Do I have to apply separately for the academic merit scholarship?

No. All students who apply for admission are automatically reviewed for a renewable academic merit scholarship based on weighted high school GPA.

Do my SAT/ACT scores affect my merit scholarship?

No. Test scores are considered in admission review but do not affect merit scholarship consideration; the merit grid is based on weighted GPA.

Is my tuition rate locked?

Yes. New first-year students have their tuition rate locked for four years.

Hanover· Renewal Rules

Keeping Hanover’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 2026today· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 7 of 7
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 7
Renewal risk profile: low

Renewal risk profile

Hanover's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.

Academic Merit Scholarships (weighted-GPA grid): See notes
Spencer Scholarship for Engineering: See notes
Campus Visit Award: See notes
Student Success Award: See notes
National Pell Promise: See notes
Indiana Pell Promise+ / Pell Promise++: See notes
Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Academic Merit Scholarships (weighted-GPA grid)
$20,000-$36,000
Entry requirements: Weighted GPA tiers: 4.25+ ($36k); 4.0-4.24 ($34k); 3.75-3.99 ($30k); 3.50-3.74 ($28k); 3.25-3.49 ($24k); 3.24 and below ($20k) GPA · Not used for merit SAT · Not used for merit ACT
To keep it: Renewable academic merit scholarship; renewal tied to academic standing (Satisfactory Academic Progress). Tuition is locked for four years for new first-years.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
Spencer Scholarship for Engineering
Full ride (tuition, standard room, board, and books)
To keep it: Renewable; to maintain eligibility students must major in engineering or engineering science.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
Campus Visit Award
$4,000-$6,000 (first year)
To keep it: After year one, the $6,000 is available for annual renewal as the Student Success Award.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
Student Success Award
$6,000
To keep it: Renewable for years two through four if making Satisfactory Academic Progress AND continuing to complete the FAFSA each year.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
National Pell Promise
Full tuition
Entry requirements: Weighted high school GPA of at least 3.25 GPA
To keep it: Renewable each year upon filing the FAFSA, continuing to meet the qualifying SAI, and meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
Indiana Pell Promise+ / Pell Promise++
Tuition + standard housing (+ meal plan at higher GPA)
Entry requirements: GPA 4.0+ → tuition + housing + meal plan; GPA 3.75-3.99 → tuition + housing only GPA
To keep it: Must complete the FAFSA by April 15 each year; Indiana residents must also meet state aid requirements annually.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/
Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship
$5,000
To keep it: Renewable.
Source: https://www.hanover.edu/admission/financialaid/

How families lose this aid

Submitting a high test score expecting it to raise your merit award.
Hanover's merit grid is based solely on weighted high school GPA. The page states test scores 'will be considered in application review, but will not affect merit scholarship consideration.'
Using an unweighted GPA to predict your award tier.
Decisions use the WEIGHTED GPA as provided on your high school transcript at the time of applying — so the 4.25+/$36,000 top tier assumes a weighted scale.
Letting the renewable Student Success Award lapse by skipping the FAFSA.
The $6,000 Student Success Award (years 2-4) requires both Satisfactory Academic Progress and completing the FAFSA each year; missing the FAFSA forfeits it.
Out-of-state students assuming they qualify for the Indiana Pell Promise tracks.
Indiana Pell Promise+/++ (tuition + housing, sometimes + meals) requires Indiana residency, Pell eligibility, and a -1,500 SAI. Non-Indiana Pell students instead look to the National Pell Promise (full tuition, weighted GPA 3.25+).

Renewal questions families ask

Do I have to apply separately for the academic merit scholarship?: No. All students who apply for admission are automatically reviewed for a renewable academic merit scholarship based on weighted high school GPA.
Do my SAT/ACT scores affect my merit scholarship?: No. Test scores are considered in admission review but do not affect merit scholarship consideration; the merit grid is based on weighted GPA.
Is my tuition rate locked?: Yes. New first-year students have their tuition rate locked for four years.

How Hanover compares across our verified dataset

247 of 272 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Hanover is one of them. The cohort minority (25 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 Hanover’s own published materials.

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