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Minnesota scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$36,656per year · 2025-2026 · ResidentNon-resident $61,042
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Minnesota is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 9 published awards, and 4 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
8 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Maroon & Gold Scholarship$2,000 – $12,000 per year for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Maroon & Gold Scholarship

    $2,000 – $12,000 per year for 4 years

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Typically 3.9+ (top academic performers)
    SAT
    1370+ (when submitted, superscored)
    ACT
    30+ (when submitted)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Maroon & Gold Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Open to all admitted freshmen including reciprocity-state residents. Awarded automatically off the freshman application; no separate scholarship application required.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Continuous full-time enrollment and renewal criteria shared with the student in the offer letter.

    Worth knowing

    UMN's flagship academic merit award for top admitted freshmen. The published thresholds are 'typical' rather than guaranteed; UMN reviews holistically. Stacks with college-specific scholarships and Honors Program awards.

  2. National Scholarship$2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 per year for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    National Scholarship

    $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 per year for 4 years

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    ~3.8+ (top OOS applicants)
    SAT
    1330+ (when submitted)
    ACT
    29+ (when submitted)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    EXPLICITLY EXCLUDES residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Manitoba (reciprocity states). Awarded automatically off the freshman application for all eligible OOS admits.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Continuous full-time enrollment required.

    Worth knowing

    UMN's automatic OOS merit ladder. The five-tier structure ($2,500/$5,000/$10,000/$15,000/$20,000) is one of the most transparent OOS automatic ladders in the Big Ten. Critical exclusion: WI, ND, SD, Manitoba residents are NOT eligible; they receive the reciprocity tuition rate instead. South Dakota residents also receive reciprocity but the explicit exclusion list in published policy names MN, ND, WI, and Manitoba; SD families should verify with admissions.

  3. Presidential Scholarship$1,000 – $10,000 per year for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Presidential Scholarship

    $1,000 – $10,000 per year for 4 years

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Awarded based on academic performance, scholastic aptitude, leadership, creativity, community involvement, and contribution to diversity. Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Minnesota Dream Act-eligible students.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Renewal conditions shared with student when the award is offered.

    Worth knowing

    Holistic award layered alongside the Maroon & Gold and National Scholarship pools. Range is wider at the bottom ($1,000) than at the top ($10,000). Often awarded to students who don't quite hit the academic-performance ceiling for Maroon & Gold but show strong leadership or community-involvement profile.

  4. Gold Scholar Award (National Merit Finalists)Up to $10,000 per year for 4 yearsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Gold Scholar Award (National Merit Finalists)

    Up to $10,000 per year for 4 years

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Gold Scholar Award (National Merit Finalists)

    Who qualifies

    Preference given to National Merit Finalists. Recipients must declare UMN-Twin Cities as first-choice college through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by NMSC's final deadline.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Recipients must list UMN-Twin Cities as first-choice with NMSC by NMSC's final deadline.

    Worth knowing

    One of the most generous NMF awards at any U.S. public university, comparable to Alabama's NMF package. The total 4-year value of up to $40,000 is meaningful for OOS NMFs choosing between Big Ten options. The first-choice listing with NMSC is the critical step; if you've already named another school as first-choice, contact NMSC immediately to switch (deadline-sensitive).

  5. National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship$1,000 – $2,000 per year for 4 yearsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship

    $1,000 – $2,000 per year for 4 years

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Finalists who declare UMN-Twin Cities as first-choice with NMSC AND who are NOT eligible for an NMSC corporate-sponsored scholarship or the National Merit $2,500 scholarship. UMN is a college-sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Program.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years per NMSC standards.

    Worth knowing

    Backup tier for NMFs whose primary NMSC funding is unavailable (no corporate sponsor, no NMSC $2,500 award). Stacks with the Gold Scholar Award if eligibility conditions are met. The published rule explicitly carves out the corporate-sponsor exclusion.

  6. University of Minnesota Scholarship$1,000 – $6,000 per year for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    University of Minnesota Scholarship

    $1,000 – $6,000 per year for 4 years

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Typically 3.5 – 3.8
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for University of Minnesota Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Open to a broader range of admitted students; no test score requirement. Awarded automatically off the application.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years.

