPAIncoming first-year freshmen with at least one parent or grandparent who graduated from Ferris, a 2.75 high school GPA, and full-time enrollment.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Ferris lists no conflict with Woodbridge N. Ferris awards. All aid is capped at the cost of attendance, so check the award letter.
📄
How to Apply
Apply in ScholarshipUniverse during the winter window (Dec 22 to Feb 28 in the last cycle). Your student logs in with their Ferris account once admitted.
💡
Strategic Detail
One academic year only, non-renewable. Feb. 28 was the 2026-27 cycle date; confirm the next window when ScholarshipUniverse opens in December.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Children and grandchildren of Ferris graduates who remember to apply. It is not automatic, which is why many eligible legacy families miss it.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Ferris Donor Scholarships (ScholarshipUniverse)
📅 Deadline: 02-28
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
👥 ~800+ donor scholarships winners/yr🎓 All UndergradAdmitted and current Ferris students. Each donor award sets its own GPA, major, need or background criteria.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Donor awards are added to the financial aid offer on top of other aid, capped at the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Log into ScholarshipUniverse and answer as many matching questions as possible. Most donor awards match automatically from GPA, major and college; awards that need essays, leadership answers or references only appear after your student fills in the profile. Accept any award and send the required thank-you.
💡
Strategic Detail
Ferris's portal also matches students to more than 17,000 outside scholarships. The 2026-27 window ran Dec 22, 2025 to Feb 28, 2026; scholarships only show in the portal during the application period.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who actually log in and finish the matching questions. Ferris has more than 800 donor scholarships, many tied to a major or college, and notifications go out from early May through early July.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Ferris Merit Grant
📅 Deadline: Varies
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All UndergradFull-time (12+ credits) undergraduates at the Big Rapids main campus with a FAFSA on file. Ferris weighs both financial need and academic performance.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be reduced or cancelled if other scholarships come in after it is awarded.
💡
Strategic Detail
Not available at Kendall or online. This is also the fund that powered Ferris's older Ferris Launch tuition program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Big Rapids students who file the FAFSA early and show both financial need and good grades. Late filers often miss it because the money runs out.
Data last verified Nov 2, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Money the college does not control. Federal programs, city promise funds, foundations, and employers. The college may help you apply, but someone else writes the check, and these almost always stack with the college's own awards.
Outside MoneyAutomatic
Detroit Promise
📅 Deadline: Varies
✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  Detroit Promise-eligible students
🏫 3.0+ GPADetroit Promise-eligible students with a 3.0 cumulative high school GPA. Full time (12+ credits) in fall and spring.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Last-dollar money: it covers tuition left after federal, state and Ferris merit or need-based aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers up to full tuition. Renewable up to four consecutive years with an annual FAFSA, a 2.5 college GPA and Satisfactory Academic Progress. Ends if the student finishes a bachelor's degree early. Funded by the Detroit Promise, not Ferris.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Detroit graduates with at least a 3.0 high school GPA. Because it fills the gap after other aid, it matters most for students whose Pell, state aid and Ferris merit fall short of the full tuition bill.
Data last verified Nov 2, 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.
Also Worth Asking About
  • Ferris Youth Initiative (Johnson Scholars): Support for students who spent time in foster care. Ferris doesn’t publish a dollar amount, so call the financial aid office if this fits your student.
  • Kendall College of Art and Design: Kendall has its own donor scholarships and has offered portfolio-based awards. Ferris’s portfolio scholarship pages are offline right now, so ask Kendall admissions directly what’s available for your student’s year.

❓ Hidden Gems FAQ

When does my student apply for Ferris donor scholarships?
In ScholarshipUniverse, which opens in late December and closed Feb 28 last cycle. Scholarships only appear in the portal during that window, so don’t wait until spring.

Why does my student only see a few scholarships in ScholarshipUniverse?
That’s normal. Most donor awards are matched behind the scenes from GPA, major and college, so they never show up as something to apply for. The ones your student sees are the ones that need extra answers, like leadership questions, essays or references.

Who can get the Bulldog First Year Alumni Scholarship?
Incoming freshmen with at least one parent or grandparent who graduated from Ferris, a 2.75 high school GPA and full-time enrollment. It’s $1,000 for one year, and it is not automatic, so your student has to apply in ScholarshipUniverse.

