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Fresno State award rules

Will the scholarship last four years at Fresno State?

We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

3 of 3 published awards are listed as renewable.

The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.

What to do

Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.

See every award rule, common mistake, and source

At a glance

Renewable tiers
3 of 3
One-time tiers
0
Tiers with published renewal terms
3
Renewal risk profile
moderate

Renewal risk profile

Fresno State's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

  • Smittcamp Family Honors College — President's Honors Scholarship (PHS): Full-time enrollment
  • Craig School of Business — Business Scholars: See notes
  • Patagonia Scholarship (College of Science and Mathematics — Earth & Environmental Sciences): See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • Smittcamp Family Honors College — President's Honors Scholarship (PHS)

    $6,000 per year ($3,000 per semester), plus a Housing Stipend of $6,175 for on-campus scholars (2025-2026), total value $12,175

    Entry requirements: Apply with a minimum 3.8 high school GPA (weighted or unweighted, grades 9-11) OR rank in the top 10 percent of the graduating class GPA

    To keep it: Up to a maximum of eight semesters. Must keep full-time status (minimum 12 undergraduate units) and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 for Semesters 1-2, 3.35 for Semesters 3-4, and 3.50 for Semesters 5-8. Dollar value is set annually by the Honors Council and may change year to year.

    Source: https://fresnostate.academicworks.com/opportunities/31420

  • Craig School of Business — Business Scholars

    Up to $20,000 over four years (incoming freshmen) or up to $10,000 over two years (transfer/existing students)

    To keep it: Stated as a four-year award (freshmen) or two-year award (transfers) contingent on remaining in good standing with program requirements; exact per-year amount and renewal GPA are not published on the page.

    Source: https://craig.fresnostate.edu/scholarships/annual-scholarships.html

  • Patagonia Scholarship (College of Science and Mathematics — Earth & Environmental Sciences)

    Full-ride: covers annual tuition, on-campus community-style university housing, meal plan, and a book stipend (two awards; specific dollar value not published)

    To keep it: Page does not state the number of years covered or renewal terms.

    Source: https://csm.fresnostate.edu/arc/scholarships.html

How families lose this aid

  • Expecting an automatic, stats-based merit scholarship for being admitted.

    Fresno State publishes NO automatic GPA/SAT/ACT merit grid. Admission alone earns no scholarship — merit money (Smittcamp, Craig Business Scholars, departmental awards) is competitive and requires separate applications. The general scholarship application is the starting point and must be completed first.

  • Missing the Smittcamp deadline because you assumed it matched the general scholarship deadline.

    The general Fresno State scholarship application runs October 1 to March 2, but the Smittcamp Family Honors College application closes much earlier — December 11, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST, with all transcripts and recommendation letters in by that date. The page says 'No exceptions!'

Renewal questions families ask

Does Fresno State give automatic merit scholarships for GPA or test scores?
No. Fresno State does not publish an automatic merit grid based on GPA or SAT/ACT. Merit awards are competitive and require applications — start with the general scholarship application (Oct 1-Mar 2), and apply separately for programs like the Smittcamp Family Honors College, Craig Business Scholars, or departmental awards.
What is the Smittcamp scholarship worth and when is it due?
For 2025-2026 the President's Honors Scholarship is $6,000/year ($3,000/semester), plus a $6,175 Housing Stipend for scholars who live on campus, for a total value of $12,175. It renews up to eight semesters if you stay full-time and meet rising GPA minimums (3.25, then 3.35, then 3.50). The application closes December 11, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST — strictly, no exceptions.

Rules that bite at Fresno State

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from Fresno State's own tier rules and not generic advice.

  • Renewal ruleSmittcamp Family Honors College — President's Honors Scholarship (PHS): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Up to a maximum of eight semesters. Must keep full-time status (minimum 12 undergraduate units) and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 for Semesters 1-2, 3.35 for Semesters 3-4, and 3.50 for Semesters 5-8. Dollar value is set annually by the Honors Council and may change year to year. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Fresno State compares across our verified dataset

  • 69 of 749 verified schools publish a top renewal tier requiring 3.5+ GPA or major-GPA gating.

    Fresno State is one of them. Calibrate year-one academic load against the renewal floor, not just freshman survival.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Fresno State 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 renewal claim is checked against Fresno State’s own published materials.

More on Fresno State merit aid