Centenary's admission application is the scholarship application: every admit is automatically considered, and the published President's/Dean's/Trustee's grid starts at $30,000/$25,000/$20,000 a year on a recalculated core GPA plus a test score, with top applicants competing at Scholars Weekend for full-tuition awards.
Verified Jun 20268 days ago· CC
Merit tiers114 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst CC
Rules that bite at Centenary (LA)
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Centenary (LA)'s own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalPresident's Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for three years for full-time students (four years total) who maintain the required cumulative GPA; the institutional-scholarships policy page states academic scholarships are 'renewable for three years for full-time students.' First-semester freshmen get two semesters to reach the minimum cumulative GPA. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
displacementNo published displacement order
Centenary (LA)'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 Centenary (LA)
The Nancy M. Christian and 1825 Scholars awards 'replace all previously earned Centenary awards,' and the Jackson Scholarship 'replaces the previously earned President's Scholarship.' These full-tuition/competitive awards substitute for the grid award rather than stacking on top of it.
Only students who meet the President's Scholarship criteria AND are accepted prior to December 1 are invited to compete at Scholars Weekend (January) for the full-tuition awards. Apply late and you keep the automatic grid award but lose the shot at full tuition.
The merit grid uses a 'Centenary GPA' — a recalculated GPA based on core courses only, on a four-point scale — so your weighted transcript GPA may not be the number that sets your tier.
The front-facing freshman tuition-aid page shows President's 'Starts at $30,000' (3.8 / 30 ACT), Dean's '$25,000' (3.4 / 26 ACT), Trustee's '$20,000' (3.0 / 22 ACT). A separate institutional-scholarships policy page shows different thresholds (President's 3.7 / 28 ACT) and 'amounts vary.' Use the current admissions grid and confirm your exact tier with the aid office.
CAP is need-based: it covers tuition remaining after Pell and TOPS for Pell- and TOPS-eligible Louisiana students only, and it does not cover room and board. Out-of-state and higher-income students do not qualify.
The 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance totals $67,250 once room ($8,150), meal plan ($7,350), books, transportation, and personal expenses are added. Even a full-tuition award still leaves room, board, and indirect costs.
Who this school is for
Students who want a transparent, automatic GPA-plus-test merit grid at a small Methodist liberal-arts college, out-of-state students who value a stackable $5,000 grant, and high-stat applicants (3.8 core GPA / 30 ACT) willing to compete at Scholars Weekend for full-tuition awards. Pell- and TOPS-eligible Louisiana residents also have a separate full-tuition need-based pledge.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $67,250 for 2026-2027. 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.
Starts at $30,000/year
President's Scholarship
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.8 Centenary GPA (recalculated core-course GPA on a 4.0 scale)
SAT
1360 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing/Math)
ACT
30 composite
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Awarded automatically on the admission application; no separate scholarship application. Students accepted prior to December 1 who meet President's criteria are invited to compete for additional scholarships at Scholars Weekend (January).
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students (four years total) who maintain the required cumulative GPA; the institutional-scholarships policy page states academic scholarships are 'renewable for three years for full-time students.' First-semester freshmen get two semesters to reach the minimum cumulative GPA.
Notes
Front-facing freshman tuition-aid page lists 'Starts at $30,000/year.' The separate institutional-scholarships POLICY page shows an older/different President's tier (weighted core GPA 3.7, ACT 28/SAT 1310, amount 'varies') — treated here as a documented conflict (see Section C); the customer-facing freshman grid is used for the published amount.
3.4 Centenary GPA (recalculated core-course GPA on a 4.0 scale)
SAT
1230 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing/Math)
ACT
26 composite
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Automatic on the admission application; no separate scholarship application.
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students who maintain the required cumulative GPA designated for the scholarship; monitored every semester.
Notes
Amount from the front-facing freshman tuition-aid grid. The institutional-scholarships policy page lists a Dean's tier with weighted core GPA 3.4, ACT 25/SAT 1210 and 'amounts vary' — a stat/amount conflict noted in Section C.
3.0 Centenary GPA (recalculated core-course GPA on a 4.0 scale)
SAT
1100 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing/Math)
ACT
22 composite
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Automatic on the admission application; no separate scholarship application.
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students who maintain the cumulative GPA designated for the scholarship.
Notes
Amount from the front-facing freshman tuition-aid grid (the published entry-level automatic award). Affordable-Choice page corroborates the band: 'Accepted first-year students receive between $10,000 to $30,000 in academic scholarships.' Institutional-scholarships policy page lists a Trustee's tier at weighted core GPA 3.0, ACT 22/SAT 1100, 'amounts vary' — conflict noted in Section C.
Full tuition…Full tuition (plus a waiver of a double room — except for Rotary — and full meal plan)
Nancy M. Christian Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Premier competitive award; selected scholars are invited to campus for Scholars Weekend to interview. Selection weighs strength of high school curriculum, weighted core GPA, standardized test scores, essay quality, range/type of extracurriculars, maturity, and leadership capacity.
