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Fisk scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

Fisk may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
4 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

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. Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition, room, meals, and books (books up to $250 US per semester)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential Scholarship

    Full tuition, room, meals, and books (books up to $250 US per semester)

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded on the strength of the admission application; no separate application. Test-optional students are NOT considered for full-tuition scholarships. Must enroll in a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester.

    How to keep it

    Stated as 'renewable annually'; the recipient must be enrolled in a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester. Detailed renewal requirements (e.g. minimum GPA, service hours) are stated to live on the university contract in the student's award packet and are NOT published on the page.

    Worth knowing

    Top-tier award. Covers full tuition plus room, meals, and a books allowance capped at $250 per semester. Because it is a full-tuition award, the page states test-optional applicants are excluded from consideration. No GPA/test cutoff is published on the live page (an older alumni-recruitment PDF cited 3.7 GPA / ACT 28 / SAT 1860, but that figure is NOT on a current official page and is treated as unverified).

  2. Ella Sheperd Moore Provost ScholarshipFull tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Ella Sheperd Moore Provost Scholarship

    Full tuition

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Ella Sheperd Moore Provost Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded on the strength of the admission application; no separate application. Test-optional students are NOT considered for full-tuition scholarships. Must enroll in a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester.

    How to keep it

    Stated as 'renewable annually'; the recipient must be enrolled in a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester. Detailed renewal requirements are on the university contract in the award packet and are not published on the page.

    Worth knowing

    Full-tuition award (does not cover room/board/books like Cravath). As a full-tuition scholarship, test-optional applicants are excluded. No GPA/test cutoff is published on the live page.

  3. Fisk Outstanding Scholars & Leaders Award$5K to $15K (applied toward tuition)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Fisk Outstanding Scholars & Leaders Award

    $5K to $15K (applied toward tuition)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Fisk Outstanding Scholars & Leaders Award

    Who qualifies

    Awarded on the strength of the admission application; no separate application. Must enroll in a minimum of 12 and maximum of 18 credit hours per semester.

    How to keep it

    Stated as 'renewable annually'; the recipient must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours and a maximum of 18 credit hours per semester. Detailed renewal requirements are on the university contract in the award packet and are not published on the page.

    Worth knowing

    Partial-tuition award; the page states it ranges from $5K to $15K and is allocated toward the recipient's tuition. This is the award test-optional applicants can still earn (the full-tuition exclusion does not name it). Exact amount within the $5K-$15K band is not specified on the page.

  4. Fisk Performance Award for Music MajorsAmount variesNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Fisk Performance Award for Music Majors

    Amount varies

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Fisk Performance Award for Music Majors

    Who qualifies

    For students majoring in Music; requires an audition and a recommendation from the Music Department.

    How to keep it

    Renewal terms not published.

    Worth knowing

    Listed in the official undergraduate bulletin (Fisk Internal Scholarships) as audition-based with a varying award; no specific dollar amount is published on a current official page. An older alumni-recruitment PDF cited a $5,000 award, but that figure is NOT on a current official page and is treated as unverified — amount reported here as 'varies'.

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What makes Fisk different

Fisk's merit scholarships are automatic on your admission application (no separate form), topping out at the Cravath Presidential, which covers full tuition, room, meals, and books — but test-optional applicants are explicitly cut out of the full-tuition awards.

Merit tiers4See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  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 Fisk'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 scholarships page states plainly: 'Test optional students are not considered for full tuition scholarships.' If you want the Cravath Presidential or Ella Sheperd Moore Provost (the two full-tuition awards), you must submit test scores. Test-optional applicants can still be considered for the $5K-$15K Outstanding Scholars & Leaders Award.

  2. There is 'no separate application' for the three headline merit scholarships — they are awarded on the strength of your admission application. (The Endowed & Annual Named scholarships are the exception: those DO require a separate electronic application and annual reapplication.)

  3. The page says 'Priority scholarship consideration occurs during the Early Action cycles' and that 'after the Early action cycles, merit scholarships are awarded based on university availability.' Apply early — merit money is limited and not guaranteed.

  4. The page states 'Scholarships are not guaranteed' and that merit awards are made 'as University resources permit' and 'in comparison against the applicant pool.' Strong stats help but do not lock in an award.

