See what BHSU's published rules mean for your student's numbers. Takes 30 seconds.
The merit-aid verdict at BHSU
BHSU's automatic Scholarships of Distinction map unweighted GPA against ACT/SAT into four tiers ($1,000-$4,000/year), with a GPA-only test-optional column, and a regional tuition deal that gives 11 neighboring states the South Dakota in-state rate. DRAFT.
Rules that bite at BHSU
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from BHSU's own published policy, not generic advice.
displacementNo published displacement order
BHSU's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.
Common merit-aid mistakes at BHSU
To be considered for a Scholarship of Distinction you must apply for admission to BHSU prior to February 1, and awards are made only while funds are available — apply early.
The GPA-only test-optional column tops out at $3,000 (for a 4.0+ GPA) and drops to $1,000 at a 3.50 GPA, whereas pairing a high GPA with a high ACT/SAT can reach the Platinum $4,000 tier.
Scholarships of Distinction are for first-time undergraduates only — any prior attendance at a college or university after high school graduation makes you ineligible, and non-degree-seeking students are excluded.
Renewal requires a cumulative 3.0 GPA, completion of 30 BHSU credit hours per academic year, and Satisfactory Academic Progress, for a maximum of 8 undergraduate semesters.
Residents of Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Wyoming qualify for the South Dakota in-state tuition rate with no separate application — substantially lowering net cost.
Credentials at the time of admission are used to evaluate the award, but you may contact Admissions to have your file re-evaluated on updated credentials; the amount may increase only if funds remain available.
Who this school is for
First-time BHSU freshmen with a 3.5+ unweighted GPA (or strong test scores) who apply by February 1, especially students from the 11 neighboring states that qualify for the in-state tuition rate. DRAFT.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $17,214 for 2025-2026. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at BHSU, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at BHSU, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$11,863
$30,001–$48,000
$13,379
$48,001–$75,000
$15,588
$75,001–$110,000
$18,072
$110,001+
$18,604
All income levels (average)
$15,911
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$8,764
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$11,866
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$15,911
That works out to roughly a 25% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $21,277 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
BHSU is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
43%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
72%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$26,000 (~$276/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$46,674
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
38%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
53%
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.
$1,000-$4,000/year
Scholarships of Distinction (GPA x ACT/SAT grid)
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Unweighted high school GPA mapped against ACT/SAT composite. Tier labels: Platinum $4,000; Gold $3,000; Silver $2,000; Bronze $1,000 (higher GPA offsets lower test scores and vice versa; bands run from 4.0+ GPA / ACT 36 down to roughly 2.60 GPA / ACT 18).
SAT
SAT Composite (SAT Math + SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing)
ACT
ACT Composite or ACT Superscore Composite (official, as reported from ACT); test must be taken no later than the summer immediately following high school graduation
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Test-Optional (GPA-only) pathway: 4.0+ GPA → $3,000; 3.85-3.99 GPA → $2,000; 3.50-3.80 GPA → $1,000 (no published test-optional award below 3.50). New first-time undergraduates only (no prior college attendance after high school graduation); degree-seeking at BHSU (non-degree ineligible). Apply for admission to BHSU prior to February 1.
Renewal terms
Maximum of 8 undergraduate semesters. Must maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 30 credit hours of BHSU coursework per academic year, and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Notes
Up to $4,000/year while funds are available. The award grid is published as an image on the financial-aid page; the tier amounts ($4,000/$3,000/$2,000/$1,000) and the test-optional column values were read from the rendered chart (see Section C). If academic credentials improve after submission, a student may request re-evaluation and the award may increase if funds are available.
Scholarships of Distinction may be fulfilled by one or multiple BHSU Foundation donors and/or other institutional aid; the pages do not state a general policy on how private/outside scholarships displace the award.
The FAQ states funds are made possible through BHSU Foundation donors and/or other institutional aid, and a student may see one or multiple donors listed to fulfill the award amount. No outside-scholarship displacement or COA-cap rule was found on the pages opened.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
AmountAmount not published in this extractEligibilityState of South Dakota merit scholarship (accordion on the BHSU financial-aid page; not expanded for this extract).
Apply for admission to BHSU prior to February 1 to be considered for a Scholarship of Distinction; awards are made while funds are available.
Do I need a test score?
No — there is a test-optional (GPA-only) pathway (4.0+ GPA → $3,000 down to 3.50 GPA → $1,000). If you submit scores, ACT Composite, ACT Superscore Composite, or SAT Composite may be used, as long as the test was taken no later than the summer immediately following high school graduation.
How long does the scholarship last?
A maximum of 8 undergraduate semesters, as long as you maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA, complete 30 BHSU credit hours per academic year, and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
How much does BHSU cost?
For South Dakota residents (and the 11 neighboring states that qualify for in-state tuition), the estimated yearly tuition+fees+room+meal is about $17,214 (or $18,172 including books); non-residents pay about $21,364 total. Out-of-state students from CO, IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, WI, and WY qualify for the in-state rate.
How BHSU compares across our verified dataset
135 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
BHSU is in a recognizable cluster (135 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
135 of 750 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.
BHSU is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
BHSU 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 BHSU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
