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ASU Barrett · Arizona

ASU Barrett Merit Aid

Public flagship with the New American University Scholarship (NAMU) automatic merit ladder for residents and non-residents, plus one of the richest National Merit Finalist packages when paired with Barrett Honors enrollment. Non-resident NAMU tops out at $17,500 per year; the non-resident National Scholar package matches that for 4 years.

Verified Apr 2026Analyst pt-browser
Merit tiers96 automatic on stats
Last verifiedApr 2026Analyst pt-browser

Who this school is for

Out-of-state families targeting a public flagship at a discount, especially those considering Barrett, The Honors College. The NAMU ladder is automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator and the top non-resident President's tier hits $17,500 per year. National Merit Finalists who enroll in Barrett receive the full $17,500/year National Scholar award separately. Arizona residents get smaller automatic NAMU tiers ($4,000–$7,000/year) but can stack the Flinn Scholarship — the state's flagship full-ride. Critical for budgeting: Barrett Honors charges an additional $2,200/year beyond standard ASU tuition, and Barrett itself does NOT come with automatic honors-specific merit beyond the standard NAMU tiers.

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

$17,500/year × 4 years ($70,000 total)

National Scholar (non-resident NMF or NRP awardee)

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA, 30 ASU credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment (12 credits fall/spring). Replaces any prior New American University merit award — not stackable with other NAMU tiers.

RequirementsNon-resident. National Merit Finalist OR College Board National Recognition Program awardee (National Hispanic, National African American, National Indigenous, or National Rural and Small Town Recognition). Must name ASU as first choice with NMSC by May 1 AND enroll in Barrett, The Honors College.

The strongest verified non-resident merit package at ASU. Requires BOTH the NMSC #1-choice step AND Barrett enrollment — missing either forfeits the award. The $17,500/year value matches the top non-resident President's NAMU tier, so it effectively represents a guaranteed path to the top tier for NMF/NRP students who commit to Barrett.

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$15,000/year × 4 years ($60,000 total)

National Scholar (Arizona resident NMF)

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA, 30 ASU credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment.

RequirementsArizona resident. National Merit Finalist status. Must name ASU as first choice with NMSC by May 1 and enroll in Barrett, The Honors College.

Replaces any prior NAMU merit award. Arizona residents receive a smaller cash value than non-residents because Arizona tuition is already much lower.

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$10,000/year × 4 years ($40,000 total)

National Scholar (Arizona resident NRP awardee)

ApplicationRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 30 ASU credit hours per academic year.

RequirementsArizona resident. College Board National Recognition Program awardee (National Hispanic, National African American, National Indigenous, or National Rural and Small Town Recognition). Must enroll in Barrett, The Honors College.

Distinct from the Arizona resident NMF track. NRP awardees who are Arizona residents receive $10,000/year rather than the $15,000/year NMF amount. Non-resident NRP awardees receive the full $17,500/year package.

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$17,500/year ($70,000 over 4 years)

NAMU President's Scholarship (non-resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA, 30 ASU credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment (12 credits fall/spring).

RequirementsGPA 3.9+ · SAT 1420+ · ACT 32+ · Non-resident. Automatically awarded at admission via ASU's scholarship estimator based on core high school GPA. Award caps at this level — students with a 4.0 GPA and 34+ ACT still receive the same $17,500/year.

Top non-resident NAMU tier for Fall 2026. Verified via ASU's scholarship estimator for a non-resident 3.9 GPA / 32 ACT profile. Test scores are NOT required for NAMU eligibility — the award is calculated from core-competency GPA, though scores can help a borderline student.

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$15,500/year ($62,000 over 4 years)

NAMU Provost's Scholarship (non-resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 30 ASU credit hours per academic year.

RequirementsGPA 3.8+ · SAT 1350 · ACT 29 · Non-resident. Automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator.

Verified via ASU's scholarship estimator for a non-resident 3.8 GPA / 29 ACT profile (Fall 2026 amounts).

