Concordia (Moorhead) pairs an automatic $13,000-$19,000 Excellence Scholarship grid with the Concordia Promise, which covers 100% of tuition for any FAFSA-eligible new student from any U.S. state with family AGI under $90,000.
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers62 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Concordia College (Moorhead)
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Concordia College (Moorhead)'s own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalExcellence Scholarships: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Catalog: merit/performance scholarships may be funded 'for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first, provided the student meets the necessary renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.' Institutional scholarships require full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credits) and are only available fall and spring semesters. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
displacementDifferent aid types are displaced differently
Concordia College (Moorhead) treats loans, work-study, and institutional grant under different rules. The same $5,000 outside award can land against any of them depending on category.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Concordia College (Moorhead)
The Presidential Scholars page states the Presidential Gold Scholarship 'replaces other scholarships and gift aid.' The transfer page likewise says it 'replaces all other Concordia College scholarships.' The real incremental gain over a top Excellence award ($19,000) is $7,500, not $26,500.
Per the Promise FAQs, 'The Concordia Promise comprises Concordia College scholarships (Excellence, Presidential, Talent, etc.) as well as federal and state gift aid to cover the full standard tuition cost. Concordia scholarships do not extend beyond the cost of tuition to cover fees, housing, or food,' and 'The Concordia Promise does not cover housing, meal plans, fees, or any other additional costs.' Families still owe roughly $12,760 in 2026-27 direct costs for housing, food, and fees.
Catalog policy: all external aid must be reported; if it causes the award to exceed federal need, Concordia reduces loans or work study first, and total gift assistance from all sources cannot exceed comprehensive fees — beyond that cap, Concordia scholarships/grants are reduced.
The Excellence chart page states: 'Automatic scholarship levels will not be reevaluated after receipt of a comprehensive financial aid package.'
Talent Scholarships require a separate application by Feb. 1; the Community Achievement Scholarship application is due Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026; Promise applicants who apply for admission by Dec. 1, 2025 are automatically in the program (qualified applications considered until May 1, 2026); Alumni Referral Grant referrals for high school seniors are due Dec. 1; Legacy and Congregational notifications are due Aug. 15.
Catalog: 'Institutional scholarships and grants are only available during fall and spring semesters and require full-time enrollment (minimum of 12 semester academic credits each semester).' The Concordia Promise separately requires enrollment in 'a minimum of 15 credits per term.'
Catalog: incoming students offered a merit/performance scholarship 'may receive funding for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first,' subject to renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Catalog: 'Scholarships from organizations outside of the church (for example, Catholic United Financial and Thrivent for Lutherans) do not qualify for matching funds. Students receiving the Concordia Promise, VA benefits, or any tuition allowance or exchange are not eligible to receive the matching funds.'
Who this school is for
Strong fits are students from families with AGI under $90,000 (full tuition via the Concordia Promise from any state) and high-stat students (3.85+ GPA or 30+ ACT) who can compete for the $26,500 Presidential Scholarship; every admitted freshman gets an automatic Excellence Scholarship of at least $13,000.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $50,460 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.
$13,000-$19,000
Excellence Scholarships
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Tiered: <=3.00 = $13,000 up to 3.97+ = $19,000
ACT
Tiered: <=21 = $13,000 up to 33+ = $19,000
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Award based on EITHER high school GPA or test score — whichever amount is greater; awarded with admission, no separate application
Renewal terms
Catalog: merit/performance scholarships may be funded 'for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first, provided the student meets the necessary renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.' Institutional scholarships require full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credits) and are only available fall and spring semesters.
Notes
Annual values $13,000-$19,000 ($49,000-$73,000 over four years). Amounts shown are for students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2026 (the 2026-27 grid for Fall 2026-27 entry was not posted at access time; see Section C). Scholarship levels are NOT reevaluated after a comprehensive financial aid package is received.
Qualified students receive an invitation to participate once admitted; competitive selection. No separate application needed.
Renewal terms
Catalog general rule: merit/performance scholarships funded for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, subject to renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Notes
Concordia's most prestigious academic award. IMPORTANT: it 'replaces other scholarships and gift aid' — it does not stack. Students who participate but are not selected earn a $1,000 Presidential Scholarship. For transfers, one incoming transfer student is selected (must be admitted by March 15).
None ('There is not a GPA requirement to be eligible for the program'), but must maintain satisfactory academic progress
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
New first-year or transfer student for Fall 2026; eligible to file the FAFSA; family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $90,000; enroll in minimum 15 credits per term. Open to students from ANY U.S. state. Minnesota students eligible for the Minnesota Dream Act also qualify.
Renewal terms
Renewable each year for up to four years or until the point of graduation, whichever comes first. Students must submit a FAFSA annually and continue to meet eligibility requirements (including AGI under $90,000 and 15 credits per term).
Notes
Income-gated full-tuition guarantee, not a stats-based merit award. It is funded 'through a combination of federal, state, and Concordia gift assistance' and COMPRISES Concordia scholarships (Excellence, Presidential, Talent, etc.) — it is not stacked on top of them. Does NOT cover housing, meal plans, or fees.
Talent Scholarships (Music, Speech and Debate, Theatre, Visual Arts)
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Separate applications required and, in some cases, performance submissions. Deadline: Feb. 1. Recipients expected to participate in events and programs as determined by the respective departments.
Renewal terms
Catalog general rule: merit/performance scholarships funded for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, subject to renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Notes
Range in value; specific amounts not published on the main scholarships page.
No GPA requirement to apply ('Scholarship decisions will be made based on the student's video submission and interview.')
