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Bluefield scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$42,880per year · Not stated on page (no academic year label; see Section C) · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Bluefield may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
4 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Academic Scholarships (Alumni, Achievement, Deans', Harman, Lansdell, Opportunity, and Trustees)$3,000-$13,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Academic Scholarships (Alumni, Achievement, Deans', Harman, Lansdell, Opportunity, and Trustees)

    $3,000-$13,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    GPA is used to determine the amount; no specific GPA cutoffs or award grid published
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Academic Scholarships (Alumni, Achievement, Deans', Harman, Lansdell, Opportunity, and Trustees)

    Who qualifies

    Degree-seeking; number of scholarships is limited; award must be accepted within 45 days

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years if enrolled full time and maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Per the SAP policy page, undergraduates need a 1.75 cumulative GPA through 57 career hours attempted and 2.0 at 58+ hours, must complete 67 percent of all cumulative credit hours attempted, and stay within 150 percent of the degree's credit-hour requirement; failing SAP after the warning period makes a student 'ineligible for federal student aid and institutional program funding.'

    Worth knowing

    No published GPA/test grid — the page says only that 'Your GPA will be used to determine the amount of the scholarship.' Amounts are not guaranteed-automatic; the school states the number offered is limited.

  2. Presidential ScholarshipFull tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Presidential Scholarship

    Full tuition

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Only two (2) new freshmen per year; two letters of recommendation, on-campus interview, and an essay reviewed by select faculty

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four years: full-time enrollment, maintain BU cumulative GPA of 3.5 (reviewed at the end of each spring semester), continual enrollment (excluding summers), and 45 hours of tutoring per semester during Junior and Senior years.

    Worth knowing

    Full TUITION only — not full cost of attendance (on-campus COA total budget is $42,880). Competitive selection, not stat-automatic.

  3. Spire Scholarship$1,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Spire Scholarship

    $1,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.50 GPA in order to compete
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Spire Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Ten freshmen per year; two letters of recommendation, on-campus interview, and essay reviewed by select faculty

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four years: full-time enrollment, maintain BU cumulative GPA of 3.0 (reviewed at the end of each spring semester), continual enrollment (excluding summers), and 30 hours of tutoring per semester during Junior and Senior years.

    Worth knowing

    An ADDITIONAL $1,000 on top of academic scholarships, awarded by competition to ten freshmen.

  4. Honors Scholarship (Honors Program)Up to $1,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Honors Scholarship (Honors Program)

    Up to $1,000

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Honors Program page: high school GPA of 3.5 or above and class rank in top 20%
    SAT
    1140 per financial aid page; 1150 per Honors Program page (CONFLICT — see Section C)
    ACT
    25 (composite)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Honors Scholarship (Honors Program)

    Who qualifies

    Application with essays required (Honors Program page requires four essays); alternatively, eligibility for the Presidential Scholarship qualifies

    How to keep it

    Renewable each year of participation in the Honors Program.

    Worth knowing

    Two official pages disagree on the SAT threshold (1140 vs 1150). Application/essays required, so not automatic on stats.

  5. Go Bluefield Scholarship$2,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Go Bluefield Scholarship

    $2,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Go Bluefield Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Must matriculate directly from a high school within a specified articulation agreement; currently Oak Hill Academy

    How to keep it

    Renewable for all four years of full-time enrollment provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Worth knowing

    Partner-high-school award; contact admissions counselor to confirm eligibility.

  6. Missionary Kids Of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Scholarship (MK OF CBF)Full tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Missionary Kids Of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Scholarship (MK OF CBF)

    Full tuition

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Missionary Kids Of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Scholarship (MK OF CBF)

    Who qualifies

    Child of a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionary; application plus a letter from CBF certifying the parent's missionary status; selected by an Admissions Committee; only two students

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four years: full-time enrollment, continual enrollment (excluding summers), and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

    Worth knowing

    Full TUITION only — not full cost of attendance. One scholarship may extend to the child of an International Mission Board Missionary.

