DRAFT: Huston-Tillotson (HBCU, Austin) publishes no automatic merit grid — it describes 'more than a dozen' scholarship programs worth a few thousand dollars up to full tuition, run through an AwardSpring application portal — but it does publish an unusually family-friendly outside-scholarship policy (outside awards replace loans/work-study first).
Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers2See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Common merit-aid mistakes at Huston-Tillotson
HT publishes no GPA/test award grid. Scholarships are applied for through the AwardSpring portal, and the school explicitly warns: 'Submitting an application does not guarantee you will receive a scholarship.'
HT states scholarships 'do not increase the total amount of your need-based financial aid' — they change its composition. Outside scholarships replace loans/work-study 'in most cases,' and each situation is reviewed individually, so stacking is not guaranteed.
Priority selection is February 13, 2026 and program selection February 27, 2026; late applicants (March 3 – August 1, 2026) are considered only 'should a spot become available.' The honors scholarship is renewable for four years, so missing the window has a four-year cost.
Du Bois Scholars must keep a 3.3 cumulative GPA, take at least 15 credit hours every semester, and may not earn ANY grade of 'D' or 'F' in any course — a single D removes a student from the program.
The HT Scholarships page states: 'All students enrolled for the 2026–2027 academic year are required to complete the UNCF General Application.' Treating UNCF as optional can cost scholarship consideration.
Who this school is for
DRAFT: Students willing to work an application portal (AwardSpring + the required UNCF General Application) rather than rely on automatic stats-based awards; strong students (3.5 GPA, 22 ACT / 1080 SAT) should also target the W.E.B. DuBois Honors Program and its four-year renewable scholarship.
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
A few thousand dollars-Full tuition
HT institutional scholarship programs (no published grid)
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, service, and talent; apply via the AwardSpring scholarship portal
Notes
HT publishes NO stat-based award grid and no individual award amounts on the pages opened; this single tier captures the published holistic range. The AwardSpring portal page warns that 'Submitting an application does not guarantee you will receive a scholarship.' Do not invent tiers or cutoffs.
1080 (new SAT, Math + Evidence-Based Reading and Writing); 1000 (old SAT, Math + Critical Reading)
ACT
22
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Graduated high school no more than one year before applying; two letters of recommendation; writing sample; telephone interview; must first be fully admitted to HT. Sophomore-level entry possible for non-transfer students with 3.5 cumulative GPA and 30+ HT credit hours (limited to 5 students).
Renewal terms
Students who have been accepted as members of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors Program must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 to remain in the program. Also, they must take a minimum of 15 credit hours each semester. In addition, Du Bois Scholars may not earn a grade or 'D' or 'F' in any course and remain in the program.
Notes
Program lists 'A renewable scholarship for four academic years' among member benefits, but no dollar amount is published anywhere on the page.
Scholarships don't increase total need-based aid; they change its composition. Outside scholarships are in most cases used to replace loans or Federal Work-Study first, and HT says it attempts to preserve university need-based grants — but every case is reviewed individually.
Outside scholarships replace student loans or Federal Work-Study in the package in most cases; university need-based grant is preserved where possible; each situation is reviewed against fund availability, state/federal regulations, and university policy.
AmountAmount not published (over $250,000 in total UNCF support to HT students)EligibilityHT students; all students enrolled for 2026-2027 are required to complete the UNCF General Application
'Huston Tillotson University is proudly supported by the United Negro College Fund offering over $250,000 in scholarships to our students.'
No general institutional scholarship deadline is published; applications run through the AwardSpring portal. For the W.E.B. DuBois Honors Program, the published deadlines are: Priority Selection February 13, 2026; Program Selection February 27, 2026; Late Application Period March 3 – August 1, 2026 (late applicants considered only if a spot opens).
Do outside scholarships reduce my HT aid?
Per the Types of Financial Aid page, in most cases outside scholarships replace student loans or Federal Work-Study first, and HT makes 'every attempt to preserve any university need-based grant.' Each situation is reviewed individually.
How big are HT's scholarships?
HT says it administers 'more than a dozen prestigious scholarship programs, ranging in value from a few thousand dollars up to full tuition,' awarded for academic excellence, leadership, service, and talent. Individual award amounts are not published on the pages reviewed.
Is there a separate honors scholarship?
Yes — W.E.B. DuBois Honors Program members receive 'a renewable scholarship for four academic years' (amount not published). Entry requires a 3.5 unweighted HS GPA and 1080 SAT or 22 ACT, plus recommendations, a writing sample, and a telephone interview.
How Huston-Tillotson compares across our verified dataset
99 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
Huston-Tillotson is in the modest minority (99 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Huston-Tillotson is one of them. The cohort minority (82 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 claim is checked against Huston-Tillotson’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
