Bellarmine (KY, Catholic) gives all incoming first-years institutional gift aid (holistic Scarlet Scholarships up to competitive full-ride Scholar/Fellow awards), but its institutional scholarships are tuition-only and can be REDUCED by tuition-specific outside awards. (DRAFT)
Verified Jun 2026today· COWORK
Merit tiers71 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Bellarmine
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Bellarmine's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalScarlet Scholarships: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Must maintain full-time enrollment status; covers tuition during fall and spring semesters only. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
displacementDifferent aid types are displaced differently
Bellarmine treats loans, work-study, and institutional grant under different rules. The same $5,000 outside award can land against any of them depending on category.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Bellarmine
Bellarmine states its scholarships 'may be reduced if you receive tuition-specific awards from outside sources' — an outside tuition scholarship can displace, not stack with, your Bellarmine institutional aid.
Institutional scholarships and grants may be used to pay Bellarmine TUITION ONLY (unless otherwise specified) and only for fall and spring semesters — they won't cover housing, food, or most fees.
The Fellow Award is four years of full TUITION plus a study abroad stipend; only the Bellarmine Scholar Award is a full ride (tuition, fees, room & board).
Scholar/Fellow consideration requires the Honors Program application by December 1; later applications are still considered for the program but NOT for the scholarship (unless the deadline is officially extended).
The Governor ($32,000) and Alumni Legacy awards require a 2.5 cumulative GPA, and the Public Price Promise requires a 3.5 entering GPA plus living on campus every year — falling short can cut the award.
HOPE Kentucky Scholars covers tuition+fees+textbooks but is a last-dollar award requiring continued Pell eligibility, KY state aid (CAP/KTG) eligibility, full-time enrollment, and a FAFSA filed by April 1 each year.
The $1,500 Trustee Scholarship requires an official campus visit AND filing the FAFSA before May 1; without both it won't appear in your award.
Who this school is for
Every admitted first-year gets institutional aid via the holistic Scarlet Scholarship; top students compete for the full-ride Bellarmine Scholar or full-tuition Fellow award, and Kentucky students can layer Governor ($32,000) or HOPE Kentucky (full tuition+fees) funding. (DRAFT)
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $60,840 for 2025-2026. 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.
Amount not published (varies by application strength)
Scarlet Scholarships
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Strong academic profile (not a published cutoff)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Based on the admissions application; minimum credentials include a strong academic profile and extracurricular involvement; priority deadline February 1; no separate application
Renewal terms
Must maintain full-time enrollment status; covers tuition during fall and spring semesters only.
Notes
Holistic, no published GPA/test grid (use the scholarship estimator). Tuition-only and fall/spring only. This is the base institutional merit award for most admitted first-years.
Full ride (full tuition, fees, room & board) + study abroad stipend
Bellarmine Scholar Award
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Complete admission application + Honors Program scholarship application by December 1; selected via the Feb 6-7, 2026 competition (faculty interview, writing sample, mock class)
Renewal terms
Four-year award; enrollment in the Honors Program.
Notes
Bellarmine's most prestigious award — a four-year full-ride plus study abroad stipend and Honors Program enrollment. Competitive; separate application required.
Completed the Governor's Scholars Program (GSP), Governor's School for Entrepreneurs (GSE), or Governor's School for the Arts (GSA) — Kentucky programs; no separate application
Renewal terms
Available for full-time fall/spring enrollment; renewable with a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Notes
$32,000 award for Kentucky Governor's program completers; residency/program-gated. Automatic on indicated participation.
Matches your state's flagship university direct cost
Public Price Promise
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Matches the current direct cost of your state's flagship university
Renewal terms
Full-time fall/spring; students must live on campus each year for continued eligibility.
Notes
Bellarmine matches your state flagship's direct cost for qualifying 3.5+ GPA students; requires living on campus annually. Tuition-only/institutional treatment applies.
Kentucky first-year or transfer students; last-dollar after Pell/KEES/CAP/KTG/FSEOG; Pell and KY state aid eligibility required
Renewal terms
Renewable for eight semesters; stay enrolled full-time, file FAFSA each year by April 1, remain Pell-eligible and eligible for KY state aid (CAP and KTG).
Notes
Last-dollar program covering tuition + comprehensive fees + textbooks (course fees, matriculation fee, meal plans, and housing remain). Income/eligibility-gated (Pell + KY state aid).
Institutional scholarships and grants are TUITION-ONLY (unless otherwise specified) and awarded for fall and spring only. Critically, Bellarmine scholarships may be REDUCED if you receive tuition-specific awards from outside sources — outside tuition awards displace Bellarmine institutional aid.
Tuition-only restriction plus an explicit reduction of Bellarmine scholarships when outside tuition-specific awards are received. The Governor's, Alumni Legacy, and Public Price Promise awards carry their own renewal-GPA/residency conditions.
AmountMinimum $4,000 ($1,000/year)EligibilityEntering first-year legacy (child/grandchild/stepchild of a Bellarmine or Ursuline graduate); based on application + financial need; Feb 1 deadline; 2.5 GPA + full-time
Scarlet and Alumni Legacy priority: February 1. Bellarmine Scholars/Fellows (Honors): December 1. Century Scholars and Whitney M. Young: January 15. Trustee: campus visit + FAFSA before May 1.
Can outside scholarships reduce my Bellarmine aid?
Yes. Bellarmine scholarships may be reduced if you receive tuition-specific awards from outside sources, and institutional scholarships are tuition-only (fall/spring).
What's the difference between the Scholar and Fellow awards?
The Bellarmine Scholar Award is a four-year full ride (tuition, fees, room & board) plus a study abroad stipend; the Bellarmine Fellow Award is four years of full tuition plus a study abroad stipend. Both require the Honors application by December 1 and the Feb 6-7, 2026 competition.
What is the cost of attendance?
For 2025-26, tuition and fees are $50,490, with first-year housing $5,050 and food $5,300 (plus a one-time $400 matriculation fee). Direct tuition+fees+housing+food totals $60,840; full COA with indirect costs is in the linked direct-cost worksheet / COA rationale PDFs.
How Bellarmine compares across our verified dataset
31 of 272 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.
Bellarmine is in the modest minority (31 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
247 of 272 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Bellarmine is one of them. The cohort minority (25 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 Bellarmine’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
