Skip to content

Fort Lewis College · Colorado

Fort Lewis College scholarships and merit aid

Fort Lewis College awards automatic, GPA-based tuition merit scholarships of $2,000-$8,000/year to first-year students (3.0 HS GPA floor), but they cannot be stacked with each other or with the school's signature Native American Tuition Waiver.

Verified Jun 20263 months ago

The short answer

Is Fort Lewis College worth a closer look?

Fort Lewis College is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 8 published awards, and 8 are based on those numbers.

Merit tiers88 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team

Free Merit Check

See what Fort Lewis College's published rules mean for your student. Takes 30 seconds.

Checking merit aid at Fort Lewis College

We’ll email you this result and a few short merit-aid pointers. We store score ranges only, never your student’s name. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.

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.

Total $8,000…Total $8,000 (an additional $3,000 on top of the in-state Presidential base)

Colorado Scholars Award (in-state, 4.0+)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
4.0 and above (HS GPA), Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year in-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Colorado Scholars require a 3.0 GPA at FLC to renew the additional $3,000 scholarship (vs. the 2.00 cumulative GPA needed to renew the base Presidential award).

Notes

In-state only. Stated as an 'Additional $3,000' stacked onto the $5,000 Presidential tier for a 'Total $8,000 award' — this is the one in-state award that combines, and only because it is the Colorado Scholars top-up on the Presidential base. All other merit tuition scholarships cannot be combined.

Source

$5,000 per year (in-state)

Presidential Tuition Scholarship (in-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.8-4.0 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year in-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

In-state top academic tier (a 4.0 in-state student is bumped to Colorado Scholars for a total $8,000).

Source

$4,000 per year (in-state)

Provost's Tuition Scholarship (in-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.5-3.79 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year in-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

In-state mid tier. A GED-credentialed in-state student scoring 175 or higher also receives the in-state Provost's $4,000.

Source

$3,000 per year (in-state)

Dean's Tuition Scholarship (in-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.25-3.49 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year in-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

In-state. A GED-credentialed in-state student scoring 165-174 also receives the in-state Dean's $3,000.

Source

$2,000 per year (in-state)

Professor's Tuition Scholarship (in-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.0-3.24 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year in-state student; automatically considered. 3.0 is the minimum HS GPA to qualify for any merit tuition scholarship.

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

In-state entry tier; 3.0 is the published floor for merit-scholarship consideration.

Source

$8,000 per year (out-of-state)

Presidential Tuition Scholarship (out-of-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.8-4.0 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year out-of-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

Out-of-state top tier. Out-of-state awards are larger than in-state because out-of-state tuition (~$20,016) is much higher.

Source

$6,000 per year (out-of-state)

Provost's Tuition Scholarship (out-of-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.25-3.79 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year out-of-state student; automatically considered, no separate application

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

Out-of-state mid tier; note the out-of-state Provost's band (3.25-3.79) is wider than the in-state Provost's band (3.5-3.79). A GED-credentialed out-of-state student scoring 175+ also receives the out-of-state Provost's $8,000 (per GED table, not this Provost's $6,000).

Source

$4,000 per year (out-of-state)

Professor's Tuition Scholarship (out-of-state)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.0-3.24 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Admitted first-year out-of-state student; automatically considered. 3.0 is the minimum HS GPA to qualify.

How to keep it

Maintain Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew for up to four years.

Notes

Out-of-state entry tier.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Fort Lewis College's published information.

  • Aid capHard $29,494 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at Fort Lewis College cannot push the package past $29,494. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What families often miss

  1. The first-year page states 'Merit scholarships cannot be combined.' A student receives ONE tuition merit award based on their GPA tier — the only additive case is the in-state Colorado Scholars $3,000 top-up that brings the 4.0 Presidential to a total of $8,000.

  2. 'You cannot combine the NATW with FLC merit tuition scholarships.' Eligible students choose the waiver (which zeroes out tuition) OR a merit tuition scholarship — whichever is worth more — not both. The waiver also covers tuition only; fees, housing, meals, and books are still owed.

  3. Out-of-state cost of attendance is roughly $41,910/year on-campus (tuition ~$20,016 + fees + housing + dining). An $8,000 Presidential tuition scholarship is a meaningful discount but leaves the large majority of COA unfunded.

  4. In-state tuition is about $8,040, but the full in-state on-campus COA is roughly $29,494/year once fees, housing, dining, books, transportation and personal expenses are added. These tuition scholarships reduce the tuition line, not the whole budget.