Is there an application for the Ferris Merit Grant?
No, just the FAFSA. But the money is limited and goes out first come, first served at the Big Rapids campus, so file the FAFSA as soon as it opens Oct 1.

Can my student use the Detroit Promise at Ferris?
Yes. Ferris is a Detroit Promise partner. It covers up to full tuition after other aid for eligible Detroit students with a 3.0 high school GPA, and it renews with a 2.5 college GPA and a new FAFSA each year.

Will a donor scholarship reduce my student’s merit award?
No, the Woodbridge N. Ferris award stays the same. Ferris only caps total aid at the cost of attendance. The one award that can shrink when new money arrives is the Ferris Merit Grant.

Sources:
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/scholarship-universe.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/Incoming/incoming-freshmen.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/Programs/FerrisMeritGrant.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/admissions/financialaid/scholarship/YouthInitiative.htm

Honors Program at Ferris State University

Ferris has an Honors Program, not a separate honors college. It takes its own application after your student is admitted to Ferris, it costs nothing to join, and it won’t add classes your student doesn’t need. Think of it as a smaller community inside a big campus, with real perks attached.

  • Who’s encouraged to apply: a 3.5 high school GPA, or an 1150 SAT or 25 ACT for students below a 3.5. Students close to those numbers with strong service or leadership are considered too.
  • When: Honors admits on a rolling basis from late fall until about May 1.
  • To stay in: a 3.3 GPA, six cultural events a year and 30 hours of service a year.

What Honors Students Actually Get

  • Priority registration and smaller classes
  • The chance to live in a single room in the Honors residence hall
  • A special honors study abroad trip for incoming freshmen, plus travel money for study abroad and conference presentations
  • An Honors advisor and an Honors peer mentor
  • A special honors admission program into the Michigan College of Optometry, plus pharmacy events about research and admissions
  • Free tickets to Ferris State Theatre plays
  • An honors certificate noted at graduation, on the transcript and on the diploma

Honors Program Scholarships

App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Maude Bigford Honors Program Annual Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  Honors Program members, sophomore and up
🏫 3.3+ GPA👥 ~1 per year winners/yr🎓 All UndergradFerris Honors Program members who are full-time sophomores, juniors or seniors in any major, with a 3.25 GPA at the time of application.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Layers on top of a Woodbridge N. Ferris award and other aid, up to the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through MyScholarships in Ferris360 once your student is an Honors Program member with sophomore standing or higher.
💡
Strategic Detail
Ferris's Honors page describes it as worth at least $600 and awarded to one student a year. Not available in the freshman year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: One Honors student each year, sophomore or older, with at least a 3.25 and a record of leadership and service. Financial need gets preference.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Edwin Harris Memorial Honors Program Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  Honors Program members after year one
👥 ~1 per year winners/yr🎓 All UndergradFerris Honors Program members after their first year.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Layers on top of a Woodbridge N. Ferris award and other aid, up to the cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through MyScholarships in Ferris360 after the first year in the Honors Program.
💡
Strategic Detail
Ferris's Honors page describes it as worth at least $600 and awarded to one student a year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: One Honors student a year who shows academic excellence and puts technology to good use in their learning and field. Financial need gets preference.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Honors Program Travel Stipends
📅 Deadline: Varies
Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠  Honors Program members
🎓 All UndergradFerris Honors Program members traveling for study abroad or a conference presentation.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Separate from tuition aid; it helps pay for the trip itself.
📄
How to Apply
Honors students apply through the Honors Program Canvas shell before the trip.
💡
Strategic Detail
Amounts are not published and vary by trip.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Honors students presenting at an academic conference or studying abroad who plan ahead and apply before they travel.
Data last verified Nov 2, 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.

Amounts reflect what Ferris currently publishes. The two named scholarships are each awarded to one Honors student a year.

