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The merit-aid verdict at NDSU
NDSU guarantees an automatic GPA-based first-year scholarship grid ($1,000-$3,000/year, no application) with a transcript-by-July-1 trigger, then layers on competitive named awards including a $20,000 National Merit Finalist scholarship and up-to-full-base-tuition STEM award. DRAFT.
Rules that bite at NDSU
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from NDSU's own published policy, not generic advice.
displacementGrant-first displacement = outside wins can pay the school
NDSU reduces institutional grant before any other aid line when an outside award arrives. A $5,000 community-foundation win can leave the family bill unchanged.
Common merit-aid mistakes at NDSU
NDSU states that if you receive a renewable scholarship exceeding the guaranteed minimum, the higher award replaces the lower one (it is not added to it) — you get the larger amount, not both.
The first-year Guaranteed Scholarship is only locked in if you submit a final official high school transcript by July 1.
Submitting the scholarship application by February 1 is what makes you eligible for higher-value renewable scholarships and one-time awards; the named awards (National Merit, McGovern, Mildred Larson) also require admission/application by February 1.
It covers up to full-time base tuition only — not student fees, housing/food, or the higher program differential tuition charged for fields like engineering, business, nursing, and pharmacy.
The Transfer Guaranteed Scholarship is renewable for only one additional year (two years total), unlike the four-year first-year guarantee.
Who this school is for
First-year students with a 3.0+ GPA (auto-guaranteed by grid), high-stat applicants chasing higher-value named awards by the Feb 1 deadline, and STEM/Business majors targeting field-specific scholarships. DRAFT.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $21,915 for 2025-2026. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at NDSU, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at NDSU, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$9,370
$30,001–$48,000
$11,343
$48,001–$75,000
$11,923
$75,001–$110,000
$16,082
$110,001+
$18,856
All income levels (average)
$15,543
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$11,110
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$15,764
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$15,543
That works out to roughly a 34% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $23,716 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
NDSU 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
64%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
78%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,199 (~$246/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$62,203
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
22%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
58%
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.
$1,000-$3,000/year…$1,000-$3,000/year (maximum of four years)
Alternative top tier: 3.0+ GPA & 1370+ SAT → $3,000/yr
ACT
Alternative top tier: 3.0+ GPA & 30+ ACT → $3,000/yr
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
First-Year students admitted to NDSU who submit a final official high school transcript by July 1 are guaranteed the minimum scholarship amount.
Renewal terms
Guaranteed minimum amount for a maximum of four years. If a student receives a renewable scholarship exceeding the guaranteed minimum, the higher award replaces (does not add to) the guaranteed minimum.
Notes
Automatic, no separate application required for the guaranteed minimum (transcript by July 1 triggers it). Submitting the scholarship application by February 1 may qualify a student for additional one-time awards and higher-value renewable scholarships.
$1,000-$2,000…$1,000-$2,000 (renewable for one additional year)
Transfer Guaranteed Scholarship (automatic GPA grid)
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.5-4.0 → $2,000; 3.0-3.49 → $1,000
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Transfer students with at least 12 transferable credits completed, admitted to NDSU by August 1 (fall) or December 1 (spring), working toward their first bachelor's degree. Students transferring after one semester or less may instead be considered for First-Year Guaranteed Scholarships.
Renewal terms
Renewable for one additional year (two years total). If a student receives a renewable scholarship exceeding the guaranteed minimum, the higher award replaces (does not add to) the guaranteed minimum.
Notes
Automatic for qualifying transfers; renewable for only one additional year (unlike the four-year first-year guarantee).
$20,000 over four years…$20,000 over four years ($5,000/year for a maximum of 4 years)
National Merit Finalist Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded to National Merit Semi-Finalists who reach Finalist status and notify the National Merit Scholarship Corporation of NDSU as their final choice. Must be admitted to NDSU by February 1.
Renewal terms
$5,000/year for a maximum of 4 years.
Notes
Requires designating NDSU as your National Merit final-choice school; not automatic from stats.
Up to full-time undergraduate base…Up to full-time undergraduate base tuition
Harry D. McGovern Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded to high-achieving students with a declared STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math)-related field. Must be admitted and submit the online scholarship application by February 1.
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not stated.
Notes
Covers up to full-time BASE tuition only — not student fees, housing/food, or program differential tuition (engineering, pharmacy, etc., carry higher differential rates that base tuition would not cover). Not a full ride.
$6,000…$6,000 ($1,500/year for a maximum of 4 years)
Mildred Larson Business Presidential Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Awarded to high academic achieving entering freshmen with a declared major in the College of Business. Must be admitted and submit the online scholarship application by February 1.
Renewal terms
$1,500/year for a maximum of 4 years.
Notes
Major-restricted (College of Business); requires the online scholarship application.
This school's guaranteed tuition award is last-dollar: outside scholarships and other gift aid are applied first, and the institutional award covers only the remaining balance of base tuition and fees - so outside awards reduce it dollar-for-dollar once gift aid approaches that threshold.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): This is a "last dollar" scholarship, meaning it is only applied after all other gift aid is applied (e.g., grants, scholarships, waivers from federal, state, institutional or external sources). ... Can I be eligible for the Tuition Award Program, but not receive a scholarship? Yes, this can happen if you meet the eligibility requirements but are receiving enough gift aid from other sources to cover the costs of base tuition and mandatory student fees.
Amount$2,000/yearEligibilityNDSU students who receive the North Dakota Native American Scholarship may be eligible for a $2,000/year scholarship match.
Match tied to receipt of the state ND Native American Scholarship.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityAwarded on varied criteria (academic merit, major, etc.); 2026-27 application open via the NDSU Scholarship Portal.
Submit a final official high school transcript by July 1 to lock in the first-year Guaranteed Scholarship. Submit the NDSU scholarship application by February 1 to be considered for higher-value renewable scholarships and one-time awards; named awards (National Merit Finalist, Harry D. McGovern, Mildred Larson Business Presidential) require admission/application by February 1. Transfers must be admitted by August 1 (fall) or December 1 (spring).
Do I have to apply for the Guaranteed Scholarship?
No separate application is needed for the guaranteed minimum — it is automatic based on GPA/test scores once your final transcript is received by July 1. Higher-value and named scholarships require the online scholarship application by February 1.
How much is the guaranteed first-year scholarship?
$3,000/year for a 3.98-4.00 GPA (or 3.0+ GPA with 30+ ACT / 1370+ SAT), $2,000/year for 3.80-3.97, $1,500/year for 3.65-3.79, and $1,000/year for 3.0-3.64 — each for a maximum of four years.
How much does NDSU cost?
For 2025-26, the estimated full-time cost (13+ credits, tuition + fees + housing + meal plan) is $21,915 for North Dakota residents, $23,099 for Minnesota residents, $23,889 for MN/SD/IL/WI/Manitoba/Saskatchewan residents, and $26,849 for other-state residents (plus indirect costs: ~$850 books, ~$3,476 personal, ~$185 parking).
How NDSU compares across our verified dataset
19 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use grant-first displacement.
NDSU is in the small minority (19 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
Grant-first displacement is the rarest published policy in our dataset.
It also produces the worst family-dollar outcome on outside scholarships. NDSU sits in this small minority, so treat outside-award strategy here as conservatively as you would at a school with no published policy at all.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
NDSU 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 NDSU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