  7. Virginia Resident Tuition Discounts (On-Campus Tuition Discount / Commuter Tuition Discount)$10,853-$14,097Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Virginia Resident Tuition Discounts (On-Campus Tuition Discount / Commuter Tuition Discount)

    $10,853-$14,097

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Virginia Resident Tuition Discounts (On-Campus Tuition Discount / Commuter Tuition Discount)

    Who qualifies

    Virginia resident; commuter discount $10,853, on-campus discount $14,097 per the university's 2025-2026 cost estimates; shown stacking with VTAG ($5,250) and Pell

    How to keep it

    Renewal terms not stated on the page; published as estimated annual discounts in a university news release. Confirm renewal with the aid office.

    Worth knowing

    Published in a January 2025 news release for the 2025-2026 academic year (aid-year mismatch flagged in Section C). Estimates are for tuition only and exclude room and board. Actual costs may vary for student-athletes or those receiving other scholarships and awards.

  8. Veteran Discount (Online & Military Discount)$250 per credit hour (after FA discount); awarded as a 20% discount tuition waiverNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Veteran Discount (Online & Military Discount)

    $250 per credit hour (after FA discount); awarded as a 20% discount tuition waiver

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Veteran Discount (Online & Military Discount)

    Who qualifies

    Active duty, veterans, reserve/National Guard, police, corrections officers, firemen, and first responders (paid positions) with documentation; must be requested — not automatically awarded; NOT available to spouses/dependents, Church Partnership students, or MABS students; does not apply to any graduate program

    How to keep it

    Applies going forward only — 'The military discount goes into effect for the next (upcoming) term after requests and documentation have been submitted and approved. No retroactive discounts for prior terms will be given.'

    Worth knowing

    Online-program discount. Must be requested with documentation; it is not automatic.

Free Merit Check

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The fine print

Renewal ruleAcademic Scholarships (Alumni, Achievement, Deans', Harman, Lansdell, Opportunity, and Trustees): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for four years if enrolled full time and maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Per the SAP policy page, undergraduates need a 1.75 cumulative GPA through 57 career hours attempted and 2.0 at 58+ hours, must complete 67 percent of all cumulative credit hours attempted, and stay within 150 percent of the degree's credit-hour requirement; failing SAP after the warning period makes a student 'ineligible for federal student aid and institutional program funding.' A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsNo published displacement order

Bluefield'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.

What makes Bluefield different

DRAFT: Bluefield University's merit aid is GPA-driven and modest on paper ($3,000-$13,000 academic scholarships with no published grid), but Virginia residents can layer large flat 'tuition discounts' with VTAG and Pell to push tuition near zero, and two competitive Presidential Scholarships cover full tuition.

Merit tiers8See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Bluefield's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Bluefield states: 'Once you receive your award letter, you will have 45 days to accept it, thereby "locking in" your financial aid,' and for academic scholarships 'The number of scholarships offered is limited, so students have only 45 days to accept their award to ensure they receive it.' Miss the window and a limited-supply scholarship can be lost.

  2. Both awards cover full TUITION only. The university's on-campus Cost of Attendance total budget is $42,880, of which tuition is only part — room & board ($11,770 on the COA page), fees, travel, and personal costs are not covered. The school's own discount estimates also warn: 'These estimates are for tuition only and do not include the cost of room and board.'

  3. The Presidential Scholarship requires maintaining a 3.5 BU cumulative GPA (reviewed every spring), continual enrollment, AND 45 hours of tutoring per semester in junior and senior years; Spire requires a 3.0 GPA plus 30 hours of tutoring per semester in junior/senior years; academic scholarships require full-time enrollment and Satisfactory Academic Progress for all four years.

