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Northwest Nazarene University · Idaho

Northwest Nazarene scholarships and merit aid

NNU posts a published Fall-2026 automatic Merit Scholarship grid worth $14,000-$22,000/year off a single high-school GPA (test scores are optional and only break the top $22,000 tier), and the award renews on a low NNU cumulative GPA of just 2.5.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Northwest Nazarene worth a closer look?

Northwest Nazarene is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 6 published awards, and 3 are based on those numbers.

Merit tiers63 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

$14,000-$22,000 per year

NNU Merit Scholarship (Fall 2026 automatic grid)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.0-4.0+ high-school GPA bands (see excerpt); students admitted below 3.0 still qualify — see counselor
SAT
1100 SAT needed only for the top $22,000 tier
ACT
22 ACT needed only for the top $22,000 tier
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

NNU is test-optional; only the top 4.0+ tier names a test score. Automatic on completing the NNU Application for Admission and Financial Aid; must be applied to tuition costs

How to keep it

Merit Scholarships are renewable as long as the student is academically eligible; the financial-aid page states renewal is based on maintaining an NNU cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

Notes

Award is set by high-school GPA. Test scores are NOT required for the $14,000-$20,000 tiers; only the top $22,000 tier lists '4.0+ and 1100 SAT or 22 ACT'. Bands: 4.0+ and 1100 SAT or 22 ACT = $22,000; 3.8+ = $20,000; 3.7-3.79 = $18,000; 3.5-3.69 = $17,000; 3.3-3.49 = $15,000; 3.0-3.29 = $14,000. Students below 3.0 still qualify for a merit scholarship per the page note.

Source

$22,000 per year

Aldersgate Honors College Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.5 GPA
SAT
1100 SAT
ACT
22 ACT
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Must apply for and be accepted to NNU's Aldersgate Honors College

How to keep it

Tied to the merit scholarship structure; specific Honors renewal terms not stated on the page (general merit renewal is an NNU cumulative GPA of at least 2.5).

Notes

Set at the top $22,000 merit level for Honors-admitted students; requires a separate application and acceptance to the Aldersgate Honors College in addition to admission to NNU.

Source

$4,000 per year…$4,000 per year (on campus) / $2,000 per year (off campus)

Christian Education Partner Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Must have attended a mission partner Christian high school

How to keep it

On-campus award is described as $4,000 'for up to four years.'

Notes

Awarded automatically to eligible students from a mission partner Christian high school. The amount depends on housing: $4,000/year living on campus, $2,000/year living off campus.

Source

$2,000 per year

Ministerial Scholarship (first-year)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

First-year students who are Nazarene and majoring in ministry / theology

How to keep it

Subsequent renewal requires continued enrollment as a ministry major and is determined by the faculty of the College of Theology and Christian Ministries.

Notes

First-year ministerial scholarship is $2,000. Renewal is contingent on remaining a ministry major and on faculty determination, not on stats.

Source

Match on up to $850 of church gift…Match on up to $850 of church gift per year (up to 7:1 Nazarene / up to 4:1 other)

Church Matching (Trustees Matching) Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Full-time, degree-seeking; sponsoring church must send a gift; match ratio depends on church type and (for Nazarene churches on the NNU field) education-budget status

How to keep it

Awarded fall and spring each year until the first bachelor's degree is completed for a traditional full-time undergraduate; renewal of full eligibility depends on satisfactory academic progress (per the Trustees Matching covenant).

Notes

NNU matches a church's gift, with the match based on the first $850 received from the church per student per year. Nazarene churches on the NNU field that paid their education budget in full earn a 7:1 match; other eligible churches up to 4:1. Total dollar value depends on the church gift and ratio; the current live page does not state a fixed total cap.

Source

$9,000-$18,000 per year

Transfer Merit Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.5+ = $18,000; 2.5-3.49 = $16,000; 2.49 and below = $9,000 (cumulative GPA from all colleges attended)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Full-time transfer students; must be applied to tuition costs

How to keep it

Renewable as long as the student is academically eligible (general NNU merit renewal: maintain an NNU cumulative GPA of at least 2.5).

Notes

For transfer (not first-year) students; based on cumulative college GPA. Included as a merit tier for completeness; bands are $9,000-$18,000.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Northwest Nazarene's published information.

  • Renewal ruleChurch Matching (Trustees Matching) Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Awarded fall and spring each year until the first bachelor's degree is completed for a traditional full-time undergraduate; renewal of full eligibility depends on satisfactory academic progress (per the Trustees Matching covenant). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • Outside awardsNo published displacement order

    Northwest Nazarene's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What families often miss

  1. NNU is test-optional and the published Fall-2026 grid sets $14,000-$20,000 awards on high-school GPA alone. Only the top $22,000 tier lists '4.0+ and 1100 SAT or 22 ACT' — for everyone else, a test score is not required to earn the merit award.

