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The merit-aid verdict at North Greenville
NGU publishes an automatic 2026-2027 merit grid that pays residents up to $3,000 more than commuters, plus three Scholars-Weekend competitive awards topping out at the Kalos full ride — but the big awards are gap-fillers that absorb your state aid rather than stacking on it.
Common merit-aid mistakes at North Greenville
Both awards are explicitly 'comprised of federal, state, and institutional aid' — the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and SC Tuition Grant are applied to tuition FIRST, and NGU only pays 'the remaining cost.' Your state money is absorbed into the package, not added to it.
Every award is split: the academic grid pays commuters $2,000-$3,000 less per tier ($9,000 vs $12,000 at Founder's level), the Trustee Scholarship is $10,000 for commuters vs $20,000 on-campus, and NGU Fellows covers only tuition (no room/board) for commuters.
The page states 'The cost of books and fees will be the responsibility of the recipient for both on-campus students and commuters,' and the scholarship 'may not be used for summer school.' Kalos does cover books and required fees, but 'may not apply to course-specific fees.'
All three competitive-scholarship pages require: 'complete your FAFSA by January 15th of the year you apply and before each year you attend NGU.' This is an annual requirement, not a one-time freshman task.
Founder's/President's require maintaining a 3.0; Dean's a 2.75; Kalos, NGU Fellows, and Trustee all require a 3.0. A bad year can cost a Kalos Scholar the entire full ride.
The academic grid and Trustee use the SC Uniform Grading Policy WEIGHTED GPA (Trustee: 3.8 weighted), but Kalos requires a 3.75 UNWEIGHTED GPA — a materially higher bar. Check both numbers on your transcript.
Only 'earned institutional aid (i.e., Athletic, Fine Arts, and Departmental Aid)' is mentioned as potentially stackable, and 'The Office of Financial Aid will determine stackable institutional aid' — get the stacking decision in writing before committing.
Who this school is for
Best for SC residents living on campus — the grid pays residents more, and the Fellows/Kalos full rides require or prioritize SC state-award winners; humanities-bound students with 3.75/1320+ have a real shot at the Kalos full ride.
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at North Greenville, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at North Greenville, academic year 2021-22
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$18,947
$30,001–$48,000
$16,988
$48,001–$75,000
$20,704
$75,001–$110,000
$20,433
$110,001+
$24,550
All income levels (average)
$21,063
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$42,034
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$25,800
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$21,063
That works out to an average 50% 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.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
55%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
72%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,082 (~$245/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$43,035
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
35%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
54%
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.
3.0-4.7+ depending on tier (SC Uniform Grading Policy weighted GPA)
SAT
1100-1250 depending on tier
ACT
24-27 depending on tier
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
CLT 74-84 accepted; high-GPA-only paths exist (4.7+ for Founder's; 3.75-4.69 for President's); Dean's is GPA-only (3.0-3.74). Resident and commuter amounts differ.
Renewal terms
Merit scholarships are renewable for up to four years while student maintains required GPA: Founder's and President's require maintaining a 3.0; Dean's requires maintaining a 2.75.
Notes
Explicitly automatic: 'You don't need to apply for academic scholarships; just apply to NGU! These scholarships are automatically awarded if you qualify.' Grid is labeled 2026-2027.
Must have 24 hours (not necessarily transferable) to receive the listed amounts; otherwise high school transcript is requested and the package is case-by-case. Resident and commuter amounts differ.
Renewal terms
All four levels state 'Must maintain a 3.0 GPA.'
Notes
Grid labeled for transfer students attending Fall 2026 – Spring 2027.
Full ride…Full ride (tuition, standard room, board, books/materials, required fees)
Kalos Scholarship (Kalos Scholars)
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.75 unweighted GPA
SAT
1320
ACT
28
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
CLT 88 accepted; new to NGU, first time in college, fall entry; interest in humanities (English, foreign languages, literature, history, political science, philosophy, theology/religion, ministry, or music) prioritized — other majors subject to approval; Honors participation required; compete at NGU Scholars Weekend; FAFSA by January 15.
Renewal terms
Recipients must participate in the Honors program and maintain a 3.0 GPA; the page banner describes '4 Years of life shaping experiences.'
Notes
Gap-filler structure: Palmetto Fellows and SC Tuition Grant are applied to tuition first and Kalos pays the remainder. Required fees coverage 'may not apply to course-specific fees.' Priority to students intending graduate study.
Full tuition…Full tuition, standard room, and board (resident); Full tuition (commuter)
NGU Fellows Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Must qualify for Palmetto Fellows (see SC CHE criteria)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
SC resident; new to NGU; first time in college; fall entry; identified by the SC Commission on Higher Education; complete scholarship application by the Scholars Weekend deadline; FAFSA by January 15 of the year you apply and before each year of attendance; compete in person at NGU Scholars Weekend; may not be used for summer school.
Renewal terms
Renewable for four years to students who maintain the requirements set forth by the Commission on Higher Education. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to renew.
Notes
Composite award: 'comprised of federal, state, and institutional aid' — Palmetto Fellows and SC Tuition Grant are applied to tuition first; NGU pays the remainder. Books and fees are the recipient's responsibility.
CLT 86 accepted; new to NGU; first time in college; fall entry; compete at NGU Scholars Weekend; FAFSA by January 15.
Renewal terms
Renewable for four years to students who maintain a grade point average of at least a 3.0 at the end of each academic year.
Notes
Covers tuition dollars only. 'Recipients of the Trustee Scholarship may be eligible to receive additional earned institutional aid (i.e., Athletic, Fine Arts, and Departmental Aid). The Office of Financial Aid will determine stackable institutional aid.' Winners may participate in Honors at NGU.
North Greenville reduces institutional aid only when combined institutional aid plus outside grants and scholarships would exceed actual charges for tuition, fees, room, and board, and books - not the full cost of attendance; parking permits, fines, and supplies are excluded from that cap, and the aid office adjusts institutional aid as needed to enforce it.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): The purpose of institutional grants and scholarships is to assist students with institutional costs. The purpose is not to allow students to 'profit' by attending the university. Therefore, the following formula shall be used to package students for each semester: Institutional aid plus all outside grants and scholarships may not exceed actual charges for tuition, food and housing, fees, and books. Parking permits, fines, and supplies are not included. The Financial Aid Office shall adjust a student's financial aid as needed to implement this policy. North Greenville University reserves the right to reduce institutional aid if the student receives additional financial aid after the initial aid offer is completed.
For competitive scholarships (Kalos, NGU Fellows, Trustee), complete the FAFSA by January 15 of the year you apply — and again before each year you attend. Scholarship applications are due by the NGU Scholars Weekend application deadline (see the Scholars Weekend page for current dates). Automatic academic scholarships have no application — just apply to NGU.
Do I need to apply for the academic merit scholarships?
No. 'You don't need to apply for academic scholarships; just apply to NGU! These scholarships are automatically awarded if you qualify.'
How long do merit scholarships last?
Up to four years, as long as you maintain the required GPA (3.0 for Founder's/President's and all competitive awards; 2.75 for Dean's).
Does NGU give different amounts to residents and commuters?
Yes — every published award differs by housing status. Example: Founder's is $12,000 for residents but $9,000 for commuters; Trustee is $20,000 on-campus vs $10,000 commuting.
How North Greenville compares across our verified dataset
241 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
North Greenville 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.
North Greenville 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 North Greenville’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
