Is there a minimum GPA or test score to qualify?

No. Fairfield states there are 'no minimum grades or standardized test scores required for merit scholarship consideration' — awards are determined by a holistic review of your academic record, program rigor, and involvement.

How long does the merit scholarship last and what GPA do I need to keep it?

It is renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters of full-time study, provided you earn the required minimum renewal GPA. That GPA varies by award level and is stated in your initial admission award letter; it's checked at the end of each academic year. If you fall below it, you may appeal for merit-scholarship probation (up to two more semesters to recover the required cumulative GPA).

Fairfield· Renewal Rules

Keeping Fairfield’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· CC

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 1 of 1
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 1
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

Fairfield's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

University Merit Scholarship: Full-time enrollment

Renewal terms by tier

University Merit Scholarship
$10,000-$30,000 per year
Entry requirements: No minimum GPA required for consideration (holistic review) GPA · No minimum (test-optional / holistic) SAT · No minimum (test-optional / holistic) ACT
To keep it: Renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters of full-time undergraduate study provided the recipient earns the required minimum GPA for renewal. The GPA renewal requirement varies by level of award and is stated in the student's initial admission award notification; it is measured at the end of each academic year. Students who drop below the required GPA may appeal for merit scholarship probation (up to two consecutive semesters to regain the required cumulative GPA).
Source: https://www.fairfield.edu/admission-and-aid/scholarships-and-grants/merit-scholarships/

How families lose this aid

Thinking the merit award is automatic on your GPA or test scores.
Every admit is automatically CONSIDERED, but the dollar amount within the $10,000-$30,000 range is set by holistic review, not a published stat grid. There are 'no minimum grades or standardized test scores required,' which also means there is no published formula that guarantees a specific amount.
Letting your GPA slip below the renewal threshold.
Merit scholarships renew for up to eight consecutive semesters only if you earn the required minimum GPA, which varies by award level and is stated in your admission award letter (measured at year-end). Falling short means losing the award unless you win a merit-scholarship-probation appeal (up to two semesters to recover).

Renewal questions families ask

Is there a minimum GPA or test score to qualify?: No. Fairfield states there are 'no minimum grades or standardized test scores required for merit scholarship consideration' — awards are determined by a holistic review of your academic record, program rigor, and involvement.
How long does the merit scholarship last and what GPA do I need to keep it?: It is renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters of full-time study, provided you earn the required minimum renewal GPA. That GPA varies by award level and is stated in your initial admission award letter; it's checked at the end of each academic year. If you fall below it, you may appeal for merit-scholarship probation (up to two more semesters to recover the required cumulative GPA).

Rules that bite at Fairfield

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from Fairfield's own tier rules and not generic advice.

renewalUniversity Merit Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters of full-time undergraduate study provided the recipient earns the required minimum GPA for renewal. The GPA renewal requirement varies by level of award and is stated in the student's initial admission award notification; it is measured at the end of each academic year. Students who drop below the required GPA may appeal for merit scholarship probation (up to two consecutive semesters to regain the required cumulative GPA). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Fairfield compares across our verified dataset

669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Fairfield 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 renewal claim is checked against Fairfield’s own published materials.

policyFairfield stacking policy
coaFairfield cost-of-attendance worksheet
tierUniversity Merit Scholarship
scholarshipFairfield Tuition Grant
scholarshipCompany Scholars