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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Mizzou
Decision sheet

Missouri · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Public flagship with one of the most aggressive automatic out-of-state merit ladders in the Big 12, anchored by the $21,500/year Mark Twain Level 1 award. Missouri residents stack the state's Bright Flight on top of automatic Mizzou awards, and National Merit Finalists in either residency category get a near-full-ride package with a one-year housing-and-dining grant.

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.

Mark Twain Level 1 (Nonresident)

$21,500/year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Nonresident automatic award awarded under test-score review at the published Level 1 GPA × ACT/SAT band. The exact band is published on Mizzou's scholarship chart (admissions.missouri.edu) and is the highest of the two Mark Twain tiers.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 8 fall/spring semesters with a 2.75 cumulative Mizzou GPA, full-time enrollment (12+ credits), continuous fall/spring enrollment, and Satisfactory Academic Progress

Other terms: Top automatic OOS award. Cannot be combined with the National Merit, Perfect Score, or Stamps awards (those replace it). Border State, Black & Gold Level 2, and Nonresident Academic Enrichment can stack on top per Mizzou's published combination rules.

https://admissions.missouri.edu/costs-aid/scholarships/freshman-scholarships/

Mark Twain Level 2 (Nonresident)

$8,500/year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Nonresident automatic award at the lower of the two Mark Twain tiers. Bands are published on Mizzou's scholarship chart with test-score review.

Renewal: Renewable for up to 8 fall/spring semesters with a 2.75 cumulative Mizzou GPA, full-time enrollment, and SAP

Other terms: Stackable with Border State Award ($3,000) and Tiger Border County Award per Mizzou's 2025 combination chart.

https://admissions.missouri.edu/costs-aid/scholarships/freshman-scholarships/

Border State Award (Nonresident)

$3,000/year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.8+ cumulative high school GPA

Eligibility: Resident of one of the eight states bordering Missouri: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee.

Renewal: Renewable with 2.75 cumulative Mizzou GPA, full-time enrollment, continuous fall/spring enrollment

Other terms: Per Mizzou's 2025 combination chart: stackable with Mark Twain Level 2, Black & Gold Level 2, and the Nonresident Academic Enrichment Award. Cannot stack with Mark Twain Level 1.

https://admissions.missouri.edu/costs-aid/scholarships/freshman-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: Mizzou applies a cost-of-attendance cap: federal, state, institutional, and private aid combined cannot exceed the annually assigned COA. Outside scholarships displace need-based aid first; institutional merit awards are typically protected. Bright Flight (state) explicitly stacks on top of most institutional automatics per Mizzou's combination chart.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

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