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Cedarville scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

Cedarville awards automatic merit on admission. Cedarville does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
6 school sources to explore

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

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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. President's Scholar Award (academic scholarship for new residential freshmen)$15,000 to $25,000 per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    President's Scholar Award (academic scholarship for new residential freshmen)

    $15,000 to $25,000 per year

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Based on high-school credentials; specific qualifying GPA per tier is NOT published on current pages
    SAT
    Optional; specific qualifying scores per tier are NOT published on current pages
    ACT
    Optional; specific qualifying test scores per tier are NOT published on current pages
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for President's Scholar Award (academic scholarship for new residential freshmen)

    Who qualifies

    New residential freshman; qualifying GPA or standardized test scores (test scores not required) must be submitted by July 31; no separate application required

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to four years (eight semesters) as long as the student maintains the required Cedarville cumulative GPA. Cedarville publishes per-named-tier renewal GPAs: President's Society Fellows 3.2, President's Excellence 3.2, Chancellor's Excellence 3.0, Deans' Excellence 3.0, Faculty Excellence 2.8, President's Scholar Award 2.7, Cedarville Achievement 2.5. Renewal reviewed once a year at the end of Spring Semester; full-time enrollment (12+ credits) required each term.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded automatically on high-school credentials — no essay or separate scholarship application. The single published amount on current 2026-27 pages is the range '$15,000 to $25,000 per year.' Internally the award is split into seven named tiers (President's Society Fellows, President's Excellence, Chancellor's Excellence, Deans' Excellence, Faculty Excellence, President's Scholar Award, Cedarville Achievement) — those tier names and their RENEWAL GPAs are published, but the per-tier ENTRY dollar amounts and qualifying GPA/test cutoffs are NOT published on the current public site (older 2020-21-catalog figures circulate but are stale and lower; do not use). Online (non-residential) students are not eligible.

  2. "Soli Deo Gloria" Music Program ScholarshipUp to $6,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    "Soli Deo Gloria" Music Program Scholarship

    Up to $6,000 per year

    Variable or qualified 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 "Soli Deo Gloria" Music Program Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Declared music major (not music minors or non-majors); completed audition with music faculty after admission to the University

    How to keep it

    Based on performance and discretion of the music faculty. Full-time enrollment as a music major (12+ credits); limited to eight semesters, fall and spring only.

    Worth knowing

    Determined as part of the music audition. May be combined with Cedarville's academic and need-based awards (stacks).

  3. Worship Program ScholarshipUp to $4,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Worship Program Scholarship

    Up to $4,000 per year

    Variable or qualified 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 Worship Program Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Declared worship major (not worship minors or non-majors); completed worship audition (essay, musical audition, interview, recommendations) after admission

    How to keep it

    Renewable terms not stated explicitly on the page. Full-time enrollment as a worship major (12+ credits); limited to eight semesters, fall and spring only.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded on the strength of the worship audition. May be combined with Cedarville's academic and need-based awards (stacks).

  4. Pharmacy Early Assurance Scholarship$5,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Pharmacy Early Assurance Scholarship

    $5,000 per year

    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 Pharmacy Early Assurance Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Acceptance into the Early Assurance Program; active enrollment in the BS Pharmaceutical Sciences program

    How to keep it

    Renews as long as the student continues active enrollment in the undergraduate (BS Pharmaceutical Sciences) portion and has not begun the P1 portion of the PharmD program, and maintains the program Continuation Requirements. Full-time enrollment (12+ credits); limited to six semesters, fall and spring only.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded in addition to any other Cedarville undergraduate scholarships, but the combined total of gift aid cannot exceed direct University charges (coa-cap).

  5. President's Ministry Impact ScholarshipUp to $7,000 per year for selected studentsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    President's Ministry Impact Scholarship

    Up to $7,000 per year for selected students

    Variable or qualified 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 President's Ministry Impact Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Selected undergraduate students whose parent is in full-time vocational ministry and who demonstrate Christian character and leadership; complete the online scholarship application by February 15, 2026 and the FAFSA (or ISFF) by January 31, 2026

    How to keep it

    Renewable as long as the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and remains in good standing, including an annual review of student conduct against the Cedarville community covenant. Full-time enrollment (12+ credits); eligibility expires after eight semesters; fall and spring only.

    Worth knowing

    Competitive/selective (a separate application is required). May be combined with other scholarships and grants (stacks).

Lights up against Cedarville's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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  • “it told me what to ask and what the renewal GPA looked like, which I was not going to find on my own”Melissa

The fine print

Renewal rulePresident's Scholar Award (academic scholarship for new residential freshmen): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for up to four years (eight semesters) as long as the student maintains the required Cedarville cumulative GPA. Cedarville publishes per-named-tier renewal GPAs: President's Society Fellows 3.2, President's Excellence 3.2, Chancellor's Excellence 3.0, Deans' Excellence 3.0, Faculty Excellence 2.8, President's Scholar Award 2.7, Cedarville Achievement 2.5. Renewal reviewed once a year at the end of Spring Semester; full-time enrollment (12+ credits) required each term. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What makes Cedarville different

Every new residential freshman at Cedarville is automatically considered for a renewable academic scholarship of $15,000 to $25,000 per year based on high-school credentials — no separate application, just submit qualifying GPA or (optional) test scores by July 31 — and music, worship, pharmacy, and ministry awards stack on top up to the cost of attendance.

