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Mount Vernon Nazarene University · Ohio

MVNU scholarships and merit aid

DRAFT: MVNU awards academic scholarships purely on unweighted high school GPA — $9,000 to $21,000 with no test scores required — plus up to three full-tuition University Scholars Fellowships earned through its Scholars Day competition.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is MVNU worth a closer look?

MVNU awards automatic merit on admission. MVNU does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Merit tiers62 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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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.

$9,000-$21,000

Academic Awards (Freshman GPA Grid)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Founders $21,000 at 4.0+; Heritage $19,500 at 3.75-3.99; Achievement $17,000 at 3.0-3.74; Recognition $14,000 at 2.5-2.99; Promise Grant $9,000 below 2.5 (high school cumulative UNWEIGHTED GPA)
SAT
Not used
ACT
Not used
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Test optional; no other criteria used

How to keep it

Renewal criteria not published on the freshman scholarships page.

Notes

Awards are for the 2026-2027 academic year. Based completely on unweighted high school GPA — page states no other criteria are used.

Source

Full tuition

University Scholars Fellowship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Must meet two of three: 3.5+ high school GPA
SAT
1210+ SAT (super scoring allowed) — one of the two-of-three criteria
ACT
25+ ACT (super scoring allowed) — one of the two-of-three criteria
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Top 15% class ranking is the third criterion; must attend Scholars Day (Nov. 19, 2026); completed application for admission; high school senior or first time in college

How to keep it

Renewal criteria not published on the pages opened.

Notes

Up to three full-tuition fellowships awarded through the Scholars Day competition. Attendees meeting qualifications are guaranteed $500, plus $1,000 if selected for the Honors Program.

Source

$3,000

Presidential Academic

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Awarded through the Scholars Day program (listed as 'up to $3,000' under Merit Awards)

How to keep it

Renewal criteria not published on the pages opened.

Notes

Listed as 'Up to $3,000' — stacks beyond the academic GPA-grid scholarship per the Scholars Day page framing.

Source

$1,000

Honors Program Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Acceptance into the Honors Program (selection occurs via Scholars Day)

How to keep it

Renewal criteria not published on the pages opened.

Notes

Also listed on the transfer page under MVNU Performance Awards ('Acceptance into honors program').

Source

$8,000

Choose Ohio First Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Incoming freshmen; separate COF Scholarship application (state-funded program)

How to keep it

Renewal terms not stated on the freshman scholarships page.

Notes

Listed as 'Up to $8,000' for incoming freshmen with a separate application link.

Source

$5,000-$17,000

Transfer Scholarships (GPA Grid)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Transfer Founders $17,000 at 3.5+; Transfer Heritage $15,000 at 3.0-3.49; Transfer Achievement $13,000 at 2.5-2.99; Transfer Recognition $9,000 at 2.0-2.49; Transfer Promise Grant $5,000 at 1.99 and below
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

More than 16 semester transfer credit hours or 24 transfer quarter hours

How to keep it

Renewal criteria not published on the transfer scholarships page.

Notes

Awards are for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from MVNU's published information.

  • Outside awardsNo published displacement order

    MVNU's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What families often miss

  1. MVNU's academic scholarships are 'based completely on the student's high school cumulative unweighted GPA. No other criteria will be used.' A 4.2 weighted GPA that is 3.7 unweighted lands in the $19,500 Heritage tier, not the $21,000 Founders tier.

  2. The up-to-three full-tuition University Scholars Fellowships and the Presidential Academic (up to $3,000) are awarded through the Scholars Day event (Nov. 19, 2026). Eligible attendees are guaranteed $500 plus $1,000 if selected for the Honors Program — none of which is available without attending.

  3. The freshman scholarships page states explicitly that these two awards 'may not be combined.'

  4. Eligibility requires only two of three: 3.5+ GPA, 25+ ACT/1210+ SAT (super scoring allowed), or top 15% class rank. Official scores must be on file with the university to confirm eligibility.

  5. The $1,000 award is limited to Fall 2026/Spring 2027 newly enrolled freshmen 'who previously completed Dual Enrollment/CCP Coursework at MVNU' — credit from other institutions does not qualify.

  6. The tuition page states unmarried students not living with parents or guardians must room and board on campus (exceptions only for students 23 or older by August 31), adding $6,990 housing + $4,444 food to direct costs.

