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The merit-aid verdict at Nevada State
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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Nevada State
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.
The page states merit offerings 'vary year to year, based on available funding'; the listed amounts are the 2025/26 award levels.
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.
Combined financial aid from all sources cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance, so outside scholarships count toward that ceiling.
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.
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Nevada State, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at Nevada State, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$11,438
$30,001–$48,000
$13,084
$48,001–$75,000
$16,002
$75,001–$110,000
$17,757
$110,001+
$21,125
All income levels (average)
$14,068
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$23,718
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$6,765
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$21,833
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$14,068
That works out to an average 41% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.
Nevada State is a public school; Scorecard's net price and cost of attendance figures cover 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
34%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
79%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$19,691 (~$209/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$53,166
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
53%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
15%
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
241 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
Nevada State is in a recognizable cluster (241 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
668 of 750 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.
