Skip to content
← Back to Franklin College's chapter

MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Franklin College
Decision sheet

Indiana · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Franklin College awards GPA-based academic scholarships up to $23,000 per year automatically at admission, with an invitation-only Ben Franklin Scholars Day competition (3.9+ GPA, apply by Nov. 1) for awards up to full tuition that stack on top of the existing merit award.

More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 5 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

Academic Scholarships

Up to $23,000 per year · Variable or qualified amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Awarded based on the student's GPA; specific GPA-to-amount levels not published · SAT: Optional (SAT code 1228) · ACT: Optional (ACT code 1194)

Eligibility: Complete Franklin College or Common Application for admission with official transcript; the Office of Financial Aid uses the official transcript to assess merit eligibility — no separate scholarship application

Renewal: Renewable for all four years; all Franklin College scholarships and grants are renewable for a maximum of eight semesters (fall/spring) of full-time undergraduate enrollment. Reviewed each semester; falling below the minimum GPA triggers one semester of scholarship probation, then reduction to the next level award.

Other terms: No published GPA-to-dollar grid; the page states only a range up to $23,000 per year. The FAQ references scholarship 'levels' but the levels are not published.

https://franklincollege.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-and-financial-aid/

Ben Franklin Scholars

Up to full tuition · Variable or qualified amount

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

GPA: 3.9 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of admission

Eligibility: Invitation-only competition for admitted students; complete application for admission (including all required documents) must be received by November 1st; day includes an interview, short-answer essay, and group project

Renewal: Per the college's Jan. 2026 news release, every Scholars Day attendee left with a renewable award; standard eight-semester maximum applies to all Franklin College scholarships.

Other terms: The Ben Franklin Scholarship awarded at Scholars Day is added on top of any existing merit scholarship previously granted. A second Scholars Day was held March 2026 for students unable to attend the December session.

https://franklincollege.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-and-financial-aid/

The National Pulliam Journalism Scholarship

Full tuition · Published coverage or package

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

GPA: Minimum 3.0 (on 4.0 scale)

Eligibility: Must apply to one of the multimedia journalism majors and submit the required essay and application by Nov. 15; one award per year

Renewal: Renewal terms not stated on the page; all Franklin College scholarships and grants are renewable for a maximum of eight semesters.

Other terms: One full-tuition scholarship awarded each year, endowed by the late Eugene C. Pulliam.

https://franklincollege.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-and-financial-aid/

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Franklin College states outright that if a student qualifies for multiple awards, some may not be stackable, and that award amounts may be adjusted so the college can support as many students as possible. Cost of Attendance is the maximum total aid a student can receive in a year. One exception is stated explicitly: the Ben Franklin Scholarship from Scholars Day IS added to any existing merit scholarship. For Lilly Endowment scholars, other aid is redirected to housing and food rather than stacked on tuition. Treatment of private outside scholarships is not specified (the college encourages applying for them).

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/franklin-college/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.