Merit-based Scholarships: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Scholarship information listed here is specific to eligible students entering as first-time freshman starting Fall 2021.

Northern Kentucky University offers merit-based scholarships to new, incoming freshman students. Degree-seeking students who reside outside of the state of Kentucky can be considered for the merit scholarships below.

Merit Scholarship Qualifications

Scholarships are automatically awarded to admitted degree-seeking students who meet the eligibility criteria. We have removed test scores as a required element for most scholarship awards. Some students must provide test scores for admission but those test scores will not be used to determine merit scholarship awards. There is one exception: the NKU Presidential Scholarship requires the submission of test scores and is reserved for students who achieve at least a 3.75 high school (HS) GPA and have 34 Composite score on the ACT or 1490 on the SAT.

To be considered for merit-based scholarships, students must:

Apply for admission by February 15, 2021 at apply.nku.edu
Submit the $40 application fee
Submit the high school transcript(s)
Submit any ACT or SAT* scores

The chart below allows you to use your high school GPA and standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) to estimate your merit scholarship eligibility. Students may receive a scholarship amount ranging from $500 up to full-tuition+$6,000 Housing Stipend.

Scholarships for students residing outside of Kentucky, including International regions (excluding Indiana Rate counties)

Degree-seeking students residing outside of Kentucky, including International students (excluding Indiana Rate counties) can be considered for the merit scholarships below:

Scholarship Title	Eligibility Criteria	Amount
Presidential Scholarship	3.75+ weighted HS GPA and 34+ ACT*	Full Tuition + $6,000 Stipend for students living in NKU housing
EDGE Plus	3.70+ weighted HS GPA	EDGE Award +$1,000
EDGE	2.50+ unweighted HS GPA	$9,460**

*Or, SAT Combined Critical reading and mathematics scores of 1490 or higher.

**Estimated based on 2020-21 tuition rates. The EDGE Award reduces recipients tuition costs for 12-16 credit hours to the annual in-state tuition rate plus $500 (based on two semesters).

Scholarship Awards for Indiana Rate Program Students (Eligible students residing in Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland Counties)

Degree-seeking Indiana residents of the following counties in Indiana are eligible for in-state tuition through the Indiana Rate* program: Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland. In addition to being eligible for the discounted tuition rate, these students can be considered for the merit scholarships below. Residents of other counties in Indiana will be considered for out-of-state student scholarships and awards.

*Students eligible for Indiana Rate are assessed tuition at the in-state rate.

Scholarship Title	Eligibility Criteria	Amount
Presidential Scholarship	3.75+ weighted HS GPA and 34+ ACT**	Full Tuition + $6,000 Stipend for students living in NKU housing
Founders Scholarship	3.95+ weighted HS GPA	$1,500
Excellence Scholarship	3.70-3.94 weighted HS GPA	$1,000
Commonwealth Scholarship	3.20-3.69 weighted HS GPA	$500
Achiever's Scholarship	2.60-3.19 weighted HS GPA	$250

**Or, SAT Combined Critical reading and mathematics scores of 1490 or higher.

NOTE: The tables above do not include additional awards for students with honors, artistic, musical or theatre talent. Honors students should review information provided by the NKU Honors College. For artistic, music, and theatre awards, please review the scholarship information from NKU School for the Arts.

Students applying for the Educational Diversity Scholarship must complete the on-line First-time Freshman Scholarship application and are not included in the above table.

To maximize your opportunity for other monetary awards, complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA at fafsa.gov.

Students will receive only one tuition paying scholarship/waiver. Students must review and meet the renewal criteria each year in order to receive the scholarship for the next academic year. The renewal criteria can be found at Institutional Scholarship Renewal Requirements.

Merit-based Scholarships

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