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The merit-aid verdict at Fisk
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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Fisk
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
Who this school is 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.
Federal cost and outcome data
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 income
Average 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%
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.
Full tuition…Full tuition, room, meals, and books (books up to $250 US per semester)
Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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).
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.
For students majoring in Music; requires an audition and a recommendation from the Music Department.
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not published.
Notes
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'.
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).
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.
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.
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.
How Fisk compares across our verified dataset
241 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
Fisk is in a recognizable cluster (241 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Fisk 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 Fisk’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
