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NDSU· Renewal Rules

Keeping NDSU’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers
5 of 5
One-time tiers
0
Tiers with published renewal terms
5
Renewal risk profile
low

Renewal risk profile

NDSU's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.

  • First-Year Guaranteed Scholarship (automatic GPA/test grid): See notes
  • Transfer Guaranteed Scholarship (automatic GPA grid): See notes
  • National Merit Finalist Scholarship: See notes
  • Harry D. McGovern Scholarship: See notes
  • Mildred Larson Business Presidential Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • First-Year Guaranteed Scholarship (automatic GPA/test grid)

    $1,000-$3,000/year (maximum of four years)

    Entry requirements: 3.98-4.00 → $3,000/yr; 3.80-3.97 → $2,000/yr; 3.65-3.79 → $1,500/yr; 3.0-3.64 → $1,000/yr GPA · Alternative top tier: 3.0+ GPA & 1370+ SAT → $3,000/yr SAT · Alternative top tier: 3.0+ GPA & 30+ ACT → $3,000/yr ACT

    To keep it: 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.

    Source: https://www.ndsu.edu/admission/cost-aid/scholarships

  • Transfer Guaranteed Scholarship (automatic GPA grid)

    $1,000-$2,000 (renewable for one additional year)

    Entry requirements: 3.5-4.0 → $2,000; 3.0-3.49 → $1,000 GPA

    To keep it: 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.

    Source: https://www.ndsu.edu/admission/cost-aid/scholarships

  • National Merit Finalist Scholarship

    $20,000 over four years ($5,000/year for a maximum of 4 years)

    To keep it: $5,000/year for a maximum of 4 years.

    Source: https://www.ndsu.edu/admission/cost-aid/scholarships

  • Harry D. McGovern Scholarship

    Up to full-time undergraduate base tuition

    To keep it: Renewal terms not stated.

    Source: https://www.ndsu.edu/admission/cost-aid/scholarships

  • Mildred Larson Business Presidential Scholarship

    $6,000 ($1,500/year for a maximum of 4 years)

    To keep it: $1,500/year for a maximum of 4 years.

    Source: https://www.ndsu.edu/admission/cost-aid/scholarships

How families lose this aid

  • Assuming a higher named scholarship stacks on top of the guaranteed minimum.

    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.

  • Missing the February 1 scholarship-application deadline.

    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.

  • Expecting the transfer guarantee to last four years.

    The Transfer Guaranteed Scholarship is renewable for only one additional year (two years total), unlike the four-year first-year guarantee.

Renewal questions families ask

What is the scholarship deadline?
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 NDSU compares across our verified dataset

  • 669 of 751 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.

  • 133 of 751 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    NDSU is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against NDSU’s own published materials.

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