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Fort Lewis College · Colorado

Fort Lewis College 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 20264 days ago· CC
Merit tiers88 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst CC

Rules that bite at Fort Lewis College

The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Fort Lewis College's own published policy, not generic advice.

  • 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.

Common merit-aid mistakes at Fort Lewis College

  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.

Who this school is 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.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $29,494 for 2025-2026. Source

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.

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+)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
4.0 and above (HS GPA), Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.8-4.0 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.5-3.79 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.25-3.49 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.0-3.24 (HS GPA), Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.8-4.0 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.25-3.79 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.0-3.24 (HS GPA), non-Colorado resident
Requirements & details
Eligibility

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

Renewal terms

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

Notes

Out-of-state entry tier.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

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

Lesser-known scholarships at Fort Lewis College

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.

How Fort Lewis College compares across our verified dataset

  • 160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Fort Lewis College 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.

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

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