  2. The financial-aid page explicitly notes that 'Students admitted with a GPA below 3.0 still qualify for a merit scholarship' — you just have to consult your Admissions Counselor for the amount, which isn't on the published grid.

  3. Tuition is $42,430/year, but NNU's published 2026-27 total Cost of Attendance is $58,092 once fees, housing, the meal plan, books, transportation and personal expenses are added. Merit awards 'must be applied to tuition costs,' so they reduce tuition, not the housing/food bill.

  4. It's $4,000/year only if you live on campus; off-campus students get $2,000/year. Where you live changes the award.

  5. NNU does not publish how outside scholarships affect institutional merit or need-based aid. You must report each outside award, and it is 'included as part of the student's overall financial aid offer' — ask the aid office whether it reduces your NNU award before assuming it's all extra.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Faith-oriented students (NNU is a Church of the Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho) who want a large, predictable, GPA-only automatic merit award at a small Christian college; students from Nazarene/partner churches and pastors' families gain extra stackable awards.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $58,092 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Northwest Nazarene, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Northwest Nazarene, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$28,732
$30,001–$48,000$30,626
$48,001–$75,000$35,166
$75,001–$110,000$33,413
$110,001+$34,800
All income levels (average)$29,580

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$40,794
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$29,580

That works out to roughly a 46% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $55,163 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
71%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
77%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,750 (~$252/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$51,719
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
29%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
65%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

NNU does not publish an outside-scholarship displacement policy on its financial-aid pages. The NNU Matching Scholarships page directs students to present a copy of each outside award so it 'can be included as part of the student's overall financial aid offer,' and NNU itself matches church gifts — implying outside church awards add value rather than reduce institutional aid. Whether a private/outside scholarship reduces NNU institutional merit or only need-based/self-help aid is NOT stated, so displacement is unclear.

Several institutional awards (Merit, Christian Education Partner, Ministerial, Church Matching) are described as separate awards and the church match is explicitly additive, but no page states a rule for how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships interact with NNU merit aid or whether total institutional aid is capped at tuition (the Merit Scholarship 'must be applied to tuition costs,' which is a use restriction, not a stated displacement rule).

Source

Other Northwest Nazarene scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountTuition reduction (amount not published)EligibilityFull-time, unmarried, traditional dependent undergrads whose parent/guardian is an ordained Nazarene or non-Nazarene missionary, senior pastor, chaplain, pastoral staff, District Superintendent or Assistant District Superintendent receiving primary income from that role; also MAF missionary/staff dependents.

Tuition-only reduction for ministerial dependents; specific dollar amount not stated on the catalog page.

Source

AmountUp to 90% tuition allowanceEligibilityDependents of full-time faculty/first-line administrators at U.S./Canadian Nazarene colleges or NTS, or CCCU schools.

Up to 90% tuition allowance; number of allowances is limited. Requires a signed Tuition Remission Recommendation Form.

Source

AmountPays tuition, fees, and room charges (meal plan not included)EligibilityNNU students awarded a 2-, 3-, or 4-year Army ROTC scholarship.

Pays tuition, fees, and room for each year received; a room stipend is available for approved ROTC participants living on campus who don't receive the scholarship.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityAwarded based on student achievement in athletics, music, and forensics.

Talent-based; amounts not published on the catalog page.

Source

Amount50% per-credit tuition reductionEligibilityStudents taking traditional undergraduate courses who already completed a baccalaureate degree at NNU.

50% reduction in per-credit tuition cost.

Source

Northwest Nazarene merit aid FAQ

  • Is the NNU merit scholarship automatic?

    Yes for first-time traditional freshmen — 'All first-time traditional freshmen at NNU are automatically considered for all scholarships that they may be eligible to receive' by completing the NNU Application for Admission and Financial Aid and submitting transcripts. The merit award is set by your high-school GPA per the Fall-2026 grid ($14,000-$22,000).

  • Do I need to submit ACT or SAT scores?

    No. NNU is test-optional, and the merit grid awards $14,000-$20,000 on GPA alone. A test score (1100 SAT / 22 ACT) is listed only on the top $22,000 tier; entering test scores 'may/may not enhance your scholarship offerings.'

  • How do I keep my merit scholarship each year?

    Merit Scholarships are 'renewable as long as the student is academically eligible,' and NNU's financial-aid page states renewal is based on maintaining an NNU cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

  • Can NNU merit aid stack with church or other awards?

    NNU separately offers a church-matching scholarship (matching up to $850 of a church gift per year, up to 7:1 for qualifying Nazarene churches) and additional ministry, honors, and partner-school awards, suggesting awards add together. However, NNU does not publish how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships affect institutional aid — confirm with the aid office (208.467.8638).

See sources and other schools

How Northwest Nazarene compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Northwest Nazarene is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Northwest Nazarene is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Northwest Nazarene is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Northwest Nazarene’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

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