  5. The Ella Sheperd Moore Provost Scholarship covers full TUITION only — not room, board, fees, or books. Only the Cravath Presidential covers tuition plus room, meals, and a books allowance (capped at $250/semester). On the 2024-2025 schedule, tuition is $23,880/year while a residential student also faces recurring fees ($1,978), a technology fee ($724), a double room ($6,568), and a 19-meal board plan ($5,340) on top.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Academically strong applicants — ideally with strong test scores plus demonstrated leadership and community service — who apply to this Nashville HBCU during the Early Action cycles and submit a complete file. Test-optional applicants can still earn the $5K-$15K Outstanding Scholars award but are excluded from the full-tuition scholarships.

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Fisk, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$27,647
$30,001–$48,000$32,474
$48,001–$75,000$34,204
$75,001–$110,000$34,974
$110,001+$26,678
All income levels (average)$32,020

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$39,450
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$25,858
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$32,020

That works out to an average 19% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
30%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
74%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$45,454
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
53%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
51%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Fisk applies federal, state, and outside scholarships and grants before counting institutional scholarship funding, and institutional merit scholarships are non-refundable: if a credit balance would otherwise result, Fisk reduces the institutional scholarship to remove it (refunds are limited to loan funds instead), so protection runs only up to billed costs/credit-balance level, not the full cost of attendance.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS are NOT Refundable: All University outside resources, (Federal and State Aid, outside scholarships and grants) are considered first before Fisk University Institutional funding is counted. For students who receive any institutional scholarships, a refund of any credit balance will be limited to Federal Direct loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Parent Plus/Grad Plus) and Private Educational Loans. If a credit balance exists AND the student has Institutional funds without loans, the institutional funds will be adjusted down to remove the credit. Institutional Funds are not refundable. This applies to all institutional merit-based funds (Presidential, Provost, and Outstanding Scholars and Leaders).

Source

Other Fisk scholarships worth checking

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

AmountVariesEligibilityOfficially enrolled students (incoming and returning); requires a separate electronic Scholarship Application and must reapply annually.

Separate application required (unlike the three main merit awards). The live page shows a 2024-2025 cycle with a September 30, 2024 deadline — likely stale; confirm the current cycle's deadline with admissions.

Source

AmountFree tuition, fees, room, and board (per older alumni-recruitment PDF; not confirmed on a current official page)EligibilityHigh school seniors named National Merit or National Achievement Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation; on-campus interview required.

Sourced only to a connect.fisk.edu alumni-recruitment manual (official Fisk subdomain but undated/likely stale). NOT confirmed on the current scholarships page or undergraduate bulletin. Treat as unverified pending aid-office confirmation.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityAthletes; contact the Athletics Department.

Listed in the official undergraduate bulletin (Fisk Internal Scholarships). Athletic, not academic merit.

Source

Fisk merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need a separate application for Fisk's merit scholarships?

    No. The three main merit awards (Cravath Presidential, Ella Sheperd Moore Provost, and Outstanding Scholars & Leaders) have no separate application — you're evaluated on your admission application. Only the Endowed & Annual Named scholarships require a separate electronic application that must be renewed each year.

  • Can I get a full-tuition scholarship if I apply test-optional?

    No. Fisk states that 'Test optional students are not considered for full tuition scholarships.' To be considered for the Cravath Presidential or Ella Sheperd Moore Provost (the full-tuition awards), submit SAT or ACT scores. Test-optional applicants remain eligible for the $5K-$15K Outstanding Scholars & Leaders Award.

  • When should I apply to get the best shot at merit aid?

    During the Early Action cycles. Fisk says priority scholarship consideration happens then, and after the Early Action cycles awards are made 'based on university availability.' Also submit a complete admission file — only complete files are considered.

  • Are Fisk merit scholarships renewable?

    Yes — all three main awards are stated to be 'renewable annually,' but the detailed renewal conditions (such as a minimum GPA or credit-hour load) are spelled out on the university contract in your award packet rather than on the public page. Confirm the exact renewal GPA and any service-hour requirement with the Scholarship Coordinator before you enroll.

  • What does the Cravath Presidential Scholarship cover?

    Full tuition, room, meals, and books — with the books portion capped at up to $250 per semester. The recipient must enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester.

See sources and other schools

How Fisk compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Fisk is in a recognizable cluster (235 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Fisk merit aid

The next chapter

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