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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Gustavus Adolphus
Decision sheet

Minnesota · Research checked 2026-06-03 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Every admitted first-year student is automatically placed into one of five named academic merit tiers from $25,000 to $42,000 per year — no separate application — and the award is locked at that level for up to four years.

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 10 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.

Gold Scholarship (academic merit tier)

$25,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Awarded on official unweighted high school GPA; specific GPA cutoff for this tier not published

Eligibility: Full-time, first-year students; awarded at time of admission based on the application for admission

Renewal: Stays the same for up to four years (eight semesters) of continuous full-time enrollment, provided the student meets required academic standards and remains in good standing. A specific renewal GPA is not published on the current scholarships page.

Other terms: This is the lowest of the five academic merit tiers; the academic merit range is stated as $25,000-$42,000 annually. A student can only receive ONE of the five academic merit scholarships.

https://gustavus.edu/admission-aid/tuition-and-aid/scholarships

Three Crowns Scholarship (academic merit tier)

$31,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Awarded on official unweighted high school GPA; specific cutoff not published

Eligibility: Full-time, first-year students; awarded at time of admission, no separate application

Renewal: Stays the same for up to four years (eight semesters) of continuous full-time enrollment provided the student meets required academic standards and remains in good standing. Specific renewal GPA not published on the current page.

Other terms: Second of the five academic merit tiers. Only one academic merit tier may be held at a time.

https://gustavus.edu/admission-aid/tuition-and-aid/scholarships

Dean's Scholarship (academic merit tier)

$35,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Awarded on official unweighted high school GPA; specific cutoff not published

Eligibility: Full-time, first-year students; automatic on admission

Renewal: Stays the same for up to four years (eight semesters) of continuous full-time enrollment provided the student meets required academic standards and remains in good standing. Specific renewal GPA not published on the current page.

Other terms: Third of the five academic merit tiers. Note: the First-Year Free Tuition program states academic merit scholarships (Gold, Dean's, President's) are NOT awarded in addition to that program.

https://gustavus.edu/admission-aid/tuition-and-aid/scholarships

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: A student may hold only ONE of the five academic merit tiers (Gold/Three Crowns/Dean's/President's/Excellence). Fine-arts talent awards (music, theatre & dance, art) and the Esports/Clay Target award are in addition to the academic tier. For OUTSIDE (third-party) scholarships, Gustavus first applies them to reduce the loan and/or job (work-study) portion; if total awards exceed demonstrated financial need, the Gustavus scholarship may be reduced.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/gustavus-adolphus-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.