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Harding award rules

Will the scholarship last four years at Harding?

We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

7 of 7 published awards are listed as renewable.

The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.

What to do

Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.

See every award rule, common mistake, and source

At a glance

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

Renewal risk profile

Harding's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

  • Academic Achievement Scholarship: Full-time enrollment
  • Trustee Scholar Award: See notes
  • National Merit Semifinalist Scholarship: See notes
  • National Merit Finalist Scholarship: See notes
  • Christian Ministers and Educators Scholarship: See notes
  • Homeschool Scholarship: See notes
  • Carter Business Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • Academic Achievement Scholarship

    $7,000 to $11,000 per year

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

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

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

  • Trustee Scholar Award

    Full tuition

    Entry requirements: High school GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale GPA · SAT combined Critical Reading and Math score of 1390 or higher SAT · ACT score or superscore of 31 or higher ACT

    To keep it: Trustee Scholars are expected to uphold a minimum GPA of 3.25 and reside in on-campus housing.

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

  • National Merit Semifinalist Scholarship

    Full undergraduate tuition

    To keep it: Recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.25 and live in campus housing.

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

  • National Merit Finalist Scholarship

    Full undergraduate tuition and a $2,000 annual stipend

    To keep it: Recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.25 and live in campus housing.

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

  • Christian Ministers and Educators Scholarship

    $4,000 per year

    To keep it: Valid for a maximum of four years (eight semesters) of undergraduate education.

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

  • Homeschool Scholarship

    $2,000 per year

    To keep it: Renewable for four years.

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

  • Carter Business Scholarship

    $10,000 per year

    To keep it: Renewal terms not stated. Typically divided among four students each year at approximately $2,500 per student per year.

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

How families lose this aid

  • Assuming you can pin down your exact Academic Achievement award from the website.

    Harding publishes only the $7,000-$11,000 range and says the amount is 'calculated on a combination of test scores and high school GPA' — the dollar-by-stat grid is not public, so you must ask admissions for your specific number.

  • Treating the Trustee Scholar Award as automatic once you hit the numbers.

    Meeting 3.5 GPA + ACT 31 / SAT 1390 / CLT 100 only makes you eligible; the award is 'specially extended to a select group of incoming freshmen,' requires a separate Trustee Scholar application and an interview, and obligates you to keep a 3.25 GPA and live on campus.

Renewal questions families ask

Is the Academic Achievement Scholarship automatic?
Yes — it is 'awarded to admitted freshmen and calculated on a combination of test scores and high school GPA,' ranging from $7,000 to $11,000 per year. You must enroll full time (12 hours) and maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep it. The exact amount for your stats is not published; ask admissions.
How do I get full tuition at Harding?
The Trustee Scholar Award offers full tuition to a select group of incoming freshmen with a 3.5 GPA and an ACT 31 / SAT 1390 / CLT 100 (or higher); it requires an application and interview, official scores before January 1, a 3.25 renewal GPA, and on-campus residence. National Merit Semifinalists also receive full undergraduate tuition, and Finalists add a $2,000 annual stipend.
What GPA do I need to keep my scholarship?
The Academic Achievement Scholarship requires a 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment; the Trustee Scholar Award and both National Merit awards require a 3.25 GPA (and on-campus housing).

Rules that bite at Harding

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from Harding's own tier rules and not generic advice.

  • Renewal ruleAcademic Achievement Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Recipients must be enrolled full time (12 hours) and maintain a GPA of 3.0. Renewable for four years or eight semesters. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Harding compares across our verified dataset

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Harding is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

  • 132 of 749 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    Harding is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against Harding’s own published materials.

More on Harding merit aid