  4. Bluefield's page states: 'Bluefield University includes Tuition Rewards as part of the normal institutional and merit scholarships' — they are the minimum scholarship, not an add-on. Also, 'Bluefield University must receive confirmation from SAGE of your Tuition Rewards within 10 days of applying to our institution,' a tight deadline families miss.

  5. The page says it 'May be awarded to international students who are not receiving an athletic or performing arts scholarship' — an explicit one-or-the-other restriction.

  6. Bluefield requires notification: the outside award is added into your aid package, 'which directly impacts your balance due,' and unreported awards can create a federal overpayment condition that 'may affect whether you are eligible to receive certain grants and loans in the future.' The school does not publish whether outside money reduces loans or grants first — ask before committing.

  7. VTAG is worth $5,250/year for on-ground students ($2,625 online) but requires the application 'completed by July 31 to be guaranteed state funding,' Virginia domicile, and that the student 'must not have moved to Virginia for the purpose of attending a post-secondary school.'

  8. Per the Tuition & Fees page: 'Students must request the military discount and submit proper documentation in order to receive it. It is not automatically awarded,' there are 'No retroactive discounts for prior terms,' and spouses/dependents, Church Partnership students, and MABS students are excluded.

  9. The admissions page says: 'If you choose to submit standardized test scores, which may improve your financial aid award, we look for: A minimum SAT score of 970 ... A minimum CLT score of 62 ... A minimum ACT score of 18.' Withholding solid scores may leave scholarship money on the table.

  10. The university catalog states students 'who wish to be considered for all types of financial aid, including Federal Programs, State Programs, and most Institutional Grants and Scholarships, should complete' the FAFSA-based process no later than March 15 (traditional students), and the need-based Bluefield Access Scholarship explicitly requires the FAFSA.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

DRAFT: Strongest for Virginia-domiciled students — especially Pell-eligible commuter or on-campus students — who can stack the school's flat tuition discounts with the $5,250 VTAG. High-GPA students (3.5+) also have shots at the two full-tuition Presidential Scholarships, the $1,000 Spire award, and the Honors Program scholarship.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $42,880 for Not stated on page (no academic year label; see Section C). Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Bluefield, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Bluefield, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$25,807
$30,001–$48,000$25,454
$48,001–$75,000$25,732
$75,001–$110,000$25,374
$110,001+$25,430
All income levels (average)$25,573

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$26,770
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$25,573

That works out to roughly a 40% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $42,539 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
18%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
61%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$21,855 (~$232/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$48,896
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
56%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
75%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Bluefield's own example shows institutional tuition discounts stacking with the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant and the federal Pell Grant. Outside awards must be reported and are added into the student's aid package, which 'directly impacts your balance due'; SAGE Tuition Rewards are absorbed into normal institutional/merit scholarships rather than stacking on top; the International Scholarship cannot be combined with athletic or performing-arts scholarships. The school does not publish a loan-first/grant-first displacement order for outside awards.

Three groundable rules: (1) Outside awards: 'It is important to notify the Financial Aid Office if you receive an outside award. This includes the award in your individual award package' — no published order of displacement. (2) SAGE Tuition Rewards: 'Bluefield University includes Tuition Rewards as part of the normal institutional and merit scholarships' — i.e., they represent the minimum scholarship, not an add-on. (3) International Scholarship is restricted to students 'who are not receiving an athletic or performing arts scholarship.' The 2025-26 news release shows institutional discounts + VTAG + Pell stacking against tuition.

Source

Other Bluefield scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityNon-athlete students, based on need; must be accepted to the University and complete the FAFSA to be assessed

Need-based institutional award; Virginia students ineligible for FAFSA may submit the VASAA instead.

