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Augustana University · South Dakota

Augustana University Merit Aid

Every admitted Augustana student is considered for a renewable Academic Scholarship of $21,000-$28,000 per year simply by applying for admission, and talent awards (music, theatre, art, science) plus legacy and family grants stack on top.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· CC
Merit tiers162 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst CC

Rules that bite at Augustana University

The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Augustana University's own published policy, not generic advice.

  • renewalAcademic Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Renewable; students must be full time and in good academic standing to maintain these scholarships. A specific renewal GPA is not published on the page. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • capHard $53,522 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at Augustana University cannot push the package past $53,522. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

Common merit-aid mistakes at Augustana University

  1. Augustana publishes only the range ($21,000-$28,000/yr) and says the award is 'based on your GPA or SAT/ACT test score,' but it does NOT publish the tier cutoffs. You won't know your exact tier until you receive your award letter — ask admissions for an estimate or use the Net Price Calculator.

  2. Talent awards have separate, earlier deadlines: Pro Musica music is Feb. 1, and Pro Dramatis (theatre) and Pro Artis (visual art) are both March 1. These require an audition or portfolio review, not just admission.

  3. Music awards (Ensemble, Honors, Pro Musica, Studio) each add only +$1,000/yr IF the recipient participates in marching band. The standalone Viking Marching Band Scholarship ($3,000/yr) is a separate award.

  4. $53,522 is tuition + fees + housing (double) + meal plan for 2026-27. Indirect costs — books (~$1,000), transportation (~$2,374), personal expenses (~$4,316), and loan fees (~$72) — add roughly $7,762 more that isn't billed to your account.

  5. It won't. Augustana explicitly stacks outside scholarships on top of its own scholarships. The only reduction risk is to federal self-help (subsidized loans, work-study) and AU need-based grants if your total aid would exceed the cost of attendance.

Who this school is for

Students who want a large, automatic, GPA/test-based merit floor at a Lutheran (ELCA) liberal-arts university in Sioux Falls, plus talented musicians, theatre/art students, and science majors who can layer renewable talent awards on top of their academic scholarship.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $53,522 for 2026-2027. Source

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.

$21,000-$28,000 Per Year

Academic Scholarship

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Based on GPA or SAT/ACT test score (specific tier cutoffs not published on the page)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

First-year and continuing students; considered automatically by applying for undergraduate admission

Renewal terms

Renewable; students must be full time and in good academic standing to maintain these scholarships. A specific renewal GPA is not published on the page.

Notes

Augustana's primary automatic merit award. The page states scholarships are 'based on your GPA or SAT/ACT test score' and that 'being considered for these scholarships is as easy as applying for undergraduate admission,' but it does NOT publish the GPA/test-to-dollar grid. The exact tier you land in is not determinable from official pages.

Source

$21,000-$26,000 Per Year

Transfer Scholarship

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Based on prior college coursework (specific cutoffs not published)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Students who transfer to Augustana from another institution after one full semester of coursework

Renewal terms

Renewable; students must be full time and in good academic standing to maintain these scholarships.

Notes

The transfer-student equivalent of the Academic Scholarship; considered automatically by applying for admission.

Source

$8,000 per year

Pro Musica Music Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Awarded by audition; music ability/talent

Renewal terms

Renewable. An additional $1,000 per year is available to scholarship recipients who participate in marching band.

Notes

Augustana's top music talent award; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship. Application/audition deadline Feb. 1.

Source

Up to $5,000 per year

Studio Music Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Awarded by audition; private-lesson / studio music students

Renewal terms

Renewable. An additional $1,000 per year is available to recipients who participate in marching band.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$3,000 per year

Music Honors Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Awarded by audition; music ability/talent

Renewal terms

Renewable. An additional $1,000 per year is available to recipients who participate in marching band.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$3,000 per year

Viking Marching Band Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Participation in the Viking Marching Band

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship. Distinct from the +$1,000 marching-band add-on attached to the other music awards.

Source

$1,000 per year

Music Ensemble Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Participation in a music ensemble

Renewal terms

Renewable. An additional $1,000 per year is available to recipients who participate in marching band.

