Is Loyola University Maryland's merit aid automatic?

The three flagship tiers — Presidential, Dean's, and Loyola — are automatic based on your admission application (GPA, course rigor, and optionally test scores). No extra scholarship form is needed. The Marion Burk Knott and Marion I. and Henry J. Knott scholarships are competitive and require a separate application by January 15.

What GPA do I need to keep my Loyola Maryland merit scholarship?

The automatic Presidential, Dean's, and Loyola scholarships renew for up to eight semesters with a 2.0+ cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment (12+ credits per semester). The Marion Burk Knott Scholarship requires a 3.0 each semester.

Is Loyola Maryland test-optional, and does submitting scores help merit aid?

Yes, Loyola is test-optional. SAT/ACT scores are not required for scholarship consideration but will be reviewed if submitted. Strong scores can help borderline candidates move up a tier, but a strong GPA and rigorous courses are the primary drivers of the automatic award.

Loyola Maryland· Renewal Rules

Keeping Loyola Maryland’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 May 20268 days ago· CC-1

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 4 of 4
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 4
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

Loyola Maryland'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.

Presidential Scholarship: Full-time enrollment
Dean's Scholarship: Full-time enrollment
Loyola Scholarship: Full-time enrollment
Marion Burk Knott Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Presidential Scholarship
$39,000–$41,000 per year (2026-27)
To keep it: Renewable for up to 8 semesters with full-time enrollment (12+ credits/term) and a 2.0+ cumulative GPA.
Source: https://www.loyola.edu/department/financial-aid/undergraduate/programs/scholarships.html
Dean's Scholarship
$37,000–$38,000 per year (2026-27)
To keep it: Renewable for up to 8 semesters with full-time enrollment and a 2.0+ cumulative GPA.
Source: https://www.loyola.edu/department/financial-aid/undergraduate/programs/scholarships.html
Loyola Scholarship
$35,000–$36,000 per year (2026-27)
To keep it: Renewable for up to 8 semesters with full-time enrollment and a 2.0+ cumulative GPA.
Source: https://www.loyola.edu/department/financial-aid/undergraduate/programs/scholarships.html
Marion Burk Knott Scholarship
Full tuition
Entry requirements: 3.0+ maintained each semester for renewal GPA
To keep it: Renewable annually for four years with a 3.0+ GPA each semester.
Source: https://www.loyola.edu/department/financial-aid/undergraduate/programs/scholarships.html

How families lose this aid

Skipping the Marion Burk Knott application because the automatic scholarship 'seems good enough.'
The Knott Scholarship covers full tuition for four years and stacks meaningfully better than the $39–41K Presidential tier. It requires a separate application by January 15 — easy to miss if you only apply through the regular admission portal.
Misreading the 2.0 GPA renewal threshold as 'no risk.'
Renewal also requires full-time enrollment of at least 12 credits per semester. Students who drop below full-time — common during medical, family, or financial crises — can lose merit aid even with a 3.5 GPA.

Renewal questions families ask

Is Loyola University Maryland's merit aid automatic?: The three flagship tiers — Presidential, Dean's, and Loyola — are automatic based on your admission application (GPA, course rigor, and optionally test scores). No extra scholarship form is needed. The Marion Burk Knott and Marion I. and Henry J. Knott scholarships are competitive and require a separate application by January 15.
What GPA do I need to keep my Loyola Maryland merit scholarship?: The automatic Presidential, Dean's, and Loyola scholarships renew for up to eight semesters with a 2.0+ cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment (12+ credits per semester). The Marion Burk Knott Scholarship requires a 3.0 each semester.
Is Loyola Maryland test-optional, and does submitting scores help merit aid?: Yes, Loyola is test-optional. SAT/ACT scores are not required for scholarship consideration but will be reviewed if submitted. Strong scores can help borderline candidates move up a tier, but a strong GPA and rigorous courses are the primary drivers of the automatic award.

Rules that bite at Loyola Maryland

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

renewalPresidential Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for up to 8 semesters with full-time enrollment (12+ credits/term) and a 2.0+ cumulative GPA. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Loyola Maryland compares across our verified dataset

133 of 150 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Loyola Maryland is one of them. The cohort minority (17 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 Loyola Maryland’s own published materials.