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$13,500/year ($54,000 over 4 years)

NAMU Dean's Scholarship (non-resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 30 ASU credit hours per academic year.

RequirementsGPA 3.6+ · SAT 1250 · ACT 26 · Non-resident. Automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator.

Verified via ASU's scholarship estimator for a non-resident 3.6 GPA / 26 ACT profile (Fall 2026 amounts).

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$7,000/year ($28,000 over 4 years)

NAMU President's Scholarship (Arizona resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA, 30 ASU credit hours per academic year, and full-time enrollment.

RequirementsGPA 3.9+ · SAT 1420+ · ACT 32+ · Arizona resident. Automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator. Award caps at this level — 4.0/34+ students receive the same amount.

Top Arizona resident NAMU tier for Fall 2026. Verified via ASU's scholarship estimator.

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$6,000/year ($24,000 over 4 years)

NAMU Provost's Scholarship (Arizona resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 30 ASU credit hours per academic year.

RequirementsGPA 3.8+ · SAT 1350 · ACT 29 · Arizona resident. Automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator.

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$4,000/year ($16,000 over 4 years)

NAMU Dean's Scholarship (Arizona resident)

AutomaticRenewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters with a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 30 ASU credit hours per academic year.

RequirementsGPA 3.6+ · SAT 1250 · ACT 26 · Arizona resident. Automatic via ASU's scholarship estimator.

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Outside scholarship stacking policy

ASU does not award multiple New American University scholarships to the same student. If a student qualifies for a higher NAMU tier, ASU applies the higher dollar value award and the lower tier is not added on top. Outside scholarship displacement is not clearly published separately from the COA cap.

The primary ASU stacking rule (verbatim from the NAMU Commitment page): "ASU does not award multiple New American University scholarships to the same student. In the event you become qualified for a higher New American University scholarship, ASU will apply the higher dollar value award." This means NAMU tiers replace each other — students never stack Dean's + Provost's + President's. The National Scholar (NMF/NRP) award specifically replaces any prior NAMU merit the student was awarded. For outside scholarships from third parties, ASU's displacement order is not publicly documented in searchable form; families should assume federal COA-cap rules apply and confirm with ASU Financial Services before committing to large outside scholarship applications on top of an NAMU award.

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Lesser-known scholarships at ASU Barrett

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

AmountOver $135,000 total 4-year valueEligibilityArizona residents with at least a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT. Holistic selection; the Flinn Foundation (separate from ASU) selects roughly 20 scholars per year across ASU, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University. Application opens August each year and closes in October.

Arizona's flagship full-ride program. Covers tuition, fees, housing, meals, and study abroad at any of the three Arizona public universities. Completely separate from ASU's NAMU ladder and can stack with Barrett Honors enrollment for students at Barrett. The scholarship is competitive — a 26 ACT is the floor, not a guarantee.

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AmountTypically $500–$3,000/year, with a few larger endowed awardsEligibilityBarrett-enrolled students across any campus. Separate application via the Barrett scholarship portal. More than 50 named Barrett-specific awards listed, ranging from small endowed funds to larger competitive scholarships.

These awards are how Barrett offsets part of its additional $2,200/year honors fee for students who actively pursue the Barrett-specific scholarship portal. Not automatic on admission — students must apply separately through Barrett's scholarship platform after enrolling in the honors college.

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AmountCompetitive scholarship plus a leadership development cohort programEligibilityCompetitive ASU-wide leadership program. Requires a separate application, essays, and a demonstrated leadership track record.

Not strictly a financial aid program — LSP is a cohort-based leadership development experience that includes a scholarship component. Worth targeting for students whose profile leans heavily on leadership and extracurricular depth.

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AmountVaries by college and departmentEligibilityAdmitted ASU students in specific majors. Each of ASU's colleges (W.P. Carey, Fulton Schools of Engineering, Cronkite, Herberger Institute, etc.) runs its own scholarship portal separate from the NAMU ladder.

