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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Harding
Decision sheet

Arkansas · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Harding's Academic Achievement Scholarship is automatic on a combination of test scores and high-school GPA, paying $7,000-$11,000/year, and top stats unlock a full-tuition Trustee Scholar award (3.5 GPA + ACT 31 / SAT 1390 / CLT 100).

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 7 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.

Academic Achievement Scholarship

$7,000 to $11,000 per year · Published range

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Combination of high school GPA and test scores (no single cutoff published; exact grid not on the page) · SAT: Used in the calculation; no published cutoff for amount · ACT: Used in the calculation; no published cutoff for amount

Eligibility: Awarded to admitted freshmen; students may retake the ACT, SAT or CLT through July after senior year to increase the amount

Renewal: Recipients must be enrolled full time (12 hours) and maintain a GPA of 3.0. Renewable for four years or eight semesters.

Other terms: Calculated automatically on a combination of test scores and high school GPA for admitted freshmen; the page does not publish the dollar-by-stat grid, so the exact award within $7,000-$11,000 for a given GPA/score is not knowable from public pages. CLT is also accepted.

https://www.harding.edu/admissions/cost/

National Merit Semifinalist Scholarship

Full undergraduate tuition · Published coverage or package

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Be a National Merit Semifinalist

Renewal: Recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.25 and live in campus housing.

Other terms: Awarded to National Merit Semifinalists; covers full undergraduate tuition.

https://www.harding.edu/admissions/cost/

National Merit Finalist Scholarship

Full undergraduate tuition and a $2,000 annual stipend · Published coverage or package

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Be a National Merit Finalist

Renewal: Recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.25 and live in campus housing.

Other terms: Awarded to National Merit Finalists; covers full undergraduate tuition plus a $2,000 annual stipend.

https://www.harding.edu/admissions/cost/

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: Institutional scholarships may be combined but total institutional aid is capped at full tuition ('the tuition cap'). Multiple official scholarship descriptions repeat the 'may not exceed full tuition' / 'up to full tuition' limit. The Missionary Children Grant page states plainly that all institutional aid is limited to the tuition cap. No published rule was found describing how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships specifically displace institutional aid.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

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