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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

MSU Texas
Decision sheet

Texas · Research checked 2026-06-07 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

MSU Texas (part of the Texas Tech University System) automatically awards a published-grid freshman merit scholarship of $750-$3,500/year on test score, class rank, OR GPA, with stackable Regents/ISD valedictorian awards and competitive Redwine Honors ($4,000/yr) and first-gen Priddy (full cost of attendance) programs on top.

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 14 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.

Freshmen Scholar (general academic merit)

$3,500 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

SAT: 1500 · ACT: 34

Eligibility: Requires both 1500 SAT / 34 ACT AND Top 5% class rank (this is the only tier requiring AND, not OR). SAT scores are combined Critical Reading and Math only.

Renewal: Page does not state renewal duration or a renewal GPA. The finaid page says only 'Many scholarships renew as long as you maintain the eligibility requirements, but others are term limited.' Renewal terms for the freshman merit grid are NOT published on these pages.

Other terms: Highest freshman grid tier. Awarded automatically to admitted freshmen who meet the stats — no separate scholarship application. Apply/be admitted by the June 1 priority deadline for fall 2026 (the admissions page states June 1; the finaid page states May 1 — see conflict in Section C).

https://msutexas.edu/admissions/scholarships.php

Freshmen Distinction (general academic merit)

$2,500 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.9 - 4.0 · SAT: 1420 · ACT: 31

Eligibility: Any ONE of: 1420 SAT / 31 ACT, OR 6-10% class rank, OR 3.9-4.0 GPA. SAT = combined CR + Math only.

Renewal: Renewal duration/GPA not published for the freshman grid (see Section C).

Other terms: Automatic on stats; meet any one of the three criteria. No separate application.

https://msutexas.edu/admissions/scholarships.php

Freshmen Excellence (general academic merit)

$2,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.79 - 3.89 · SAT: 1240 · ACT: 26

Eligibility: Any ONE of: 1240 SAT / 26 ACT, OR 11-15% class rank, OR 3.79-3.89 GPA.

Renewal: Renewal duration/GPA not published for the freshman grid (see Section C).

Other terms: Automatic on stats; meet any one of the three criteria.

https://msutexas.edu/admissions/scholarships.php

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: Stacking is partly restricted and partly allowed. Within institutional merit: the ISD Valedictorian/Salutatorian award is NOT stackable with the Regents scholarships (pick one), and transfer merit awards are NOT stackable with freshman merit awards. Phi Theta Kappa IS stackable with other merit scholarships. For OUTSIDE/third-party scholarships, MSU Texas applies a cost-of-attendance cap: total MSU scholarship money may not exceed the cost of attendance, and an outside scholarship 'could impact' MSU awards — i.e., it can reduce MSU-funded scholarships when the COA ceiling is reached. No explicit loan-first vs grant-first displacement order is published.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

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