    Worth knowing

    UMN's mid-range automatic award for solid academics that don't reach the Maroon & Gold ceiling. Typical range targets the 3.5-3.8 GPA band; many strong-but-not-stellar admits land here.

  7. Maroon and Gold Leadership Award (Minnesota residents)$12,000 per year for 4 yearsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Maroon and Gold Leadership Award (Minnesota residents)

    $12,000 per year for 4 years

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Maroon and Gold Leadership Award (Minnesota residents)

    Who qualifies

    Minnesota residents based on outstanding academic performance, demonstrated leadership, creativity, community involvement, and contribution to diversity.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Renewal conditions shared with student when the award is offered. Apply by December 15 priority deadline.

    Worth knowing

    Top in-state merit award. Substantially closes the in-state tuition gap (MN-resident dorm COA is $36,656, and a $48,000 award over 4 years materially changes the math). The December 15 priority deadline is earlier than the broader UMN application deadline, so apply early.

  8. Minnesota Gold Scholarship (regional)$6,500 per year for 4 yearsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Minnesota Gold Scholarship (regional)

    $6,500 per year for 4 years

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Minnesota Gold Scholarship (regional)

    Who qualifies

    Awarded to residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, or North Dakota based on outstanding academic performance, scholastic aptitude, leadership, creativity, community involvement, and contribution to diversity.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for 4 years. Renewal conditions shared with student when the award is offered.

    Worth knowing

    Regional award open to Minnesota and the three neighboring reciprocity states. Layers on top of reciprocity tuition for WI/SD/ND residents, who are otherwise excluded from the National Scholarship.

  9. Jay & Rose Phillips Family Scholarship$2,000 per year for 2 yearsNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Jay & Rose Phillips Family Scholarship

    $2,000 per year for 2 years

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Jay & Rose Phillips Family Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act. Supports Presidential Scholarship recipients.

    How to keep it

    2-year supplement to Presidential Scholarship recipients.

    Worth knowing

    Adds $2,000/year for 2 years on top of the Presidential Scholarship for qualifying MN residents. Niche but meaningful stacker.

Lights up against Minnesota's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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Checking merit aid at Minnesota

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The fine print

Cutoff cliffOne ACT point can move the award by +$5,000/yr ($10,000 − $5,000 = $5,000; $15,000 − $10,000 = $5,000; $20,000 − $15,000 = $5,000)

Minnesota publishes a tier ladder where crossing OOS National ladder · each upper step ($5k→$10k, $10k→$15k, $15k→$20k) changes the marginal value by +$5,000/yr ($10,000 − $5,000 = $5,000; $15,000 − $10,000 = $5,000; $20,000 − $15,000 = $5,000). The largest single step in the National ladder, and it repeats three times. The bottom step is smaller: $5,000 − $2,500 = +$2,500/yr.

Renewal ruleMaroon & Gold Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for 4 years. Continuous full-time enrollment and renewal criteria shared with the student in the offer letter. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $61,042 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Minnesota cannot push the package past $61,042. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Minnesota different

Big Ten flagship with a clean automatic-merit story for out-of-state students (Maroon & Gold and National Scholarship), tiered Presidential awards for in-state, and one of the most generous National Merit Finalist packages in the country via the Gold Scholar Award (up to $10,000/year for NMFs who name UMN first-choice). Reciprocity rates make UMN a meaningful aid story for WI, ND, SD, and Manitoba residents independent of merit.

Read our full reasoning

Worth optimizing for if your student is high-stat out-of-state and NOT a reciprocity-state resident — the catch is that Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Manitoba families are locked out of the automatic OOS ladder entirely.