Every admitted student should run their college's scholarship portal as a second pass after NAMU is locked in. Herberger Institute has notable awards for arts majors; Cronkite has journalism-specific scholarships; Fulton has engineering-specific awards. These don't replace the NAMU tier — they layer on top when applicable.

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Common mistakes at ASU Barrett

  1. Barrett, The Honors College charges an additional $1,100 per semester ($2,200 per year) on top of standard ASU tuition, and the merit aid is the same NAMU ladder every ASU student receives — there is NO automatic Barrett-funded scholarship that offsets this fee. Barrett-specific scholarships exist, but they require a separate application through the Barrett scholarship portal after enrollment, and they typically range from $500 to $3,000 per year. Families budgeting for Barrett should plan for the $2,200 fee as a net add on top of ASU's NAMU merit package, not a cost that Barrett automatically covers.

  2. Even the top non-resident NAMU tier (President's Scholarship at $17,500/year) only covers a fraction of ASU's out-of-state on-campus cost of attendance, which runs approximately $55,000 per year. A student with the top non-resident NAMU tier and Barrett Honors still has a net out-of-pocket cost in the $35,000–$40,000 per year range before any other awards. Families see "President's Scholarship" and assume near-full tuition coverage; the actual coverage is closer to one-third of total COA.

  3. The National Scholar award for NMF and NRP students requires TWO separate actions: (1) naming ASU as the student's first-choice college with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by the May 1 deadline, AND (2) enrolling in Barrett, The Honors College. Admission to ASU alone does not trigger the package. Families regularly forget the NMSC step or skip Barrett enrollment thinking they can accept the award without joining the honors college, and forfeit the $15,000–$17,500/year upgrade entirely.

ASU Barrett merit aid FAQ

  • Is the New American University Scholarship automatic?

    Yes. ASU automatically reviews admitted students and notifies them of NAMU eligibility as part of the admission offer — no separate scholarship application is required for the base NAMU ladder. Test scores are not required for eligibility, though they can help a borderline GPA. The ASU scholarship estimator at financialaid.asu.edu/estimator reflects the current Fall 2026 tier amounts.

  • What happens if I don't maintain a 3.0 GPA after enrolling?

    NAMU renewal requires a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA, at least 30 ASU credit hours completed per academic year, and full-time enrollment (12 credits fall and spring). Falling below any of those thresholds at the end of a spring semester jeopardizes renewal for the following academic year. The award runs for up to 8 consecutive semesters toward the first undergraduate degree. If a student finishes their undergraduate degree in fewer than 8 semesters, remaining semester awards may be applied to an ASU graduate degree program.

  • Does Barrett Honors come with extra scholarship money?

    No — not in the automatic sense. Barrett Honors does not provide an automatic Barrett-funded merit scholarship. Honors students receive the same NAMU ladder every ASU student receives, plus they charge a $1,100/semester ($2,200/year) Barrett fee on top of standard tuition. There are roughly 50 named Barrett scholarships, but they require separate applications through the Barrett scholarship portal and typically range from $500 to $3,000 per year. Barrett is an academic experience, not an automatic merit discount.

  • How much does ASU give National Merit Finalists?

    Non-resident NMFs receive $17,500/year over 4 years ($70,000 total) — but ONLY if they name ASU first-choice with NMSC by May 1 AND enroll in Barrett, The Honors College. Arizona-resident NMFs receive $15,000/year ($60,000 total) under the same conditions. The same $17,500/year amount is available to non-resident College Board National Recognition Program awardees (National Hispanic, National African American, National Indigenous, National Rural and Small Town Recognition); AZ-resident NRP awardees receive $10,000/year.

  • Are SAT or ACT scores required for NAMU?

    No. ASU's merit awards are calculated from core-competency high school GPA, not test scores. Submitting scores is optional and can only help a borderline student — it will not reduce an award below what the GPA alone would trigger. Test-optional applicants are still fully eligible for the NAMU ladder at their GPA-based tier.