  5. Fort Lewis College is a public liberal-arts college in Durango, Colorado. It is unrelated to the U.S. Army's Joint Base Lewis-McChord ('Fort Lewis') in Washington State.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Cost-conscious students with a 3.0+ high-school GPA who want a no-application, GPA-determined tuition discount at a small public liberal-arts college in Durango, Colorado; especially out-of-state students (whose top tier reaches $8,000/yr) and Colorado residents at the 4.0 Colorado Scholars level.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $29,494 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Fort Lewis College, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$18,622
$30,001–$48,000$17,014
$48,001–$75,000$19,468
$75,001–$110,000$19,498
$110,001+$13,158
All income levels (average)$17,296

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$9,958
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$21,526
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$17,296

That works out to roughly a 36% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $27,030 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Fort Lewis College is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
36%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
66%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$18,389 (~$195/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$46,349
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
33%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
39%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Merit tuition scholarships cannot be combined with each other (the lone exception is the Colorado Scholars top-up that adds $3,000 to the in-state Presidential base). They also cannot be combined with the Native American Tuition Waiver — a student picks the waiver OR a merit scholarship, not both. For outside/third-party scholarships, FLC does not publish a loan-vs-grant displacement order; it states only a cost-of-attendance cap (total aid may not exceed COA).

First-year page: 'Merit scholarships cannot be combined.' NATW page: 'You cannot combine the NATW with FLC merit tuition scholarships.' Third-party page: aid is monitored so the student is 'not receiving funds over the cost of attendance at Fort Lewis College.' No published rule states whether an outside award reduces loans first or grants first.

Source

Other Fort Lewis College scholarships worth checking

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

AmountFull tuition waived ($0 tuition); student still pays fees, housing, meals, and booksEligibilityELIGIBILITY/HERITAGE-BASED, NOT MERIT. Enrolled citizens (or the children of an enrolled citizen) of a federally recognized American Indian Tribal Nation or Alaska Native Village; descendants may qualify via an Affirmation of Descendancy form. Open to undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree-seeking students.

NOT a merit award — deliberately excluded from meritTiers. Covers tuition ONLY: 'The NATW only covers the tuition costs.' Student is 'responsible for all other costs associated with attendance, including books, student fees, housing, and meal plans.' Critically: 'You cannot combine the NATW with FLC merit tuition scholarships' — so eligible Native American students choose the waiver instead of (not in addition to) a merit tuition scholarship.

Source

AmountVaries (no per-award amounts published on the page)EligibilityAdmitted students seeking a first bachelor's degree, enrolling in 12+ credits each Fall and Spring; one application via AcademicWorks. Chosen on 'academics, achievement, and financial need' (merit AND need).

Single AcademicWorks application; 'Applications received on or before February 15 are prioritized, though we accept later ones.' Renewal no longer requires re-applying. Named pools mentioned (Alumni Scholarships, Civic Match) without amounts.

Source

Amount$4,000 to $15,000 (cited for the 2023-2024 academic year — may be stale)EligibilityColorado residents, or out-of-state residents receiving the Native American Tuition Waiver; rising sophomores or community-college transfers entering as juniors. Need + merit. Not a first-year automatic award.

Continuing-student award, not first-year. Amount range is labeled '2023-2024' on the FLC page and may be outdated — confirm current range before publishing.

Source

Amount$2,000 annually for four yearsEligibilityColorado resident, first-year freshman or first-year transfer, Pell-Grant eligible; priority to first-generation students. Need-based (Pell-gated), not pure merit.

Need-based (Pell eligibility required); included for completeness, not a merit award.

Source

Fort Lewis College merit aid FAQ

  • Do I have to apply separately for the merit tuition scholarships?

    No. 'Admitted first-year students, including those earning a GED, are automatically considered for merit-based tuition scholarships' and 'You do not need to complete a separate application.' The award is set by your high-school GPA tier (3.0 minimum) and residency. Foundation/departmental scholarships DO require a separate AcademicWorks application (prioritized by Feb 15).

  • Can I combine multiple Fort Lewis scholarships?

    No. 'Merit scholarships cannot be combined.' You get one GPA-based tuition merit award (the only exception is the in-state Colorado Scholars $3,000 add-on at a 4.0). And you cannot combine a merit tuition scholarship with the Native American Tuition Waiver.

  • How do I keep my scholarship each year?

    'Students must maintain their Academic Standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) to renew scholarships for up to four years unless otherwise noted.' The exception: Colorado Scholars 'require a 3.0 GPA at FLC to renew the additional $3,000 scholarship.'

  • What is the minimum GPA to qualify for a merit tuition scholarship?

    A 3.0 high-school GPA. The lowest tier (Professor's Tuition, 3.0-3.24) is the floor; below 3.0 there is no automatic merit tuition scholarship listed.

See sources and other schools

How Fort Lewis College compares

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

    Fort Lewis College 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.

    Fort Lewis College 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 Fort Lewis College’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Fort Lewis College merit aid