The starting point
Hampton awards stats-based merit scholarships of $10,000-$25,000 per year automatically to first-time freshmen who apply by the Nov. 15 Early Action deadline with at least a 3.5 GPA and a 1000 SAT / 22 ACT — but test-optional applicants are shut out entirely.
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
The 2 awards in this school's research. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
Hampton University Merit Scholarship
$10,000-$25,000 per academic year · Published range
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: Minimum 3.5 unweighted cumulative GPA · SAT: Minimum 1000 SAT (EBRW & Math) · ACT: Minimum ACT Composite 22
Eligibility: First-time freshman; completed admission application by the Early Action deadline (November 15); test scores REQUIRED — Test Optional applicants are NOT eligible. Award amount is based largely on the standardized test score.
Renewal: Renewable for three consecutive years beyond the first year, provided the student attains a cumulative 3.0 grade point average by the end of the spring semester each academic year.
Other terms: Automatic on stats: no separate scholarship application is required if the completed admission application is submitted by the Nov. 15 Early Action deadline. The deciding factor in the award amount is the standardized test score, so test-optional applicants are excluded from merit consideration. Hampton states it no longer uses named tiers (Trustee, Presidential, etc.).
https://home.hamptonu.edu/admissions/scholarship-information/
Legacy Scholarship
$1,000 per year · Published amount
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
GPA: Maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA to renew
Eligibility: Full-time student who is a direct descendant (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) of a Hampton University attendee. Separate application required; submit to legacyscholarship@hamptonu.edu.
Renewal: Renewable for up to three additional years; a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained to renew.
Other terms: Legacy/affinity award, not stats-based. Separate application required by the June 30 deadline (see Section C — the official 2025-2026 application PDF states June 30, 2025; the admissions page text references June 30, 2026; confirm the current cycle's date with admissions).
https://home.hamptonu.edu/admissions/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/2025-APPLICATION-FOR-LEGACY-Scholarship-2025-2026.pdf
Ask before you decide
- Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
- What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
- How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?
Recorded stacking policy: Hampton caps the total of all scholarships at the school's direct cost. The total financial package for students who receive scholarships through Admission, the Athletic Department, and/or Academic Departments cannot exceed the direct cost (tuition, fees, room and board). Students must report all expected aid, including outside scholarships, or risk reduction or cancellation of aid — i.e., outside awards are absorbed under a cost-of-attendance / direct-cost ceiling rather than stacked on top without limit.
Our unanswered questions / Family notes
