The starting point
Athens State is an upper-division, transfer-only public university (juniors and seniors — no freshmen), so its merit is transfer-GPA-based: the President's Scholarship covers full tuition and fees automatically for admits with a 3.7 GPA, with smaller automatic Excellence/Empowerment awards up to $2,000/year.
More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 6 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
President's Scholarship (Full-Ride)
Full tuition and fees · Published coverage or package
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 3.7 cumulative or higher (transfer)
Eligibility: Completed at least 36 credit hours of college-level coursework; admitted to Athens State by May 1, 2026; transfer student (no freshmen admitted)
Renewal: Page describes it as a 'Full-Ride Scholarship' covering full tuition and fees; specific per-term renewal GPA not stated on the page.
Other terms: Strongest automatic merit award. No separate scholarship application — admission triggers automatic consideration. Because Athens State is upper-division/transfer-only, eligibility is based on transfer GPA and completed hours, not high-school record or test scores.
https://www.athens.edu/admissions/scholarships/presidents-scholarship/
Excellence Scholarships
Up to $2,000 annually · Variable or qualified amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 3.00 cumulative minimum (transfer)
Eligibility: First-time undergraduate seeking first bachelor's degree; Fall or Spring start term; no separate scholarship application required
Renewal: Annual award; renewal terms not stated on the page. Awarded on a first-come, first-served basis subject to fund availability.
Other terms: Automatic on the admission application but NOT guaranteed — 'awarded based on eligibility and availability of funds on a first-come, first-served basis.' Amount '$2,000' is quoted from the transfer-scholarships overview page; the dedicated Excellence page lists the 3.00 GPA rule but no dollar figure. Fall awarding begins April 1; Spring awarding begins November 1.
https://www.athens.edu/degree-completion-transfer-students/can-transfer-students-get-scholarships/
Empowerment Scholarships
Up to $2,000 Annually · Variable or qualified amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 2.50 cumulative minimum (transfer)
Eligibility: First-time undergraduate seeking first bachelor's degree; SAI no greater than 6400 as determined by the FAFSA; Fall or Spring start; no separate scholarship application
Renewal: Annual award; renewal terms not stated. First-come, first-served subject to fund availability.
Other terms: Has a financial-need component (SAI ≤ 6400 via FAFSA) layered on a low GPA bar — closer to need-aware merit than pure merit. CONFLICT: the dedicated Empowerment page states GPA 2.50 and 'SAI no greater than 6400'; the transfer-scholarships overview page states 'a GPA of 2.0' and 'expected family contribution (from the FAFSA) no greater than $5,500' (the older EFC framing). The dedicated page (GPA 2.50 / SAI 6400) is treated as current. Automatic consideration on the admission application.
https://www.athens.edu/admissions/scholarships/empowerment/