Minnesota runs one of the Big Ten's most transparent automatic out-of-state ladders: the National Scholarship pays $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 per year off the freshman application, no separate form. The biggest computable single step is +$5,000/yr, repeated three times up the ladder ($5,000→$10,000, $10,000→$15,000, $15,000→$20,000) — so climbing tiers is steady, not a single cliff. The hard exclusion does the real damage: residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Manitoba are explicitly ineligible and instead get reciprocity tuition (South Dakota families should confirm their status with admissions, as the published exclusion list names only the other four). National Merit Finalists who list UMN first-choice with NMSC by the deadline add the Gold Scholar Award (up to $10,000/yr). Stacking is a strict COA cap against $61,042 OOS COA: only top-stacked NMF packages risk reduction of some aid, and the reduction order is not publicly documented. MN residents must hit the December 15 priority deadline for the $12,000 Leadership Award.

Merit tiers94 based on grades or scores
First-year students with school awards14%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Minnesota's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Minnesota's aid office says

Per the One Stop Student Services Center, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, August 2026. How we verify

GPA used for scholarships

Is the GPA used for scholarships weighted or unweighted, and is there a cutoff?

Scholarship consideration looks at the overall academic record, including GPA, course rigor, and high school context, and there is no simple GPA cutoff.

“Scholarship consideration looks at the overall academic record, including GPA, course rigor, and the context of the student’s high school. We do not use a simple GPA cutoff for academic scholarships.”
SAT superscoring

Does the university superscore SAT results for scholarship consideration?

The university does not superscore; it considers the highest total score from a single test date.

“The University does not superscore test results.”
Combining scholarships

Can an academic scholarship stack with departmental or honors awards?

Academic scholarships may be combined with some departmental or college-based awards depending on the specific scholarships, but total aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.

“Academic scholarships may be combined with some departmental or college-based awards, but it depends on the specific scholarships. Total financial aid also cannot exceed the student’s cost of attendance”
Outside scholarship reporting

What happens if the student receives an outside scholarship?

Outside scholarships should be reported to One Stop, which reviews the overall aid package, and adjustments may come from loans, work-study, institutional aid, or another part of the package depending on the situation.

“receives an outside scholarship, he should report it to One Stop Student Services. We review the overall financial aid package when outside scholarships are received. Depending on the situation, the adjustment may come from loans, work-study, institutional aid, or another part of the package.”

What families often miss

  1. They are explicitly NOT eligible. UMN's published rule: 'Resident of any state, EXCLUDING Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Manitoba.' Reciprocity-state residents receive a substantially reduced tuition rate (Wisconsin reciprocity is ~$17,584 vs. $44,300 OOS) that is functionally a much larger 'award' than the National Scholarship would be, but the reciprocity rate and the National Scholarship are not stackable. Compare the two paths in your specific case before assuming UMN will provide automatic merit on top of reciprocity.

  2. The Gold Scholar Award (up to $10,000/year for 4 years, total ~$40,000) requires declaring UMN-Twin Cities as first-choice college through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by NMSC's final deadline. If you've already named another school as first-choice, you must contact NMSC at 847-866-5100 to switch; that change is deadline-sensitive. Missing this step forfeits the entire NMF package, including any backup National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship.

  3. UMN's standard published COA does not include the Carlson or CSE college-specific tuition. A direct-admit Carlson student's actual annual cost is COA + $2,900 = $63,942 (OOS dorm) or $39,556 (MN-resident dorm). For families budgeting against the public COA number, the actual bill for Carlson/CSE students is meaningfully higher. Departmental scholarships often partially offset this differential, but not always fully.

  4. U Promise's $120,000 AGI cap is for that specific commitment, but other need-based aid (federal Pell, MN State Grant, institutional need-based grants) may still be available above $120,000 depending on family circumstances. Always file the FAFSA; UMN packages aid based on full FAFSA review, not just U Promise eligibility. Families assuming 'we make too much for need-based aid' often leave smaller (but real) aid amounts on the table.

  5. While the broad Maroon & Gold and National Scholarship review is automatic on the freshman application, certain competitive named awards (Maroon and Gold Leadership Award for MN residents at $12,000/year is one) tie to a December 15 priority deadline. Submitting the freshman application in February for Regular Decision admission still earns automatic merit consideration, but the competitive-pool awards may already be allocated. Apply by December 15 if you're targeting any competitive in-state award.

