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Bob Jones University · South Carolina

BJU Merit Aid

BJU publishes an automatic 2026-27 merit grid ($7,000-$14,000, with the top tier requiring only a 31 ACT/1390 SAT regardless of GPA), two $0-tuition guarantees for South Carolinians, and a General Scholarship Rule that caps all gift aid at direct costs.

Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers41 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK

Rules that bite at BJU

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

  • renewalPalmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC state award, as listed by BJU): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Eligibility based on full-time enrollment in at least 12 degree-applicable credits; continuing eligibility requires BJU's SAP standards. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Common merit-aid mistakes at BJU

  1. Test scores 'must be submitted to BJU by June 15 to be eligible for the test-based award amounts.' A 3.5-GPA student with a 31 ACT is worth $14,000 with scores on file but only $7,000 without them — a $28,000 swing over four years.

  2. The grid is explicit: 'HS GPA is based on an unweighted 4-point scale.' A 4.3 weighted GPA may be a 3.7 unweighted — the $9,000 tier, not $12,000.

  3. The General Scholarship Rule caps institutional + federal + state gift aid at direct costs, and BJU 'will reduce its institutional grants and scholarships beginning with need-based' if you exceed it — even retroactively when a state grant arrives after packaging.

  4. The SC Free Tuition Guarantee covers tuition and program fees only — 'Students are responsible for non-tuition costs such as housing, meals, student fees, textbooks.' BJU Fellows covers tuition only, with books, fees, food and housing on the family.

  5. Both the SC Free Tuition Guarantee and the BJU Fellows Scholarship require a FAFSA 'by August 1 each year' — an annual deadline, not just a freshman-year one. SC state awards also require an Affidavit of Eligibility every year.

  6. 'All undergraduate awards require enrollment in a minimum of 12 credits per semester of attendance on campus' (last semester excepted), and 'BJU aid does not apply to online only enrollment.' Renewal also requires meeting SAP, with an 8-semester cap.

Who this school is for

High testers win big (31+ ACT alone secures $14,000), every admitted freshman gets at least $7,000, and South Carolina families earning under $100K or holding Palmetto Fellows status can pay zero tuition — if they file the FAFSA by August 1.

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.

$7,000-$14,000

Academic Scholarship (BJU Merit Scholarships)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Unweighted 4-point HS GPA tiers: 4.0+ ($12,000), 3.9+ ($10,000), 3.6+ ($9,000), <3.6 ($7,000)
SAT
1390+ ($14,000); 1260+ ($12,000); 1160+ ($10,000); 1060+ ($9,000)
ACT
31+ ($14,000, regardless of GPA); 27+ ($12,000); 24+ ($10,000); 21+ ($9,000)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

CLT accepted (100+/89+/79+/67+); test scores must be submitted by June 15 to qualify for test-based amounts; highest composite used; transfers placed by college GPA ($7,000-$12,000).

Renewal terms

Aid is automatically renewed up to 4 years/8 semesters, if student meets all eligibility requirements (12+ credits per semester on campus; BJU Satisfactory Academic Progress; not online-only).

Notes

'As a new first-year student, you are automatically considered for BJU aid once you finish the admission application process.' Even sub-3.6/low-test students receive $7,000. Grid explicitly labeled 'BJU — 2026-27.'

Source

$0 tuition and program fees…$0 tuition and program fees (combined aid package)

SC Free Tuition Guarantee

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Qualifying South Carolina students; FAFSA by August 1 each year; family income of $100,000 or less AGI on the most current FAFSA.

Renewal terms

Requires FAFSA submission by August 1 EACH year; additional eligibility criteria apply (linked page not opened).

Notes

A combined-package guarantee, not a single scholarship: BJU combines the entire aid package so tuition and program fees net to $0. 'Students are responsible for non-tuition costs such as housing, meals, student fees, textbooks and course-related expenses.'

Source

$0 tuition (combined aid package)

BJU Fellows Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

South Carolina students who qualify for the state's Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program; FAFSA by August 1 each year.

Renewal terms

Requires FAFSA by August 1 each year and continued Palmetto Fellows qualification. (A BJU news page referenced renewability up to eight semesters; the main page states the general 4-year/8-semester renewal rule.)

Notes

Combined-package tuition guarantee for Palmetto Fellows: 'Students are responsible for books, other academic fees and food and housing (if applicable).' The SC-aid tab also notes 'Palmetto Fellows qualify for the BJU Fellows Scholarship.'

Source

Up to $6,700…Up to $6,700 (freshman); up to $7,500 (sophomore+); up to $10,000 (math/science, sophomore+)

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC state award, as listed by BJU)

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

SC residents; based on academic merit (state criteria); Affidavit of Eligibility required each year for all SC grants/scholarships.

Renewal terms

Eligibility based on full-time enrollment in at least 12 degree-applicable credits; continuing eligibility requires BJU's SAP standards.

Notes

LIFE (up to $5,000; $7,500 math/science soph+) and HOPE ($2,800, freshmen) are also listed; LIFE/HOPE applicants must submit a Certification Form with the affidavit. SC Tuition Grant up to $5,000 is need-based (FAFSA).

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

BJU's General Scholarship Rule caps all institutional aid plus federal/state grants and scholarships at the student's direct costs (tuition + fees for day students; tuition + fees + room and board for residence students). Aid above the cap triggers reductions to BJU's institutional aid, starting with need-based awards — including retroactively if state/federal aid arrives after BJU aid was packaged.

Verbatim policy: combined aid cannot exceed direct costs; BJU reduces institutional grants/scholarships 'beginning with need-based.' Renewal is automatic up to 4 years/8 semesters if eligibility maintained; BJU aid does not apply to online-only enrollment; 12-credit minimum per semester on campus (except final semester). Private/outside scholarships are not explicitly named in the GSR — confirm their treatment.

Source

Lesser-known scholarships at BJU

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

Amount$1,000EligibilityAt least 1 parent is a BJU grad.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityParent employed full-time in a Christian ministry.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityAcademy of Home Education HS graduate.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityBob Jones Academy HS graduate.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityFAFSA required; awards based on financial need.

Under the GSR, need-based institutional aid is the FIRST to be reduced if total gift aid exceeds direct costs.

Source

BJU merit aid FAQ

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    Merit grid: test scores must reach BJU by June 15 for test-based amounts. SC Free Tuition Guarantee and BJU Fellows: FAFSA by August 1 each year. The FAFSA itself opens October 1. (Pages state month/day without years; for fall 2026 entry these fall in 2026.)

  • Do I need to apply separately for merit scholarships?

    No — 'As a new first-year student, you are automatically considered for BJU aid once you finish the admission application process.'

  • Can I really pay $0 tuition as a South Carolina student?

    Two paths: (1) SC Free Tuition Guarantee — SC students with family AGI of $100,000 or less who file the FAFSA by August 1 pay $0 in tuition and program fees; (2) BJU Fellows — Palmetto Fellows qualifiers pay $0 in tuition. Both combine your entire aid package and exclude housing, meals, and books.

  • How long does my merit scholarship last?

    Aid is automatically renewed up to 4 years/8 semesters if you meet all eligibility requirements: 12+ on-campus credits per semester and BJU's Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

  • How much does BJU cost?

    The tuition page retrieved during this extraction displayed a '2024-25' header ($11,140/semester tuition, $5,190/semester room & board, ~$1,000/semester typical program fee) even though the site links to it as 'Tuition/Room & Board 2026-27' — current-year figures could not be confirmed; verify with admissions.

How BJU compares across our verified dataset

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

    BJU 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.

    BJU 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 BJU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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