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Nevada State University · Nevada

Nevada State Merit Aid

Nevada State's automatic Scorpion Academic Scholarship pays $2,000-$4,000 a year on a simple unweighted-GPA chart with no separate application — but awards are first-come, first-served as funding permits, and the dollar amounts change year to year.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers32 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK

Common merit-aid mistakes at Nevada State

  1. Awards are made 'as funding permits' on a first-come, first-served basis; applying after the priority deadlines (Feb 1 / Feb 15 for HS grads) means you're considered only if funds remain.

  2. The page states merit offerings 'vary year to year, based on available funding'; the listed amounts are the 2025/26 award levels.

  3. The NSHE CC-graduate version is awarded for only 4 consecutive semesters (vs. 8 for HS graduates), requires an NSHE associate degree, and excludes online RN-to-BSN admits.

  4. Combined financial aid from all sources cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance, so outside scholarships count toward that ceiling.

  5. If your final cumulative GPA moves you to a higher award level, you must notify the Admissions Office and submit final transcripts no later than August 1.

Who this school is for

Nevada (and WUE-state) students with at least a 3.25 unweighted GPA who apply early — the award is automatic with no extra application, but funding is limited and first-come, first-served.

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

$2,000-$4,000 per year

Scorpion Academic Scholarship — First-Year/Freshmen (2026 HS Graduates)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Presidential 3.75+ = $4,000/yr; Mount Scorpion Achievement 3.50-3.74 = $3,000/yr; Black & Gold 3.25-3.49 = $2,000/yr (3.25+ cumulative unweighted GPA by end of 7th semester required to qualify)
SAT
No test score required
ACT
No test score required
Requirements & details
Eligibility

No separate application — apply for general admission and submit transcripts by the priority deadlines (Admission Application Feb 1, 2026; 7th-semester transcript Feb 15, 2026). Awarded as funding permits, first-come, first-served. Awards for fall and spring only. International students are not admitted (no I-20 issued).

Renewal terms

Valid for 8 consecutive undergraduate semesters (excluding summer). Awarded once a year for the fall semester; students must enter the fall after HS graduation. See 'Maintaining Eligibility for Your Scorpion Academic Scholarship.'

Notes

Automatic GPA chart (no test). Amounts are the 2025/26 award levels; the page states merit offerings 'vary year to year, based on available funding.' If your final GPA raises your tier, notify Admissions and submit final transcripts by August 1.

Source

$2,000-$4,000 per year

Scorpion Academic Scholarship — NSHE Community College Graduates (2026)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Same award chart by GPA (3.25+ cumulative GPA required to qualify)
SAT
No test score required
ACT
No test score required
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Must graduate from an NSHE community college with an AA/AS/AB the semester immediately preceding enrollment; must be a first-time Nevada State student; the associate degree must be the first standard collegiate degree. Admission Application priority July 1, 2026; transcript priority August 1, 2026. Online RN to BSN admits are NOT eligible.

Renewal terms

Awarded for 4 consecutive undergraduate semesters (excluding summer); awarded twice a year (fall and spring). Must send final NSHE community college transcripts with the posted associate degree to maintain eligibility.

Notes

Transfer track of the Scorpion scholarship: half the semesters (4) of the freshman version, with an NSHE associate-degree requirement and RN-to-BSN exclusion.

Source

$1,000 (one-time, first semester)

Leadership Scholarship

Application
GPA
Unweighted HS GPA of 2.75 or higher
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Must have served as an officer in high school student government; enrolled full-time and degree-seeking; notify Nevada State of eligibility at the time of application. Apply by the guaranteed scholarship deadline of April 15.

Notes

Leadership-based one-time award; requires a high school student-government officer role.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

A student's combined financial aid from all sources cannot exceed their Cost of Attendance.

The scholarships page states plainly that combined financial aid from all sources cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance. The page does not separately describe loan-first vs. grant-first displacement or specifically how private outside scholarships reduce the Scorpion award.

Source

Lesser-known scholarships at Nevada State

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

AmountAmount not published (100 awarded in 2024/25)EligibilitySeparate application and deadline; merit and/or need

Privately funded; see the Nevada State Foundation Scholarships page.

Source

Amount150% of in-state registration fees (reduced nonresident rate)EligibilityNewly admitted degree-seeking U.S. citizens/resident aliens who are HS graduates from (or 12-month legal residents of) an approved WUE state

Must apply before beginning attendance; WUE students cannot reclassify as Nevada residents without disenrolling and paying nonresident tuition for 12 months.

Source

Nevada State merit aid FAQ

  • Is there a separate application for the Scorpion Academic Scholarship?

    No. You apply for general admission and submit transcripts by the priority deadlines (Feb 1, 2026 application and Feb 15, 2026 transcript for 2026 HS graduates).

  • What GPA do I need?

    At least a 3.25 cumulative unweighted GPA; $2,000/yr at 3.25-3.49, $3,000/yr at 3.50-3.74, and $4,000/yr at 3.75+ (2025/26 levels).

  • What is the Leadership Scholarship deadline?

    April 15 — it's a one-time $1,000 award for first-semester freshmen who served as a high school student-government officer and have a 2.75+ unweighted GPA.

How Nevada State compares across our verified dataset

  • 160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Nevada State is in a recognizable cluster (160 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Nevada State is one of them. The cohort minority (82 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 Nevada State’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

  • UNLV merit aid — Nevada public university — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
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  • Alabama merit aid — Alabama public university — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Auburn merit aid — Alabama public university — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.

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