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
First-generation college-bound students from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds; competitive application with video and 500-word essay; must file 2026-27 FAFSA and exhibit financial need; finalist event March 14-15, 2026. Application deadline: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to four years (per the CAS page: 'Covers tuition, food, and housing; renewable for up to four years').
Notes
Covers comprehensive fees: tuition, room, and board — the largest award at the college, but competitive and need/first-gen gated, not stats-based.
Based on college GPA (no published grid for transfers)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
High school information is required for students seeking federal and state aid and is a factor if you have completed less than 60 college credits. Apply for admission; no separate application.
Renewal terms
Catalog general rule: merit/performance scholarships funded for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, subject to renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Notes
Automatic transfer-merit track. One incoming transfer student is also selected for the $26,500 Presidential Scholarship (admitted by March 15), which 'replaces all other Concordia College scholarships.'
Outside (external) scholarships must be reported. If they push aid over federal need, Concordia first reduces loans or work-study — but total gift aid from all sources cannot exceed comprehensive fees (tuition, standard fees, standard housing and food plans); past that cap, Concordia's own scholarships/grants are reduced. Separately, the $26,500 Presidential Scholarship replaces other scholarships and gift aid, and the Concordia Promise comprises (rather than stacks on) Concordia scholarships plus federal/state gift aid up to the cost of tuition.
Catalog policy: students are required to notify the Financial Aid Office of all aid from any source via the External Scholarship Reporting Form. If a student receives need-based aid and external scholarships cause the award to exceed federal need, Concordia must justify additional funding or reduce need-based aid; its stated policy is to reduce loans or work study first (loan-first). However, total gift assistance from all sources cannot exceed comprehensive fees, and when it does, Concordia College Scholarships and/or Grants are reduced (an institutional-aid cap). External scholarships are credited one-half to each semester unless the donor requests otherwise in writing.
Lesser-known scholarships at Concordia College (Moorhead)
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
Amount$500 annually ($2,000 over four years)EligibilityStudents whose siblings are current Concordia students or graduates, or whose parents or grandparents are alumni of Concordia College in Moorhead. Must officially notify the college of legacy status by Aug. 15.
AmountMatch up to $500 per yearEligibilityStudents awarded a congregational scholarship by their church; accepted for admission and enrolled full time (transfer page says at least half-time). Notification form due no later than Aug. 15.
Catalog: scholarships must be drawn on church checking accounts; organizations outside the church (e.g., Catholic United Financial and Thrivent for Lutherans) do NOT qualify; students receiving the Concordia Promise, VA benefits, or any tuition allowance or exchange are not eligible for matching funds.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityNeed-based; incoming students intending to major in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, environmental and sustainability studies (natural sciences concentration), mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or pre-engineering.
Described as need-based on the scholarships page (not pure merit).
AmountUp to $19,000 per year (merit)EligibilityInternational students; academic merit and family need.
Per the scholarships page: 'The merit scholarships alone can go as high as $19,000 per year, with additional funds awarded to help meet financial need.'
Amount$1,000EligibilityAdmitted first-year or transfer underrepresented students with financial need.
STALE-PAGE CAUTION: found only on the 'Special Options for ND Students' page, which displays a Fall 2025 grid and was last updated in 2022 per page metadata. That page says this scholarship 'can be stacked on top of Excellence Scholarships.' Confirm current availability with the aid office.
Talent Scholarships (Music, Speech and Debate, Theatre, Visual Arts): Feb. 1. Community Achievement Scholarship: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Concordia Promise: apply for admission by Dec. 1, 2025 for automatic inclusion; qualified applications considered until May 1, 2026. Alumni Referral Grant (high school seniors): Dec. 1. Alumni Legacy Grant notification and Congregational Scholarship notification: Aug. 15.
Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?
No for the Excellence Scholarship — it is automatic and included with your admission notification, based on high school GPA or test score (whichever yields the greater amount). The Presidential Scholarship requires no separate application either; qualified students (at least 3.85 GPA or 30 ACT) are invited to participate after admission. Talent scholarships DO require separate applications by Feb. 1.
Is there a financial aid priority deadline?
Per the Tuition and Aid FAQs page: 'There is no priority deadline for incoming students, but the sooner you apply the sooner you will receive your Notice of Financial Aid. There are specific deadlines for the merit- and talent-based awards.' (Note: that FAQ page says the priority deadline for upper-class students is May 1, while the 2025-2026 catalog says the returning-student FAFSA deadline is March 15 — confirm with the aid office.)
Are merit scholarships renewable?
Yes — per the catalog, incoming students offered a merit/performance scholarship may receive funding for a maximum of eight consecutive semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first, provided they meet the renewal criteria and Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines. The Concordia Promise is renewable for up to four years with an annual FAFSA and continued eligibility.
What happens if I win an outside scholarship?
You must report it to the Financial Aid Office via the External Scholarship Reporting Form. If it pushes your aid over federal need, Concordia's policy is to reduce loans or work study first. Total gift aid from all sources cannot exceed comprehensive fees (tuition, standard fees, standard housing and food plans); past that point, Concordia scholarships/grants are reduced.
How much does Concordia cost for 2026-27?
Total direct costs are $45,660 (tuition $32,900; standard double housing $5,100; All Access food plan $6,780; student/tech/holistic health fees $880). With estimated indirect costs of $4,800 (personal, transportation, books), total direct + indirect costs are $50,460.
How Concordia College (Moorhead) compares across our verified dataset
86 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.
Concordia College (Moorhead) is in the modest minority (86 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.
Concordia College (Moorhead) 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 Concordia College (Moorhead)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