See award cutoffs and special programs

What lands at each profile

Automatic awards are pulled off the freshman application; published GPA/test thresholds are described as typical rather than guaranteed, since UMN reviews holistically, and test figures apply only when scores are submitted. Reciprocity-state residents (MN, ND, WI, Manitoba) do not see the National Scholarship at all; South Dakota residents also receive reciprocity tuition but are not on the published exclusion list, so SD families should verify National Scholarship eligibility with admissions.

Student profileLikely outcome
OOS · ~3.5–3.8 GPA · no test requiredUniversity of Minnesota Scholarship — $1,000–$6,000/yrMid-range automatic award for solid-but-not-top academics; no test score needed.
OOS · ~3.8+ GPA (typical) · 29+ ACT / 1330+ SAT when submittedNational Scholarship — $2,500–$20,000/yr (five tiers)The automatic OOS ladder; thresholds are typical, not guaranteed. NOT available to MN, ND, WI, or Manitoba residents — they get reciprocity tuition instead. SD residents should confirm eligibility with admissions.
Admitted freshman · ~3.9+ GPA (typical) · 30+ ACT / 1370+ SAT when submittedMaroon & Gold Scholarship — $2,000–$12,000/yrFlagship academic award, open to all admits including reciprocity states; thresholds are typical, not guaranteed. Stacks with college-specific and Honors awards.
MN resident · strong academics + leadershipMaroon & Gold Leadership Award — $12,000/yrTop in-state award. Apply by the December 15 priority deadline, earlier than the general application.
National Merit Finalist · UMN listed first-choice with NMSCGold Scholar Award — up to $10,000/yrUp to $40,000 over four years; can stack with Maroon & Gold and the $1,000–$2,000 National Merit UMN backup award.

Where the dollars actually move

Every delta below is the arithmetic difference between two named tiers above. The OOS National ladder moves in even $5,000 steps rather than one dramatic jump; the sharpest cliff is qualifying for the National Scholarship at all versus being a reciprocity-state resident who is excluded from it.

ThresholdMarginal value
OOS National ladder · each upper step ($5k→$10k, $10k→$15k, $15k→$20k)+$5,000/yr ($10,000 − $5,000 = $5,000; $15,000 − $10,000 = $5,000; $20,000 − $15,000 = $5,000)The largest single step in the National ladder, and it repeats three times. The bottom step is smaller: $5,000 − $2,500 = +$2,500/yr.
OOS top National vs. top Maroon & Gold ceiling+$8,000/yr ($20,000 − $12,000 = $8,000)At the top, the OOS National ceiling outpaces the Maroon & Gold ceiling; the two can also stack, so high-stat OOS students may pursue both.
NMF: Gold Scholar plus National Merit UMN backup+$1,000 to +$2,000/yr ($10,000 + up to $2,000 = up to $12,000)Backup tier only applies if the NMF has no corporate sponsor and no NMSC $2,500 award; hedge as conditional. Both require first-choice listing with NMSC by the final deadline.
See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Out-of-state high-stat applicants (3.9+ GPA, 30+ ACT typical) targeting the Maroon & Gold + National Scholarship combination. Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba residents whose reciprocity rate alone makes UMN cheaper than their state's flagship. National Merit Finalists who can name UMN first-choice and unlock the Gold Scholar Award. Minnesota residents under $120K AGI covered by U Promise need-based commitment.

Cost of attendance$36,656–$61,042 for 2025-2026Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
Out-of-state, on-campus$61,042
In-state, on-campus$36,656
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Travel
  • Personal
  • Loan fees

Twin Cities, residence hall, 13-credit basis.

