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).
Verified Jun 20268 days ago· CC
Merit tiers55 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst CC
Rules that bite at Dillard
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Dillard's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalUniversity 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.
displacementDifferent 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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Dillard
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Who this school is 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.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $44,420 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.
Where you landAutomatic merit aid by ACT compositeEach bar marks the ACT score range that qualifies for the tier.
University ScholarshipFull Tuition Room & Board
ACT 27SAT 1220 · GPA 3.8 GPA or higher
Presidential ScholarshipFull Tuition
ACT 25SAT 1200 · GPA 3.67 - 3.799 GPA
Dean's Scholarship$10,000
ACT 21SAT 1060 · GPA 3.0 - 3.599 GPA (with scores) or 3.6 GPA or higher (test-optional)
2024283236
Not on this ladder:Merit Scholarship, DU Grant I — application required, holistic, or scored on a different axis.
View as table
Tier
ACT composite
Award
University Scholarship
27
Full Tuition Room & Board
Presidential Scholarship
25
Full Tuition
Dean's Scholarship
21
$10,000
Full Tuition Room & Board
University Scholarship
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.8 GPA or higher
SAT
1220
ACT
27
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.'
3.0 - 3.599 GPA (with scores) or 3.6 GPA or higher (test-optional)
SAT
1060
ACT
21
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Automatic; no internal application. Test-optional path available: 3.6 GPA or higher with no ACT/SAT.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
$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.'
2.75 GPA or higher (with scores) or 3.25 - 3.59 GPA (test-optional)
SAT
990
ACT
19
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Automatic; no internal application. Test-optional path available: 3.25 - 3.59 GPA with no ACT/SAT.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
$8,000 per year. Amounts are yearly disbursements at full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and 'reviewed and subject to change annually.'
2.5 GPA or higher (with scores) or 3.0 - 3.249 GPA (test-optional)
SAT
960
ACT
18
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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').
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
$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.'
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.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.
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.
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.
How Dillard compares across our verified dataset
86 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.
Dillard 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.
Dillard 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 Dillard’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
