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Dillard scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$44,420per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Dillard is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 5 published awards, and 5 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
3 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. University ScholarshipFull Tuition Room & BoardAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    University Scholarship

    Full Tuition Room & Board

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.8 GPA or higher
    SAT
    1220
    ACT
    27
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for University Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Top Tier award (limited, first-come). Requires an essay stating why Dillard is the right institution. No 'without ACT/SAT' (test-optional) path is available for this tier. Student must be accepted by the priority deadline to be considered.

    How to keep it

    Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists University Scholarship renewal as 3.5 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'University Scholarship (3.5/24 hrs.)' — maintain that cumulative GPA at the end of each spring term and earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters.

    Worth knowing

    Highest tier. Covers full tuition plus room & board. The published grid's University Scholarship SAT cutoff renders as '1220 SAT or highe' (the live page truncates mid-word). Award amounts are 'reviewed and subject to change annually.' Top Tier (University + Presidential) awards are limited and given on a first-come basis.

  2. Presidential ScholarshipFull TuitionAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Presidential Scholarship

    Full Tuition

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.67 - 3.799 GPA
    SAT
    1200
    ACT
    25
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Top Tier award (limited, first-come). Requires an essay stating why Dillard is the right institution. No 'without ACT/SAT' (test-optional) path is available for this tier. Student must be accepted by the priority deadline to be considered.

    How to keep it

    Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists Presidential renewal as 3.2 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'Presidential Scholarship (3.2/24 hrs.)' — maintain that cumulative GPA at the end of each spring term and earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters.

    Worth knowing

    Second-highest tier. Covers full tuition (not room & board). Top Tier (University + Presidential) awards are limited and given on a first-come basis; both require the essay. Amounts 'reviewed and subject to change annually.'

  3. Dean's Scholarship$10,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Dean's Scholarship

    $10,000

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

    GPA
    3.0 - 3.599 GPA (with scores) or 3.6 GPA or higher (test-optional)
    SAT
    1060
    ACT
    21
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Dean's Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Automatic; no internal application. Test-optional path available: 3.6 GPA or higher with no ACT/SAT.

    How to keep it

    Per-page renewal differs by path: the grid says students admitted without ACT/SAT must 'Maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher while enrolled at DU'; the Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists Dean's renewal as 3.00 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'Dean's Scholarship (3.00/24 hrs.)'. Earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters.

    Worth knowing

    $10,000 per year. First tier reachable without test scores (3.6+ GPA test-optional). Amounts are yearly disbursements at full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and 'reviewed and subject to change annually.'

  4. Merit Scholarship$8,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Merit Scholarship

    $8,000

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

    GPA
    2.75 GPA or higher (with scores) or 3.25 - 3.59 GPA (test-optional)
    SAT
    990
    ACT
    19
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Merit Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Automatic; no internal application. Test-optional path available: 3.25 - 3.59 GPA with no ACT/SAT.

    How to keep it

    Per-page renewal differs by path: the grid says the test-optional path must 'Maintain a 2.75 GPA or higher while enrolled at DU'; the Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists Merit renewal as 2.75 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'Merit Scholarship (2.75/24 hrs.)'. Earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters.

    Worth knowing

    $8,000 per year. Amounts are yearly disbursements at full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and 'reviewed and subject to change annually.'

  5. DU Grant I$6,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    DU Grant I

    $6,000

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

    GPA
    2.5 GPA or higher (with scores) or 3.0 - 3.249 GPA (test-optional)
    SAT
    960
    ACT
    18
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for DU Grant I

    Who qualifies

    Automatic; no internal application. Test-optional path available: 3.0 - 3.249 GPA with no ACT/SAT. Listed on the live grid as 'DU Grand I' (apparent typo for 'DU Grant I'; the Scholarship/Grant Agreement calls it 'DU Grant').

    How to keep it

    Per-page renewal differs by path: the grid says the test-optional path must 'Maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher while enrolled at DU'; the Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists DU Grant renewal as 2.5 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'DU Grant (2.5/24 hrs.)'. Earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters.

    Worth knowing

    $6,000 per year — the entry tier and the only one whose 'with-scores' cutoff (2.5 GPA / 18 ACT / 960 SAT) matches Dillard's minimum admission standard, so most admitted score-submitters who don't qualify higher land here. Amounts 'reviewed and subject to change annually.'

Lights up against Dillard'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 ruleUniversity Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Scholarship/Grant Agreement lists University Scholarship renewal as 3.5 GPA / 24 hrs.: 'University Scholarship (3.5/24 hrs.)' — maintain that cumulative GPA at the end of each spring term and earn at least 24 semester hours per year. Supports up to eight semesters. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsDifferent aid types are displaced differently

Dillard 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.

What makes Dillard different

Dillard awards a five-tier automatic GPA/test merit grid — from a $6,000/year DU Grant up through a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship and a full-tuition-room-and-board University Scholarship — with no separate application required (top two tiers add an essay).

Merit tiers55 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Published academic criteria

Start with the thresholds.

These awards are recorded as automatic on academic criteria. Match the published grades and scores, then check residency, entering year and every additional condition.

  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 Dillard'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 published grid lists 'W/O ACT/SAT Scores: Not Available' for both top-tier awards. Without an ACT/SAT score, the best automatic award is the Dean's Scholarship ($10,000) at a 3.6+ GPA — full tuition and full-tuition-room-and-board require submitted scores.