Minnesota cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Minnesota, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Minnesota, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$6,642
$30,001–$48,000$7,283
$48,001–$75,000$9,931
$75,001–$110,000$16,415
$110,001+$27,008
All income levels (average)$16,778

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$17,214
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$38,362
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$16,778

That works out to roughly a 44% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $30,061 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Minnesota is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
85%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
91%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$19,500 (~$207/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$69,020
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
24%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
38%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

UMN applies a strict cost-of-attendance cap: total financial aid offered cannot exceed COA for the aid year. The published reduction order (which awards reduce first when total exceeds COA) is not publicly documented; OSFA administers on a case-by-case basis. Reciprocity-state residents (MN, ND, WI, Manitoba) are explicitly excluded from the National Scholarship; they receive reciprocity tuition rates instead, which is itself a form of merit-equivalent benefit.

Per UMN's published policy: 'The total amount of financial aid offered to a student... cannot exceed the cost of attendance at the University of Minnesota for that aid year.' For most automatic merit recipients (Maroon & Gold + National Scholarship + college-specific scholarships layered against COA), the package falls comfortably below COA; outside scholarships add cleanly. For top-stacked recipients (e.g., NMF Gold Scholar at $10,000 + Maroon & Gold at $12,000 + National Scholarship at $20,000 = $42,000/year against $61,042 COA) the room for outside scholarships shrinks significantly, especially when housing/food/personal expenses already factor into COA. The practical guidance: compute (institutional + outside + federal/state) vs. COA before pursuing high-dollar outside applications. Reciprocity exclusion is administered upfront: students from MN, ND, WI, Manitoba do not see the National Scholarship in their offer; the reciprocity rate IS their offer.

Source

More school data

From the Minnesota Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated figures):

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Minnesota’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
14%of admitsget merit
Average award$5,866Covers ~10% of $61,042 cost of attendance

At Minnesota, roughly 1 in 7 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $5,866 — about 10% of total cost.

As filed in Minnesota's CDS Section H2A: of 7,343 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 1,062 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $5,866. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 3,056 of 29,812, averaging $5,894. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.

The 2024-2025 column is marked "estimated" in the school's own CDS filing — school-projected figures, not final audited counts.

Receive institutional merit14%First-year students, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Average merit award$5,866Across recipients, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)

Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025 (verified 2026-07-23)

Other Minnesota scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountVaries based on financial need; commitment up to full demonstrated needEligibilityAdmitted MN-resident undergraduates (any U of M campus) with adjusted gross income up to $120,000/year. FAFSA required. Must enroll full-time (12+ credits). MN Dream Act-eligible students are also automatically considered.

UMN's flagship in-state need-based commitment, available across all U of M campuses (Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, Twin Cities). The $120,000 AGI ceiling is one of the highest income thresholds for any state need-based commitment program.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityDirect-admit Carlson and CSE students. CSE and Carlson charge an additional $2,900/year college-specific tuition; departmental scholarships partially offset the differential for top admits.

Department-specific aid layered on top of UMN's automatic ladder. For students declared in Carlson or CSE, departmental scholarships often arrive separately from the admissions offer and may be tied to specific majors or research areas.

Source

AmountVaries; layered alongside Maroon & Gold and college-specific awardsEligibilityUniversity Honors Program admits. UHP is highly selective with separate consideration; the Honors application process and scholarship review run parallel to the regular admissions cycle.

Honors-specific scholarships supplement the Admissions automatic awards. UHP membership also unlocks honors housing options, priority registration, and research/internship support: non-cash benefits that can be meaningful for academically ambitious students.

Source

Minnesota merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need to apply separately for UMN's automatic merit scholarships?

    No. UMN's published rule: 'When you apply for freshman admission to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities by our regular deadline, you will automatically be considered for these merit-based awards. That means you can focus your time on getting your admissions application in!' The Maroon & Gold, National Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, University of Minnesota Scholarship, and Minnesota Gold Scholarship are all reviewed automatically. A few competitive named awards (Maroon and Gold Leadership Award) require a separate application or earlier December 15 priority deadline.

  • Why aren't Wisconsin and North Dakota residents eligible for the National Scholarship?

    UMN has tuition reciprocity agreements with Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Manitoba. Residents of these jurisdictions pay a substantially reduced tuition rate at UMN (Wisconsin reciprocity tuition is ~$17,584 vs. $44,300 OOS, a ~$26,700/year savings, much larger than the maximum $20,000/year National Scholarship). The National Scholarship is structured to bring the OOS net price closer to the reciprocity rate; reciprocity-state residents already enjoy that lower rate, so they're excluded from the scholarship to avoid double-counting the benefit.