  7. Neither the freshman nor transfer scholarships page publishes renewal GPA requirements — families should confirm renewal criteria with financial aid before enrolling.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

DRAFT: Students with strong unweighted GPAs (test scores irrelevant for the base grid), high-achievers willing to compete at Scholars Day for full tuition, and Nazarene-affiliated families who can layer church-related awards.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $49,808 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at MVNU, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$22,358
$30,001–$48,000$20,508
$48,001–$75,000$18,116
$75,001–$110,000$21,486
$110,001+$26,271
All income levels (average)$22,421

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$37,158
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$22,421

That works out to roughly a 55% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $49,858 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
68%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
79%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$25,000 (~$265/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$49,555
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
37%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
62%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

MVNU publishes no general stacking or outside-scholarship displacement policy on its scholarship pages; the one explicit combination rule is that the Nazarene Pastor or Missionary Dependent award and the Nazarene Challenge award may not be combined.

Freshman page footnote: '**Nazarene Pastor or Missionary Dependent and Nazarene Challenge may not be combined.' Merit Awards are presented as additions to the GPA-based Academic Awards (e.g., Presidential 'up to $3,000' via Scholars Day). Treatment of private outside scholarships is not addressed on the pages opened.

Source

Other MVNU scholarships worth checking

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

AmountUp to $4,000EligibilitySee LSP program page (diversity/leadership program).

Listed under Other Awards on the freshman scholarships page.

Source

Amount$6,500EligibilityDependents of Nazarene pastors or missionaries.

May not be combined with Nazarene Challenge.

Source

Amount$2,500EligibilityDependents of (non-Nazarene) pastors or missionaries.

Source

Amount$2,500EligibilityNazarene-affiliated students (per award name).

May not be combined with the Nazarene Pastor or Missionary Dependent award.

Source

AmountUp to $5,000EligibilityAudition; chosen by professors.

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilitySelected by professors for Nazarene religion majors (per transfer page).

Source

Amount$1,000EligibilityFall 2026/Spring 2027 newly enrolled freshmen who previously completed Dual Enrollment/CCP coursework at MVNU.

Restricted to students with prior MVNU dual-enrollment credit.

Source

AmountVaries ($1,250 soph/junior tiers, $5,000 senior per transfer page)Eligibility2.50 GPA; portfolio required (graphic design / visual arts).

Amounts by class year listed on the transfer scholarships page.

Source

Amount$500Eligibility2.50 GPA (per transfer page).

Source

AmountAmount on certificate divided by 4 yearsEligibilityBible quizzing certificate holders.

Source

AmountVaries (freshman page) / Up to Tuition (transfer page)EligibilityChosen by coach.

Source

MVNU merit aid FAQ

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    The GPA-based academic awards have no published deadline. Scholars Day — required for the full-tuition University Scholars Fellowship and Presidential Academic — is November 19, 2026; space is limited and registration is required.

  • How much merit aid will I get based on my GPA?

    For 2026-27 freshmen, by unweighted high school GPA: 4.0+ = $21,000 (Founders); 3.75-3.99 = $19,500 (Heritage); 3.0-3.74 = $17,000 (Achievement); 2.5-2.99 = $14,000 (Recognition); below 2.5 = $9,000 (Promise Grant).

  • Do I need ACT/SAT scores for merit aid?

    No — MVNU is test optional and academic scholarships are based completely on unweighted high school GPA. Test scores matter only for Scholars Day eligibility (25+ ACT or 1210+ SAT is one of the two-of-three criteria, with super scoring allowed).

  • What does MVNU cost for 2026-27?

    Residential direct costs total $49,808 (tuition $37,784, housing $6,990, food $4,444, student fee $590). Estimated indirect costs add $7,254 (books, personal, transportation, loan fee) for a total of about $57,062. Commuter direct costs are $38,374.

  • How much can transfer students get?

    For 2026-27, by college GPA: 3.5+ = $17,000; 3.0-3.49 = $15,000; 2.5-2.99 = $13,000; 2.0-2.49 = $9,000; 1.99 and below = $5,000 (requires more than 16 semester transfer credit hours).

See sources and other schools

How MVNU compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    MVNU is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    MVNU is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

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

    MVNU 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.

Sources used on this page

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

Compare with similar schools

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