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students who maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Notes
Replaces all previously earned Centenary awards (does not stack on top of the merit grid). Decided at Scholars Weekend, so being accepted before December 1 with President's-level stats is the gateway.
Premier competitive award decided at Scholars Weekend interview; same holistic selection factors (curriculum strength, weighted core GPA, test scores, essay, extracurriculars, maturity, leadership).
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students who maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Notes
Replaces all previously earned Centenary awards (does not stack on top of the merit grid).
Competitive award decided at Scholars Weekend interview; same holistic selection factors as the other premier awards.
Renewal terms
Renewable for three years for full-time students who maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
Notes
Replaces the previously earned President's Scholarship (does not stack on top of it). Dollar amount not published on the official page — kept as 'Amounts vary' to satisfy the grounding gate.
Residents of states other than Louisiana (out-of-state).
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not stated on the institutional-scholarships page.
Notes
This is the out-of-state grant. The front-facing freshman page states it 'can be stacked on top of their merit scholarship' for out-of-state students with a 3.0 unweighted core GPA — i.e., it adds to, not replaces, the President's/Dean's/Trustee's award. The policy page phrases the GPA as 'weighted core' 3.0; the freshman page phrases it as 'unweighted core' 3.0 (minor wording difference noted in Section C).
Full tuition remaining after Pell a…Full tuition remaining after Pell and TOPS are applied (up to four years)
Centenary Affordability Pledge (CAP) — NEED-BASED
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
NEED-BASED. New, incoming Louisiana students who are Pell Grant and TOPS eligible.
Renewal terms
Provides eligible Louisiana students with up to four years of full tuition.
Notes
NOT a merit award — included only because it is a notable full-tuition guarantee. CAP covers any tuition that remains after Pell and TOPS; students use loans, work/study, or private scholarships for room and board. Available to new incoming Louisiana students beginning fall 2022.
The only explicit stacking rule found is that the out-of-state $5,000 grant (TEG) 'can be stacked on top of their merit scholarship.' In the other direction, the three premier full-tuition awards (Nancy M. Christian, 1825 Scholars) 'replace all previously earned Centenary awards' and the Jackson award 'replaces the previously earned President's Scholarship' — i.e., they substitute for, not add to, the President's/Dean's/Trustee's grid. No official page describes how third-party OUTSIDE/private scholarships displace institutional aid.
Internal stacking is partially specified: out-of-state grant stacks on the merit scholarship; premier Scholars-Weekend awards replace prior Centenary awards. The financial-aid policy page is silent on outside-scholarship displacement, and the Affordability Pledge page only notes private scholarships may be used toward room and board for CAP recipients. Treat outside-scholarship displacement as unconfirmed.
AmountSet by the State of Louisiana (Affordable-Choice page cites $5,718-$6,518 in tuition aid)EligibilityLouisiana residents meeting state TOPS criteria; FAFSA serves as the application (Centenary FAFSA code 002003).
State program, not institutional; subject to legislative revision and funding. Applied on top of Centenary academic scholarships.
Do I have to apply separately for merit scholarships?
No. 'The admissions application serves as the scholarship application. Therefore, every student who applies for admission is automatically considered for scholarship assistance.' The President's/Dean's/Trustee's grid is automatic on your recalculated Centenary GPA plus test score.
What is the scholarship deadline?
To compete for the full-tuition Scholars Weekend awards you must meet President's Scholarship criteria and be accepted prior to December 1; Scholars Weekend is held in January. Submit your free admission application (available August 1 of senior year) and FAFSA (available October 1) to be considered for all aid.
Can I stack scholarships?
The out-of-state $5,000 grant 'can be stacked on top of their merit scholarship.' However, the premier full-tuition awards (Nancy M. Christian, 1825 Scholars) 'replace all previously earned Centenary awards' and the Jackson award 'replaces the previously earned President's Scholarship,' so those substitute for the grid award. How outside/private scholarships affect institutional aid is not published — ask the aid office.
How do the academic scholarships renew?
'Four-year academic scholarships are automatically renewed each year if the student has maintained the required grade point average.' The premier awards are renewable for three additional years (four total) for full-time students who maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. First-semester freshmen are given two semesters to reach the minimum cumulative GPA, and aid is capped at eight semesters.
Is the test score required?
The published freshman grid lists both a minimum GPA and a minimum SAT/ACT for each tier (e.g., President's needs a 3.8 Centenary GPA and a 30 ACT / 1360 SAT). Confirm test-optional handling and your exact tier with the Office of Financial Aid (318.869.5137 / finaid@centenary.edu).
How Centenary (LA) compares across our verified dataset
199 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
Centenary (LA) is in a recognizable cluster (199 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
199 of 751 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.
Centenary (LA) is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Centenary (LA) 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 Centenary (LA)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