  • Can I stack the Maroon & Gold Scholarship with the National Scholarship?

    Both are awarded as part of the freshman scholarship package, and a top OOS applicant may receive both simultaneously, since the awards layer rather than being mutually exclusive. The combined value (e.g., $12,000 Maroon & Gold + $20,000 National = $32,000/year, $128,000 over 4 years) is among the most aggressive automatic OOS packages in the Big Ten. For NMFs, the Gold Scholar Award stacks on top of the standard ladder.

  • What's the difference between the Gold Scholar Award and the National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship?

    Gold Scholar Award (up to $10,000/year): the headline NMF award, given by preference to NMFs who designate UMN as first-choice with NMSC. Full NMF package value across 4 years. National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship ($1,000-$2,000/year): a smaller backup award for NMFs who name UMN first-choice but who are NOT eligible for an NMSC corporate-sponsored scholarship or the NMSC $2,500 award. The two are layered for some NMFs and substituted for others, depending on the student's NMSC funding situation.

  • How does UMN handle outside scholarships?

    UMN applies a strict COA cap: total financial aid (institutional + federal/state + outside) cannot exceed cost of attendance for the aid year. For most students whose institutional package is below COA, outside scholarships layer in cleanly. For top-stacked recipients (Maroon & Gold + National Scholarship + Gold Scholar = $42,000+/year), the room for outside scholarships shrinks significantly. Run the math: institutional aid + federal/state aid + outside aid vs. published COA before pursuing high-dollar outside awards.

  • Do my UMN scholarships renew for all four years?

    Yes. The major UMN automatic merit awards are 4-year renewable, contingent on continuous full-time enrollment (typically 12+ credits/semester) and meeting renewal criteria documented in the offer letter. Specific GPA and credit-hour requirements vary by award. The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Scholarship ($2,000/year) is a 2-year award that supports Presidential Scholarship recipients. NMF awards (Gold Scholar, National Merit U of M Scholarship) follow National Merit Corporation renewal standards.

See sources and other schools

How Minnesota compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Minnesota is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

    Minnesota 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.

  • 63 of 749 verified schools publish a marginal-value cliff table we can quantify.

    Minnesota is one of them. Most schools won't tell families what one ACT point is actually worth. At the schools that do, a strategic retake is sometimes mathematically more valuable than test-optional positioning.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Minnesota’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

How Minnesota compares

Families looking at UMN-Twin Cities typically compare three Big Ten peers and the in-state alternative:

  • Wisconsin reciprocity rate. Wisconsin residents pay $17,584 tuition at UMN under reciprocity, significantly less than Wisconsin's own $44,210 OOS rate at UW-Madison. For WI residents who are NOT under the Bucky's Tuition Promise threshold ($65K AGI), reciprocity at UMN often beats out-of-state Wisconsin.
  • Iowa's National Scholars Award. Iowa offers $2,000-$15,000/year for OOS automatic merit. UMN's National Scholarship has a wider top end ($2,500-$20,000) but excludes WI, ND, SD, and Manitoba reciprocity states. For OOS students from any other state, UMN's range is more generous; for reciprocity-state residents, the comparison is reciprocity tuition vs. Iowa's full OOS minus NSA.
  • Michigan State's published OOS ladder. MSU's four-tier ladder ($7K/$10K/$12K/$15K) is more transparent in the middle than UMN's Maroon & Gold or National Scholarship ranges. For OOS budgeting clarity, MSU is more deterministic; UMN's higher ceiling ($20K National Scholarship max) is rare but available.
  • Indiana's test-blind OEM Excellence. Indiana's OEM Excellence is test-blind (GPA + rigor only). UMN considers academic performance broadly, with test scores submitted if available. For students with strong GPA but weaker tests, IU is the better play; for students with strong GPA AND tests, UMN's higher ceilings (up to $20K) are competitive.
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