Notes

Entry-level music talent award; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

Up to $3,000 per year

Pro Dramatis Theatre Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Based on performance/potential; must be accepted by March

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Theatre talent award; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship. Deadline March 1.

Source

Up to $3,000 per year

Pro Artis Visual Art Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Based on talent/potential via portfolio review

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Visual-art talent award; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship. Deadline March 1.

Source

$2,000 per year

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Incoming transfer students who are Phi Theta Kappa members

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

For incoming transfers; stacks on top of the Transfer Scholarship.

Source

$1,000 per year

YT Johnson Science Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.7 GPA (or 27 ACT)
ACT
27
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Science majors

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Awarded to science majors with a 27 ACT or 3.7 GPA; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$1,000 per year

Fryxell Humanities Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Freshmen in humanities; preference for English/journalism

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$1,000 per year

Alumni Legacy Award

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Students whose parent, grandparent, sibling, or spouse earned a degree from Augustana

Renewal terms

Renewable.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$1,000 per year

Family Tuition Grant

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Full-time students with an immediate family member enrolled full time

Renewal terms

Renewable while an immediate family member is enrolled full time.

Notes

Contingent on a family member's concurrent full-time enrollment; stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

$500 per year of service

Camp Counselor Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Continuing students serving as camp counselors at Lutheran camps for 6+ weeks

Renewal terms

Awarded per qualifying year of service.

Notes

Stacks on top of the Academic Scholarship.

Source

Up to $500

PACT Grant (Parish and College Together)

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Full-time students receiving a church scholarship; submit the PACT Form

Renewal terms

Matching grant; renewal terms not stated on the page.

Notes

Matches a qualifying church/parish scholarship up to $500; there is no deadline for PACT Form submission.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

Augustana explicitly STACKS outside (private) scholarships on top of Augustana scholarships — it will not reduce its own scholarships because a student won outside awards. The only caveat is for students who file the FAFSA and accept federal aid: total aid must stay within the cost of attendance, so outside awards can reduce federal subsidized loans, work-study, and AU need-based grants. Internal named talent/legacy awards also stack on the Academic Scholarship.

Pure merit + outside awards stack against Augustana scholarships with no displacement. For students with federal aid, the COA cap is the only constraint, and AU notes outside scholarships could reduce subsidized loans, work-study, and AU grants (self-help / need-based aid is reduced first, institutional merit scholarships are not).

Source

Lesser-known scholarships at Augustana University

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

AmountAmount VariesEligibilityHigh school graduates, based on financial need; must file the FAFSA.

NEED-BASED institutional grant (not merit). Renewable.

Source

AmountAmount VariesEligibilityInternational students, based on academic credentials and country of citizenship.

Renewable. For international applicants.

Source

Augustana University merit aid FAQ

  • Is the Academic Scholarship automatic?

    Effectively yes. The page says 'being considered for these scholarships is as easy as applying for undergraduate admission,' and the award is based on your GPA or SAT/ACT score. The exact dollar tier within the $21,000-$28,000/yr range is set by your stats but the cutoff grid is not published, so confirm your amount in your award letter.

  • Do outside (private) scholarships reduce my Augustana scholarship?

    No. 'Outside scholarships are stackable with Augustana Scholarships' — AU will not reduce its own scholarships because you won outside awards. If you accept federal aid, total aid must stay within the cost of attendance, so outside awards could reduce federal subsidized loans, work-study, or AU need-based grants.

  • What are the talent-award deadlines?

    Pro Musica music auditions are due Feb. 1. Theatre (Pro Dramatis) and visual art (Pro Artis) are both due March 1 and require an audition or portfolio review.

  • Are the scholarships renewable?

    Yes. Augustana scholarships are renewable provided students 'maintain full-time status and good academic standing.' A specific renewal GPA is not published — ask the Office of Financial Aid (605.274.5216) for the exact threshold.

How Augustana University compares across our verified dataset

  • 160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Augustana University is in a recognizable cluster (160 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Augustana University is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Augustana University’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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