DRAFT: Faulkner publishes a clean test-score-banded academic award ladder ($6,000-$14,000) for freshmen — every admitted traditional freshman lands in a band, even sub-17 ACT — plus a full-tuition Zorn Scholarship for Bible majors and a National Merit award worth up to tuition, room, board, and fees.
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers9See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Faulkner
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Faulkner's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalThe Zorn Scholarship (Jack Zorn Scholarship): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Available for a maximum of five years. Recipients must complete the FAFSA each academic year, live on campus, remain enrolled full-time as a traditional undergraduate, maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in Bible courses, take a minimum of two Bible courses per semester, and complete 64 hours of ministry/service work a semester. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Faulkner
Faulkner explicitly adjusts its own awards downward if the total aid package exceeds the direct cost of education (tuition, fees, room and board): 'the amount of the scholarship or award from Faulkner will be adjusted to preclude the awarding of a credit or refund.'
Finalist/Semi-Finalist funding is 'when coordinated with state, federal, and institutional scholarships and awards' — it fills the package up to full tuition (Semi-Finalist) or full tuition, room, board, and fees (Finalist); other aid counts toward that total.
Zorn is tuition-only ('Students are responsible for room and board, plus fees'), is limited to courses on the Bible-major degree plan, excludes most summer courses, cannot be stacked with other institutional scholarships, and never exceeds full tuition. It also carries heavy ongoing obligations: on-campus residency, two Bible courses per semester, a 3.0 Bible-course GPA, and 64 hours of ministry/service work per semester.
The page states: 'Adults who are classified as traditional students are not eligible for the scholarships, awards, or grants herein described' — the published awards are only for students in the traditional program.
The page requires it: 'All students receiving scholarships or awards are required to apply for all federal and state aid available,' with FAFSA priority given to filers by December 15. Zorn Scholars must file the FAFSA every year.
Full-time enrollment (at least 12 semester hours) is required for any scholarship, and scholarships are renewable 'for up to nine (9) semesters' only.
Who this school is for
DRAFT: Traditional (not adult) students of any test level get a guaranteed-looking band award; church-of-Christ students planning a Bible major can pursue full tuition via the Zorn Scholarship, and National Merit Finalists can reach a full-direct-cost package.
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.
$14,000
Founder's Award
ApplicationRenewable
SAT
1360 & above
ACT
30 & above
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
98 & above on the CLT. Freshmen applicants only. Traditional students only; full-time enrollment (at least 12 semester hours) required.
Renewal terms
Unless otherwise noted, all scholarships are renewable upon meeting the continuation criteria for up to nine (9) semesters. (Specific continuation criteria for this award are not stated on the page.)
Notes
Page says admitted students 'will be considered for' these academic scholarships; it does not explicitly say awarding is automatic with no application, so automaticOnStats is conservatively false.
Full tuition…Full tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees (Finalists); Full tuition (Semi-Finalists)
National Merit Finalist/Semi-Finalist Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Must be confirmed as a National Merit Finalist or Semi-Finalist and have listed Faulkner University as their first-choice university with the National Merit Corporation. Freshmen applicants only.
Renewal terms
General policy: renewable upon meeting the continuation criteria for up to nine (9) semesters (criteria not stated on the page).
Notes
Funding is 'when coordinated with state, federal, and institutional scholarships and awards' — i.e., it tops up other aid to the stated level rather than stacking on top of it.
Traditional undergraduate Bible majors who are active members of the churches of Christ. Requires FAFSA, an interview with the Dean of the College of Biblical Studies, and a letter of recommendation from an elder or minister. Acceptance for admission does not constitute automatic approval; the university determines the number of scholarships each year.
Renewal terms
Available for a maximum of five years. Recipients must complete the FAFSA each academic year, live on campus, remain enrolled full-time as a traditional undergraduate, maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in Bible courses, take a minimum of two Bible courses per semester, and complete 64 hours of ministry/service work a semester.
Notes
Tuition-only: 'Students are responsible for room and board, plus fees.' Covers only courses on the Bible-major degree plan; other courses billed at the standard hourly rate. Summer courses excluded except BI 4332. Cannot be stacked with other institutional scholarships, and Faulkner may substitute a portion with funded/endowed scholarships. Priority consideration if requirements completed by December 15.
Transfer applicants only; based on cumulative GPA from all colleges attended. Additional need-based scholarships may be considered for transfers upon receiving FAFSA.
Renewal terms
General policy: renewable upon meeting the continuation criteria for up to nine (9) semesters (criteria not stated on the page).
Must be accepted through admissions and the music program (chorus, marching band, color guard).
Renewal terms
General policy: renewable upon meeting the continuation criteria for up to nine (9) semesters (criteria not stated on the page).
Notes
Page describes the amount as 'Guaranteed $16,000' and tells prospective students to 'contact their admission counselor to discuss how this scholarship works alongside other awards from Faulkner' — interaction with other awards is not specified on the page.
Faulkner caps total aid at the direct cost of education: if a student's financial aid package exceeds tuition, fees, room and board, the Faulkner scholarship/award is reduced so no credit or refund is created. Several awards (National Merit, Christian High School Award) are explicitly 'coordinated with' federal, state, and institutional aid — meaning they fill up to a stated level rather than stacking — and the Zorn Scholarship cannot be stacked with other institutional scholarships. All scholarship recipients are required to apply for all available federal and state aid.
The cap is at DIRECT cost (tuition, fees, room and board), not full COA. The page does not specifically address how private outside scholarships are treated, so outside displacement is unclear; the stated mechanism reduces the Faulkner-funded award when the total package exceeds direct costs.
AmountUp to 25% of tuitionEligibilityGraduate of a high school affiliated with the churches of Christ and a member of the National Christian School Association (NCSA).
'When coordinated with all federal, state, and other institutional grants' — fills to a level rather than stacking.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityParticipants in the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes program who submit scholarship applications by the published deadline; the program's National Office recommends students to Faulkner.
Priority is given to students completing the FAFSA by December 15. Zorn Scholarship applicants who are admitted and complete all scholarship requirements by December 15 each year receive priority consideration. (The page does not attach a specific year to these dates.)
How much can a freshman get from the academic award ladder?
$6,000 (ACT 17 & below) up to $14,000 (ACT 30+/SAT 1360+/CLT 98+) per year, in five bands. Amounts are for one academic year, half awarded each of fall and spring.
Are the academic awards automatic?
The page says students 'who have been accepted for admission to Faulkner will be considered for' these scholarships — it does not state they are automatic. Families should confirm with admissions whether any separate application step is needed.
How long do scholarships last?
Unless otherwise noted, all scholarships are renewable upon meeting the continuation criteria for up to nine (9) semesters. The Zorn Scholarship is available for a maximum of five years.
What does Faulkner cost?
For 2026-2027, traditional block tuition is $12,300 per semester (12-18 hours), residence halls run about $2,100-$2,150 per semester (private-room charges extra), and meal plans run $975-$2,320 per semester. Faulkner does not publish a single full cost-of-attendance total on these pages.
How Faulkner compares across our verified dataset
160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
Faulkner is in a recognizable cluster (160 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.
Faulkner 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.
133 of 751 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.
Faulkner is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against Faulkner’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
