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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

PLU
Decision sheet

Washington · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

PLU pairs automatic-consideration Academic Scholarships ($8,000-$32,000) with stackable add-ons (Presidential, Artistic, $2,500 Housing Grant, $1,000 Visit Scholarship), a guaranteed full-tuition 253 PLU Bound program for College Bound-eligible Washington students, and a fixed-tuition guarantee.

More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 5 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.

PLU Academic Scholarships

$8,000-$32,000 · Published range

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Awarded on the basis of academic merit, primarily high school GPA (no published GPA grid)

Eligibility: All first-year applicants are considered; no application beyond the admission application

Renewal: Renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study; renewal conditions not stated on the page.

Other terms: No published GPA/amount grid — students are notified of their scholarship range upon admission. Do not invent a grid.

https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/financial-aid/scholarships/

Presidential Scholarships

Amount not published · Published award terms

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

GPA: 3.8 cumulative (weighted)

Eligibility: Demonstrated significant leadership and service (Common App activities section or supplement); apply for admission by the December 1 Early Action II deadline

Renewal: Renewal terms not stated on the page.

Other terms: Amount is 'Variable.' Explicitly stacks: 'These awards will be in addition to any merit scholarships students receive.' Selected students notified by early February.

https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/financial-aid/scholarships/

253 PLU Bound Scholarship

Full tuition · Published coverage or package

Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.

GPA: 3.0 or higher weighted cumulative GPA

Eligibility: Must be Washington College Bound Scholarship eligible and attend a Washington state high school; FAFSA (or WASFA for undocumented WA residents) required

Renewal: Renewable for up to an additional three years as long as the student remains College Bound eligible and maintains satisfactory academic progress.

Other terms: Guaranteed if eligibility requirements are met; unlimited number. Full tuition comes 'from a combination of PLU, federal, state, and College Bound scholarship and grant' — not a single stacked PLU award. Recipients cannot also receive the PLU Housing Grant or Visit Scholarship.

https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/financial-aid/scholarships/

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Outside scholarships reduce loans and/or work-study first; institutional grants are only reduced if required to prevent an over-award.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/pacific-lutheran-university/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.