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Centenary College of Louisiana · Louisiana

Centenary (LA) scholarships and merit aid

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 Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Centenary (LA) worth a closer look?

Centenary (LA) is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 11 published awards, and 4 are based on those numbers.

Merit tiers114 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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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.

Starts at $30,000/year

President's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
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
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

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).

How to keep it

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.

Source

Starts at $25,000/year

Dean's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.4 Centenary GPA (recalculated core-course GPA on a 4.0 scale)
SAT
1230 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing/Math)
ACT
26 composite
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Automatic on the admission application; no separate scholarship application.

How to keep it

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.

Source

Starts at $20,000/year

Trustee's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.0 Centenary GPA (recalculated core-course GPA on a 4.0 scale)
SAT
1100 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing/Math)
ACT
22 composite
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Automatic on the admission application; no separate scholarship application.

How to keep it

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.

Source

Full tuition…Full tuition (plus a waiver of a double room — except for Rotary — and full meal plan)

Nancy M. Christian Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

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.

How to keep it

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.

Source

Full tuition

1825 Scholars Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Premier competitive award decided at Scholars Weekend interview; same holistic selection factors (curriculum strength, weighted core GPA, test scores, essay, extracurriculars, maturity, leadership).

How to keep it

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).

Source

Amounts vary

Jackson Scholarship for Excellence

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Competitive award decided at Scholars Weekend interview; same holistic selection factors as the other premier awards.

How to keep it

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.

Source

$5,000 awarded annually

The Equalization Grant (TEG)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Weighted core grade point average of 3.0
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Residents of states other than Louisiana (out-of-state).

How to keep it

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).

Source

$5,000 annual grant

United Methodist Minister's Dependent Grant

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Full-time students who are dependents of a United Methodist Minister.

How to keep it

Renewal terms not stated on the page.

Notes

Affiliation-based grant (not academic merit). Centenary is a United Methodist-affiliated college.

Source

$2,000

Legacy Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Direct descendants of Centenary alumni.

How to keep it

Renewal terms not stated on the page.

Notes

Affiliation-based award (not academic merit).

Source

Varies…Varies (at the discretion of the Admissions Director)

Centenary Award

Apply separately
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Discretionary award determined by the Admissions Director.

Notes

No fixed amount or published criteria; fully discretionary.

Source

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

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

NEED-BASED. New, incoming Louisiana students who are Pell Grant and TOPS eligible.

How to keep it

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.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Centenary (LA)'s published information.

  • Renewal rulePresident'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.

  • Aid capHard $67,250 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at Centenary (LA) cannot push the package past $67,250. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What families often miss

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work 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.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $67,250 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Centenary (LA), academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$19,493
$30,001–$48,000$19,831
$48,001–$75,000$20,942
$75,001–$110,000$25,412
$110,001+$29,862
All income levels (average)$23,624

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$41,200
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$23,624

That works out to roughly a 61% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $60,620 (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
56%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
70%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$50,330
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
48%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
72%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships only trigger an aid adjustment if total aid would exceed the cost of attendance (or the student's aid eligibility cap); below that ceiling, awards are not displaced.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): Students are encouraged to seek assistance from outside resources. It is required that all outside assistance be reported to the FAO. Student aid, including outside resources, may not exceed the student's cost of attendance. Therefore, if a student has been awarded by the FAO and receives an outside award, an adjustment to the original award may be necessary. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: Internal stacking is partially specified: out-of-state grant stacks on the merit scholarship; premier Scholars-Weekend awards replace prior Centenary awards. (per https://www.centenary.edu/admission/tuition-aid/scholarships-financial-aid/freshman-tuition-and-aid/)

Source

Other Centenary (LA) scholarships worth checking

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

AmountVariesEligibilityTalent-based; applicants contact the appropriate office to schedule an audition or present a portfolio.

No published dollar amount; awarded by audition/portfolio review.

Source

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.

Source

Centenary (LA) merit aid FAQ

  • 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).

See sources and other schools

How Centenary (LA) compares

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

    Centenary (LA) 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.

    Centenary (LA) 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 Centenary (LA)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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