Merit tiers51 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  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 Cedarville'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. The academic scholarship is awarded automatically, but only if your qualifying GPA or (optional) standardized test scores are on file by July 31. Submit official credentials early so the award is locked in before billing.

  2. Cedarville caps total gift aid at your DIRECT University charges. If institutional + outside scholarships exceed your charges, Cedarville reduces its OWN institutional aid — so a large outside award can displace your Cedarville scholarship instead of cutting what your family pays once charges are covered.

  3. Older Cedarville catalogs listed fixed per-tier figures (e.g., a $15,000 President's Excellence, $13,000 Chancellor's). The current 2026-27 site only publishes the overall '$15,000 to $25,000 per year' range; the per-tier entry amounts and qualifying GPA/test cutoffs are not posted publicly, so ask the aid office for your exact tier rather than relying on old numbers.

  4. Cedarville's academic scholarships are for new RESIDENTIAL freshmen. Online undergraduates are not eligible for Cedarville scholarships and are pointed to federal/state aid, loans, and outside scholarships instead.

  5. Each tier has its own renewal cumulative GPA (3.2 down to 2.5). If your Cedarville cumulative GPA falls below your tier's line at the end of Spring Semester, the award is not renewed — though it can be reinstated mid-year if you raise the GPA back to the required level.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong students seeking a Christ-centered Baptist university where a sizable academic scholarship is automatic on stats (no essay, no separate app) and can be combined with talent and ministry awards; especially music, worship, and pre-pharmacy applicants, and students with a parent in full-time ministry.

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Cedarville, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$18,987
$30,001–$48,000$17,762
$48,001–$75,000$19,743
$75,001–$110,000$23,426
$110,001+$28,127
All income levels (average)$24,468

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$49,320
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$37,150
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$24,468

That works out to an average 50% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
73%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
90%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$20,937 (~$222/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$55,443
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
20%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
42%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Cedarville's academic, talent (music/worship), pharmacy, and ministry awards are explicitly combinable with other scholarships and grants. However, total gift aid (institutional + outside) is capped at the student's direct University charges: if combined scholarships/grants exceed direct charges, Cedarville reduces its own institutional gift aid down to the charges. Outside awards of $1,500+ are automatically split between fall and spring.

Institutional scholarships stack with each other and with outside awards UP TO direct University charges. The cut, when over the cap, falls on Cedarville's own institutional gift-based aid (not on the student's federal/outside award), so a large outside scholarship can erode the institutional award rather than reduce the family's bill once charges are covered.

Source

Other Cedarville scholarships worth checking

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

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityUniversity-funded award designed to strengthen ties between Cedarville and Gospel-preaching pastors and churches.

Amount and exact eligibility not stated on the 2026-27 aid overview page; listed as a University-funded scholarship.

Source

AmountMatches a participating church's gift (amount not published)EligibilityMatches gifts a church contributes toward a residential student.

A match (not a fixed dollar figure); specific match cap not published on the static page.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityAnnually funded or endowed named scholarships meeting individual residential-student needs or recognizing academic achievement.

Awarded from donor gifts; amounts vary by fund.

Source

AmountVaries (individual basis)EligibilityTop-performing athletes, awarded by coaches.

Not a merit-on-stats award; coach-discretion.

Source

Cedarville merit aid FAQ

  • Do I have to apply separately for Cedarville's academic scholarship?

    No. The President's Scholar Award (the $15,000-$25,000/yr academic scholarship for new residential freshmen) is awarded automatically based on your high-school credentials — no separate application. You just need your qualifying GPA or optional standardized test scores submitted by July 31. The music, worship, pharmacy, and President's Ministry Impact awards DO require auditions or a separate application.

  • What is the deadline?

    Submit qualifying GPA / optional test scores by July 31 for the automatic academic scholarship. The President's Ministry Impact Scholarship requires the online application by February 15, 2026 and the FAFSA/ISFF by January 31, 2026. Music, worship, and pharmacy awards follow their program audition/acceptance timelines.

  • Can I stack Cedarville scholarships with other awards?

    Yes — academic, music, worship, pharmacy, and ministry awards are explicitly combinable with other scholarships and grants. But total gift aid (institutional + outside) cannot exceed your direct University charges; if it does, Cedarville reduces its own institutional aid to stay at the cap.

  • How do I keep my scholarship for four years?

    Maintain the Cedarville cumulative GPA published for your tier (3.2 for President's Society Fellows and President's Excellence; 3.0 for Chancellor's and Deans' Excellence; 2.8 for Faculty Excellence; 2.7 for President's Scholar Award; 2.5 for Cedarville Achievement). Renewal is reviewed once a year at the end of Spring Semester, full-time enrollment is required, and eligibility expires after eight semesters.

See sources and other schools

How Cedarville compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Cedarville is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Cedarville merit aid

The next chapter

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