Get merit aid32%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025
Last verifiedJul 2026Analyst CC
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The merit-aid verdict at Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina automatically awards a tiered freshman merit grid worth $1,000-$6,000/yr for SC residents and up to $19,662/yr (full in-state tuition) for out-of-state students, with no separate application — but you can hold only ONE merit award.
Rules that bite at Coastal Carolina
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Coastal Carolina's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalPresidential Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable up to four continuous years of enrollment (a total of eight semesters); recipients must meet annual renewal requirements defined as 30 credits and a 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA, enrolled full-time (12-18 credit hours) each fall and spring. 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
Coastal Carolina'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 Coastal Carolina
You can't. CCU states a student receives only ONE scholarship from the merit-based program — academic, VPA Merit-Based, and PGM Merit-Based all count as the single award. Picking up a music/arts or golf-management award does not stack on top of a Presidential/President's/Provost's award.
For out-of-state recipients the award is delivered as a minimum of $500 in the named award plus a University Tuition Waiver for the remaining value — the combined amount equals the stated discount. It reduces tuition, it is not a transferable cash scholarship.
Students who receive the ACM tuition waiver are not eligible for a CCU merit-based scholarship. You have to choose the better of the two — you cannot stack ACM with merit.
Awards are automatic only if you're accepted by the published priority deadline (freshman assurance tied to an April 1 priority date; transfer awards July 1; admission deadlines Early Decision Oct 15, Early Action Nov 15, Regular Decision Feb 1). Apply late and the 'automatic' guarantee can lapse.
CCU uses a holistic review of weighted and unweighted HS GPA plus an institutionally calculated 'core' GPA and a Rigor Score. The published profiles (e.g., 3.75 CORE GPA / 1390 SAT for Presidential) are guidelines; your exact tier is set by that review, not a single number.
The 2026-27 Cost of Attendance page lists the in-state tuition line at $11,640, while the merit page describes the out-of-state Presidential value as '$19,662 per year (equal to in-state tuition).' These reference different tuition definitions; confirm the actual out-of-state Presidential dollar value with the aid office before relying on either number.
Who this school is for
Out-of-state students chasing a big tuition discount (the Presidential award erases the full out-of-state premium), plus SC residents and strong applicants who want an automatic, stat-based merit award with no extra application.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $49,736 for 2026-2027. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Coastal Carolina, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at Coastal Carolina, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$9,563
$30,001–$48,000
$10,292
$48,001–$75,000
$12,938
$75,001–$110,000
$16,350
$110,001+
$20,219
All income levels (average)
$13,966
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$11,640
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$29,628
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$13,966
That works out to roughly a 48% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $26,692 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
Coastal Carolina is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
48%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
77%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,750 (~$252/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$47,258
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
27%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
63%
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.
Where you landAutomatic merit aid by ACT compositeEach bar marks the ACT score range that qualifies for the tier.
Presidential Scholarship$6,000
ACT 31+SAT 1390+ · GPA minimum 3.75 CORE GPA
President's Scholar Award$5,000
ACT 28+SAT 1300+ · GPA minimum 3.5 CORE GPA
Provost's Scholar Award$4,000
ACT 26+SAT 1230+ · GPA minimum 3.5 CORE GPA
Coastal Scholar Award$3,000
ACT 24+SAT 1160+ · GPA minimum 3.5+ CORE GPA
Teal Scholar Award$2,000
ACT 21+SAT 1060+ · GPA minimum 3.3+ CORE GPA
2024283236
Not on this ladder:South Carolina Scholar Award, Visual and Performing Arts Award, PGA Golf Management Trustee Award, PGA Golf Management University Award, PGA Golf Management Wall Award — application required, holistic, or scored on a different axis.
View as table
Tier
ACT composite
Award
Presidential Scholarship
31+
$6,000 per year (in-state) / $19,662 per year (out-of-state)
President's Scholar Award
28+
$5,000 per year (in-state) / $13,000 per year (out-of-state)
Provost's Scholar Award
26+
$4,000 per year (in-state) / $10,000 per year (out-of-state)
Coastal Scholar Award
24+
$3,000 per year (in-state) / $7,500 per year (out-of-state)
Teal Scholar Award
21+
$2,000 per year (in-state) / $4,500 per year (out-of-state)
$6,000 per year…$6,000 per year (in-state) / $19,662 per year (out-of-state)
Presidential Scholarship
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
minimum 3.75 CORE GPA
SAT
1390+
ACT
31+
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
5+ Rigor Score OR 1390+ SAT OR 31+ ACT; automatic for applicants accepted by the priority deadline
Renewal terms
Renewable up to four continuous years of enrollment (a total of eight semesters); recipients must meet annual renewal requirements defined as 30 credits and a 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA, enrolled full-time (12-18 credit hours) each fall and spring.
