Grambling State Merit Aid

1. Expecting the dorm-charge component while living off campus.+

   The 28+ ACT top tier pays '$7683 plus Traditional Dorm charges (if on campus)' — but the footnote states 'If student resides off campus, the scholarship amount will be $7683.' Off-campus students forfeit the housing component.

2. Assuming Grambling awards TOPS.+

   The page is explicit: 'TOPS eligibility is determined by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and not the institution.' The Total Award column is illustrative; you must qualify for TOPS through LOSFA.

3. Looking for the out-of-state waiver in your aid letter.+

   'Out of State Fee Waiver will reflect in the charges as opposed to the Financial Aid Award Package' — it appears as a billing reduction, not an award line.

4. Taking a GAP award and then adding another scholarship.+

   GAP funds may be canceled if an additional award posted later creates a credit balance; GAP can never be refunded to the student and requires exhausting all federal aid options first.

5. Relying on the published dates.+

   The automatic-consideration deadline is printed as 'January 31, 2022' and the grid is labeled 'Starting with New Freshmen for Fall 2022' — the page has not been updated with 2026-27 dates. Confirm the current deadline before assuming consideration.

6. Assuming the award renews automatically.+

   No renewal GPA, credit-hour, or duration terms for the Academic Achievement Scholarship are published anywhere on the page — get renewal conditions in writing from the aid office.

DRAFT: Students with a 23+ ACT; a 28+ ACT and 3.5 GPA earns $7,683 plus traditional dorm charges (an effective full-tuition+housing package for on-campus Louisianans when TOPS is layered on), and out-of-state students at the same stats add a $9,023/year fee waiver.

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.

Grambling's own scholarship tables show institutional merit stacking with Louisiana TOPS (in-state) or with the out-of-state fee waiver — the published 'Total Award' column literally adds them. A reverse rule applies to the need-based GAP Fund: GAP money can be CANCELED if a later award from another source creates a credit balance, GAP cannot generate a refund, and all federal aid (subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS loans) must be exhausted first.

Merit grid: explicit additive stacking with TOPS/waiver. GAP Fund: anti-stacking conditions (max $800, no refund, canceled if a subsequent award creates a credit balance). No general policy on private outside scholarships displacing institutional merit was published.

Source

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

• What is the scholarship deadline?

  The page states students who apply by January 31 are automatically considered for academic scholarships, but the printed date is January 31, 2022 (stale). No application is necessary for consideration. Confirm the current-cycle date with Grambling's aid office (318-274-6236).

• Is the merit award automatic?

  Yes per the page: 'No application is necessary for consideration' and applicants by the (stale) January 31 date 'are automatically considered for academic scholarships.'

• How does the award combine with TOPS?

  Grambling's in-state table adds them: e.g., a 25-27 ACT/3.0 student shows $7,683 (Grambling) + $5,939.75 (TOPS) = $13,622.75/year. TOPS itself is determined by LOSFA.

• What do out-of-state students get?

  The same $3,000-$7,683 merit tiers plus a $9,023/year Out of State Fee Waiver that reduces billed charges (SAT equivalents published: 1130-1160 up to 1300+).

• What does Grambling cost for 2026-27?

  Per the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 fee schedule: resident undergrad tuition/fees $3,926.10/semester (commuting) or $7,838.10/semester with traditional dorm boarding; non-resident $8,437.60 / $12,349.60. A full COA (books, transportation, personal) is not published on these pages.

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