The starting point
Emporia State's renewable Presidential Scholarship is automatic on GPA or ACT, paying $1,250-$3,000/year with no separate application, and ESU explicitly lets you stack it with Honors ($1,000) and Legacy ($1,000) awards up to the cost of attendance.
More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 4 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
Freshman Presidential Scholarship
$1,250-$3,000 per year · Published range
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 3.0+ (tiered: 3.0-3.24 up to 3.95+) · ACT: 21+ (tiered: 21-22 up to 30+)
Eligibility: New incoming freshmen; awarded on the higher of GPA or ACT. No separate application — admission application and transcripts determine eligibility. Must enroll in at least 12 credit hours per fall and spring.
Renewal: Renewable for three years after the first academic year when the student maintains a 3.0 or higher ESU GPA and completes 24 ESU credit hours each year. Spring-entry freshmen get half the award in spring and may renew for seven additional semesters.
Other terms: Automatic on stats. Award is the higher qualifying band of GPA OR ACT. Amounts shown are per year. Official transcripts must be received by the 20th day of the start semester.
https://www.emporia.edu/admissions-costs/admissions-and-costs/scholarships/presidential-scholarships/
Transfer Presidential Scholarship
$1,250-$3,000 per year · Published range
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: 3.0+ (tiered: 3.0-3.24 up to 3.95+)
Eligibility: Incoming transfer students; awarded on GPA only (ACT not used for transfers). No separate application. Must submit all official transcripts from all universities attended by the 20th day of the start semester. Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per fall and spring.
Renewal: Incoming transfers with 24+ transferable credit hours beginning in the fall can renew for one year after the first academic year (four total semesters) when they maintain a 3.0 or higher ESU GPA and complete 24 ESU credit hours. Transfers with fewer than 24 hours may defer to freshman requirements.
Other terms: Automatic on GPA. Same dollar grid as freshmen but transfers qualify on GPA only.
https://www.emporia.edu/admissions-costs/admissions-and-costs/scholarships/presidential-scholarships/
Legacy Scholarship
$1,000 per year · Published amount
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
Eligibility: Full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student with a parent, stepparent or grandparent who graduated from Emporia State University. New in 2026: also available to second-bachelor students. Awarded automatically — no separate application stated.
Renewal: Renewable; total scholarship award is available for eight semesters throughout all undergraduate degrees pursued. (A 2024 ESU news release describes it as 'renewable for up to four years.')
Other terms: Automatically awarded to qualifying alumni-legacy students; explicitly stackable with other ESU scholarships.
https://www.emporia.edu/admissions-costs/admissions-and-costs/scholarships/