Notes
Top tier of the automatic freshman merit grid. The out-of-state figure is described on the merit page as '$19,662 per year (equal to in-state tuition)'. NOTE: the 2026-27 Cost of Attendance page lists the in-state tuition LINE ITEM at $11,640 — the $19,662 merit figure appears to reference the gross/per-credit in-state tuition rate rather than the COA tuition line. Conflict flagged in Section C; verify the live out-of-state Presidential dollar value with the aid office.
$5,000 per year…$5,000 per year (in-state) / $13,000 per year (out-of-state)
President's Scholar Award
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
minimum 3.5 CORE GPA
SAT
1300+
ACT
28+
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
4+ Rigor Score OR 1300+ SAT OR 28+ ACT
Renewal terms
Renewable up to four continuous years (eight semesters); 30 credits and 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA per year, full-time enrollment required.
Notes
Holistic review using cumulative weighted/unweighted HS GPA and an institutionally calculated 'core' GPA; profile thresholds are guidelines, not a hard automatic cutoff for every applicant.
Top 10% class ranking without meeting other award criteria; South Carolina residents only (no out-of-state value)
Renewal terms
Renewable up to four continuous years (eight semesters); 30 credits and 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA per year, full-time enrollment required.
Notes
In-state only; the merit table lists no out-of-state amount for this award. Awarded to SC residents in the top 10% of their class who don't otherwise meet a higher award's criteria.
$3,000 per year…$3,000 per year (in-state) / $7,500 per year (out-of-state)
Visual and Performing Arts Award
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded through the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) merit-based program; counts as the student's single merit award (cannot stack with academic merit)
Renewal terms
Renewable up to four continuous years (eight semesters); 30 credits and 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA per year, full-time enrollment required.
Notes
A VPA-program merit award. Per CCU's FAQ a student can receive only one merit scholarship, including the VPA Merit-Based and PGM Merit-based scholarships.
the published policy only states that external scholarships are recorded on the award letter and may affect the total amount of aid a student receives, without specifying any cap, threshold, or reduction order. Confirm the actual displacement policy with the aid office before counting on stacking.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): External scholarships will show on the award letter as an external check and may affect the total amount of financial aid a student can receive. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: CCU merit awards do NOT stack with each other — a student receives only ONE award from the merit-based scholarship program (academic, VPA, or PGM). This includes the VPA Merit-Based and PGM Merit-based Scholarships.' Per the Merit Award Policy, tuition assistance may come from only one listed program and ACM recipients are excluded. (per https://www.coastal.edu/meritawards/meritawardpolicy/)
From the Coastal Carolina Common Data Set 2024-2025:
Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Coastal Carolina’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
32%of admitsget merit
Average award$7,083Covers ~14% of $49,736 cost of attendance
At Coastal Carolina, roughly 1 in 3 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $7,083 — about 14% of total cost.
As filed in Coastal Carolina's CDS Section H2A: of 2,672 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 845 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $7,083. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 2,662 of 10,010, averaging $6,878. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
Amount$2,000-$4,000/yr in-state; $4,500-$10,000/yr out-of-stateEligibilityAutomatic for qualified transfer students with 30+ transferable hours and a cumulative GPA in the published bands (roughly 2.90-3.24 up to 3.50 and above).
Transfer-only; renewal duration is shorter than the freshman 8-semester cap (three to seven semesters based on transferred credits). Transfer priority deadline July 1.
AmountUp to $5,000/yr plus a possible book allowance (state-set; verify current value)EligibilitySouth Carolina residents meeting the SC Commission on Higher Education LIFE eligibility (GPA/SAT-ACT/class-rank criteria). State of South Carolina award, not a CCU institutional award.
State merit award administered under SC CHE rules; this is separate from CCU's institutional merit grid. Confirm current amount and eligibility on che.sc.gov and CCU financial aid before relying on it.
Do I have to apply separately for a CCU merit scholarship?
No. 'After a student has been accepted to CCU, they are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. There is no separate application process.' Just apply for admission by the priority deadline.
What's the deadline to be guaranteed a merit award?
Students accepted to CCU by the priority deadline are assured the scholarship if they meet the requirements — an April 1 priority date for freshmen and July 1 for transfer awards. Admission deadlines are Early Decision Oct 15, Early Action Nov 15, and Regular Decision Feb 1.
Can I stack two CCU merit awards?
No. 'A student is able to receive only one scholarship from the merit-based scholarship program. This includes the VPA Merit-Based and PGM Merit-based Scholarships.' You also can't combine a merit award with the Academic Common Market tuition waiver.
How do I keep my merit award each year?
Meet the annual renewal requirements — 30 credits and a 3.0 CCU cumulative GPA — while enrolled full-time (12-18 credit hours) each fall and spring. Freshman awards renew for up to four continuous years (eight semesters).
How Coastal Carolina compares across our verified dataset
135 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
Coastal Carolina is in a recognizable cluster (135 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
135 of 750 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.
Coastal Carolina is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