Honest take: At Ferris, Honors is about perks, not a big check. The two named Honors scholarships go to one student each per year, after the first year, and are worth at least $600. The value for most families is priority registration, the single room and the inside track for pre-optometry and pre-pharmacy students.
Pre-Professional Paths Worth Knowing
  • Pharmacy: High school seniors with a 3.0 GPA can apply to the Guaranteed Early Admission Route, which holds a spot in Ferris’s PharmD program while they finish pre-pharmacy classes.
  • Optometry: Honors students get access to a special honors admission program at the Michigan College of Optometry.

Honors Program: FAQs (Ferris State University)

Is Honors admission automatic at Ferris?
No. Your student must be admitted to Ferris first and then fill out a separate Honors application. Ferris confirms a spot through a link in the acceptance message.

Does the Honors Program come with a scholarship?
Not automatically. Your student keeps their Woodbridge N. Ferris award, and after the first year they can apply for the Maude Bigford and Edwin Harris Honors scholarships through MyScholarships in Ferris360.

Does it cost anything to be in Honors?
No. Ferris says the Honors Program costs nothing to join.

What does it take to stay in Honors?
A 3.3 GPA, six cultural events and 30 hours of service each year. Your student can earn honors credit through honors contracts, which are extra projects in regular classes, instead of only taking honors sections.

Can my student join Honors after starting at Ferris?
Transfer students can apply with a 3.30 college GPA over at least 12 credits and three semesters left at Ferris. The deadlines are July 15 for fall and Dec. 15 for spring.

Sources:
https://www.ferris.edu/academics/honored/index.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/academics/honored/future/index.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/academics/honored/future/aid.htm
https://www.ferris.edu/pharmacy/admissions/gear.htm

⭐ College Specialty

Ferris started in 1884 as an industrial school, and it still feels like a place built around getting a job. Woodbridge N. Ferris, who later served as Michigan’s governor and a U.S. senator, founded it to teach practical skills. Today the school is known for career programs you can’t find at most universities, from optometry and pharmacy to welding, heating and cooling systems, and golf course management.

Nationally Known Program:
Michigan College of Optometry is the only optometry college in Michigan and one of only 24 accredited optometry schools in the country. For the 2022-2023 year, it was one of just two optometry schools in the nation where every graduate passed all three national licensing exams. Pre-optometry students in the Honors Program get access to a special honors admission program.
  • Pharmacy: Ferris is one of only three schools in Michigan offering the Doctor of Pharmacy. High school seniors with a 3.0 GPA can apply to hold a seat in the PharmD program while they finish pre-pharmacy.
  • Engineering technology you won’t find many places: heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR), welding engineering technology, and plastics and rubber engineering technology. Ferris says its welding graduates see close to 100% job placement.
  • PGA Golf Management: one of the longest-running programs of its kind, started with the PGA in 1975, combining a business degree with real golf industry training.
  • Kendall College of Art and Design: Ferris’s art and design college in downtown Grand Rapids, with programs like illustration, graphic design, interior design and industrial design.
  • Health careers: nursing, dental hygiene, diagnostic medical sonography, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy all graduate students every year.
  • Popular pathways: business, criminal justice and nursing award the most bachelor’s degrees, and digital animation and game design has a growing following.

One more thing worth a visit: Ferris is home to the Jim Crow Museum, a nationally known collection used to teach about racism in American history.

✅ Wrapping It Up

Big picture? Ferris State is one of the most straightforward money stories in the Midwest. Every U.S. student pays the Michigan tuition rate, the merit grid is automatic and mostly GPA-only, and Michigan families with real financial need can get tuition down to zero through the Ferris Pledge. It’s especially worth a look for an out-of-state family that’s tired of being charged double somewhere else.

The catch is that the rules are strict. GPA bands are hard lines, the top award needs a single-sitting test score (and the SAT is the easier route), and a missed renewal GPA ends the scholarship for good. If your student wants a hands-on career like optometry, pharmacy, HVACR, welding or design, Ferris has programs most universities don’t. Get the FAFSA in early, spend twenty minutes in ScholarshipUniverse before the end of February, and make sure Ferris has your student’s best scores and final transcript before the first day of class.

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Leo Dimilo
Written by Leo Dimilo
Leo is a parent who went through the college money maze with his own daughter and built CollegeReadyParent to give middle-income and first-generation families plain-English answers, with no paywall and no lead forms. More about Leo →
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