Source

AmountAmount not published (varies annually per student)EligibilityApplication process; work as front-line Admissions ambassadors (tours, enrollment events); must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress

Must work with admissions on renewable awards each year.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityAwarded by coaching staff; renewable based on the criteria of the coach and the standards of NAIA

Note: athletes also pay a $500/semester athletic fee per the Tuition & Fees page.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityDemonstrated talent in visual and performing arts; determined by audition before the Fine Arts Department faculty

Source

AmountAmount not published (varies per student)EligibilityAudition-based (music department / Student Development); renewable per department criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress

Source

AmountAmount not published (varies per student)EligibilityInternational students who are NOT receiving an athletic or performing arts scholarship; may be renewable for four years with Satisfactory Academic Progress

Anti-stacking restriction: cannot be held alongside athletic or performing-arts scholarships.

Source

Amount$3,000EligibilityTwo outstanding students working with the Rampage student newspaper; enrolled or active in at least one communication class; preferred GPA of 3.0 including 3.0 in communication courses; at least a full-year (two-semester) commitment

Departmental award via the Department of Communication; renewable year to year while meeting requirements.

Source

Amount15% tuition benefit on online degree programsEligibilitySchool employees in Virginia or West Virginia (excluding the online MABS program); proof of current school-system employment required

Online programs only.

Source

Amount$500 (four awarded)EligibilityCurrent or incoming full-time online students; have and maintain a 2.0 GPA; November 1st application deadline

Source

AmountAmounts mostly not published (Martha Louise Martin: $1,000)EligibilityVaries: major (history, art, education, ministry, criminal justice, business/CS/math), county/region of residence (e.g., Tazewell County VA, Mercer County WV, Southwest Virginia), GPA floors from 2.5 to 3.5, and demonstrated financial need for many

Applications download from Forms & Resources; general deadline July 1st or as specified per award (e.g., Walls-Farmer March 1, Will Gordon April 1, McPherson November 1, Stephens August 1, Duremedes reviewed after June 1).

Source

Bluefield merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    There is no single published merit-scholarship deadline. Key dates from Bluefield's pages: FAFSA priority deadline March 15 for new students (March 30 for returning); priority deadline for all other financial aid requirements June 1; Virginia VTAG application by July 31 to guarantee state funding; Bluefield's private/endowed scholarship applications due July 1st or by the specified deadline per award; and once your award letter arrives you have 45 days to accept it.

  • Is the Presidential Scholarship a full ride?

    No. It is a full-TUITION scholarship awarded to only two new freshmen per year. Room & board, fees, and other costs (on-campus COA total budget $42,880) are not covered, and renewal requires a 3.5 BU GPA plus 45 hours of tutoring per semester in junior and senior years.

  • Are Bluefield's academic scholarships automatic based on my GPA or test scores?

    Bluefield does not publish an automatic GPA/test award grid. Academic scholarships range from $3,000 to $13,000, 'Your GPA will be used to determine the amount,' the number offered is limited, and awards must be accepted within 45 days. Submitting test scores is optional but 'may improve your financial aid award.'

  • How much is the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) at Bluefield?

    Per Bluefield's pages, $5,250 per year for on-ground students and $2,625 for online students. You must be a domiciled Virginia resident who did not move to Virginia to attend school, and apply by July 31 (prior-year recipients do not reapply).

  • Will outside scholarships reduce my Bluefield aid?

    Bluefield requires you to report outside awards; they are included in your aid package and 'directly impact your balance due,' and must be shown to avoid federal overpayment conditions. The school does not publish whether outside awards displace loans or grants first — ask the Financial Aid Office (1.800.872.0175, option 1).

  • What GPA do I need to keep my scholarships?

    Academic scholarships (Alumni, Achievement, Deans', Harman, Lansdell, Opportunity, Trustees): full-time enrollment and Satisfactory Academic Progress for four years. Presidential: 3.5 BU cumulative GPA reviewed each spring plus tutoring hours. Spire: 3.0 BU cumulative GPA plus tutoring hours. Honors Scholarship: renewable each year of Honors Program participation.

See sources and other schools

How Bluefield compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Bluefield is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Bluefield is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Bluefield is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Bluefield’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Bluefield merit aid

The next chapter

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