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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Lander
Decision sheet

South Carolina · Research checked 2026-06-03 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

South Carolina public liberal-arts university offering four tiers of automatic freshman merit scholarships (up to $6,000/yr in-state) plus SC state awards (LIFE, Palmetto Fellows) and dozens of departmental scholarships requiring a separate application.

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 18 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.

President's Award — In-State

$6,000/year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.5 weighted (or 3.0 unweighted if only unweighted GPA available) · SAT: 1360+ · ACT: 30–36

Eligibility: Apply by May 1 of senior year; SC resident

Renewal: Must maintain cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 24 semester hours per academic year (excluding summer). Scholarship renewable for up to four years from initial enrollment. Automatic renewal if standards met; appeal available if not.

Other terms: Grid is labeled '2025-2026 Requirements' on the page as of 2026-06-04 — stale-risk flag; confirm 2026-2027 amounts with aid office. Out-of-state version is separate tier.

https://www.lander.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships/

President's Award — Out-of-State

$4,000/year + $8,000 abatement · Published award terms

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.5 weighted · SAT: 1360+ · ACT: 30–36

Eligibility: Apply by May 1 of senior year; non-SC resident

Renewal: Must maintain cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 24 semester hours per academic year. Renewable up to four years.

Other terms: Abatement reduces non-resident fees. Grid labeled '2025-2026 Requirements' — stale-risk flag. Total effective value not broken down further on the page.

https://www.lander.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships/

Trustee's Award — In-State

$4,500/year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.5 weighted · SAT: 1230–1350 · ACT: 26–29

Eligibility: Apply by May 1 of senior year; SC resident

Renewal: Must maintain cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 24 semester hours per academic year. Renewable up to four years.

Other terms: Grid labeled '2025-2026 Requirements' — stale-risk flag.

https://www.lander.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships/

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: Total aid (scholarships + grants + loans + other awards) may never exceed the total Cost of Attendance. Departmental scholarships explicitly may reduce other Lander institutional aid. Students must report outside/private scholarships to the Financial Aid Office. No explicit COA-displacement rule favoring loans or grants over merit is published; the cap is COA. The PTK scholarship explicitly stacks with the highest transfer scholarship ($3,000 combined).

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

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