  2. The page states 'acceptance into Dillard University does not guarantee one of the below scholarships. Scholarship dollars are limited' and that the top-tier (University/Presidential) awards are limited and given on a first-come basis — so applying and being accepted late can cost a higher tier even with qualifying stats.

  3. Per the Scholarship/Grant Agreement, the university may SWAP your institutional award for an external one of the same amount when it covers the same costs, and total aid cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance — so winning an outside award often replaces, rather than increases, your Dillard dollars.

  4. The 2026-27 on-campus Cost of Attendance is $44,420 ($20,118 tuition + $13,192 room & board + $3,800 mandatory fees = $37,110 direct, plus books, transportation, and personal costs). Even 'Full Tuition' (Presidential) leaves room & board and fees; only the University Scholarship covers tuition + room & board.

  5. Dillard is rolling-admission, but a student 'must be accepted by the deadline in order to be considered' for the University and Presidential Scholarships (Fall priority June 1; Spring priority December 1). Allow 5-7 business days for processing — apply early.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students applying to this New Orleans HBCU who want a predictable, stats-based merit award with no extra application — strong applicants (3.67+ GPA / 25+ ACT) can reach full-tuition or full-tuition-room-and-board, while solid 2.5-3.0 GPA students still land an automatic $6,000-$8,000/year award.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $44,420 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Dillard, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$19,819
$30,001–$48,000$21,094
$48,001–$75,000$23,224
$75,001–$110,000$26,032
$110,001+$27,019
All income levels (average)$22,094

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$23,918
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$22,094

That works out to roughly a 44% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $39,202 (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
43%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
78%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$31,000 (~$329/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$39,196
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
76%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
87%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Dillard's Scholarship/Grant Agreement reserves the right to SWAP an institutional award for an outside (external) scholarship when the external award covers the same costs — a same-amount replacement, not additive stacking. All recipients are required to pursue outside scholarships and must report them; total aid cannot exceed Cost of Attendance.

Two reinforcing clauses: (1) 'If you are awarded an external scholarship, the university may switch your external scholarship award with the amount of the institutional scholarship when the external scholarship covers the same costs as the University's institutional award.' (2) 'Dillard University reserves the right to replace institutional awards with other sources (external scholarships, TOPS, grants, etc.) in the same amount in order to use limited resources to support the needs of all students.' A federal over-award cap also applies: 'it is a federal requirement that awards cannot exceed the university's total Cost of Attendance (COA).' Net effect: an outside scholarship often substitutes for (does not add to) institutional merit dollars when it covers the same direct cost — labeled 'mixed' because the swap is at the university's discretion and triggered by overlapping cost coverage / the COA cap rather than a single fixed displacement order.

Source

Other Dillard scholarships worth checking

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

AmountNot published on the institutional-scholarships gridEligibilityTransfer students; renewal 2.5 GPA / 24 hrs per the Scholarship/Grant Agreement ('Transfer Scholarship (2.5/24 hrs.)').

Named on the Scholarship/Grant Agreement form but the dollar amount is not published on the institutional-scholarships page (that grid covers first-year merit only). Amount must be confirmed with the aid office.

Source

AmountNot separately published (test-optional GPA paths shown in the grid award the named scholarships above)EligibilityTest-optional admits; renewal 2.5 GPA / 24 hrs per the Scholarship/Grant Agreement ('DU Grant (TO) (2.5/24 hrs.)').

Appears on the agreement form as a distinct line; on the institutional grid, test-optional students instead reach Dean's/Merit/DU Grant I via GPA-only thresholds. Confirm exact award with the aid office.

Source

Dillard merit aid FAQ

  • Do I have to apply separately for Dillard's merit scholarships?

    No. 'There is no internal application needed' — every admitted student is automatically considered based on the GPA and ACT/SAT presented at acceptance. The two top tiers (University and Presidential) do require a short essay on why Dillard is the right fit, and those awards are limited and first-come.

  • What are the merit award amounts and cutoffs?

    University Scholarship = full tuition + room & board (3.8 GPA / 27 ACT / 1220 SAT); Presidential = full tuition (3.67-3.799 GPA / 25 ACT / 1200 SAT); Dean's = $10,000 (3.0-3.599 GPA / 21 ACT / 1060 SAT, or 3.6+ GPA test-optional); Merit = $8,000 (2.75+ GPA / 19 ACT / 990 SAT, or 3.25-3.59 GPA test-optional); DU Grant I = $6,000 (2.5+ GPA / 18 ACT / 960 SAT, or 3.0-3.249 GPA test-optional).

  • What GPA do I need to keep my scholarship?

    Renewal GPAs per Dillard's Scholarship/Grant Agreement: University 3.5, Presidential 3.2, Dean's 3.00, Merit 2.75, DU Grant 2.5 — measured cumulatively at the end of each spring term, and you must earn at least 24 semester hours each academic year. Awards last up to eight semesters (summers excluded).

  • If I win an outside scholarship, does it stack with my Dillard award?

    Not necessarily. Dillard requires recipients to pursue and report outside scholarships, and reserves the right to swap an institutional award for an external one of the same amount when it covers the same costs. Total aid also cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. Ask the aid office exactly how a specific outside award will affect your package.

  • When should I apply to be considered for the top scholarships?

    Dillard has rolling admissions, but for University and Presidential Scholarship consideration you must be accepted by the priority deadline: June 1 for Fall applicants, December 1 for Spring applicants. Allow 5-7 business days for processing, so apply well ahead.

See sources and other schools

How Dillard compares

  • 32 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.

    Dillard is in the small minority (32 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Dillard merit aid

The next chapter

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