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The merit-aid verdict at PLU
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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at PLU
Presidential Scholarships require applying for admission 'by the December 1 Early Action II deadline' — applying later forfeits PLU's top stackable leadership award even with a 3.8+ GPA.
The page states students with tuition fully covered (253 PLU Bound, tuition exchange, etc.) 'cannot receive the PLU Housing Grant,' and the Visit Scholarship 'cannot be combined with a full-tuition scholarship such as the Regents' Scholarship, tuition exchange/remission, or 253 PLU Bound Scholarship.'
The award is 'full tuition, from a combination of PLU, federal, state, and College Bound scholarship and grant' — state and federal grants are folded in, not added on, and the FAFSA/WASFA is required to unlock it. It also covers tuition only, not the ~$20,000 of housing, food, and fees in the $74,566 COA.
Renewal requires the student 'remains College Bound eligible and maintains satisfactory academic progress while at PLU.'
PLUMS is first-come, first-served; the application is due August 15, 2025 and 'only funds received by October 1, 2025, will be matched.'
The grant is 'renewable for every year while living on campus' — it ends when the student moves off campus.
Who this school is for
Strong students who want layered, stackable awards on top of base merit — and especially Washington College Bound-eligible students with a 3.0+, for whom full tuition is guaranteed via 253 PLU Bound.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $74,566 for 2026-2027. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at PLU, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at PLU, academic year 2021-22
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$13,609
$30,001–$48,000
$12,948
$48,001–$75,000
$15,756
$75,001–$110,000
$22,535
$110,001+
$26,915
All income levels (average)
$19,589
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$52,254
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$19,589
That works out to roughly a 69% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $62,459 (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
69%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
82%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$22,578 (~$239/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$66,990
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
40%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
44%
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.
$8,000-$32,000
PLU Academic Scholarships
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Awarded on the basis of academic merit, primarily high school GPA (no published GPA grid)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
All first-year applicants are considered; no application beyond the admission application
Renewal terms
Renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study; renewal conditions not stated on the page.
Notes
No published GPA/amount grid — students are notified of their scholarship range upon admission. Do not invent a grid.
Demonstrated significant leadership and service (Common App activities section or supplement); apply for admission by the December 1 Early Action II deadline
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not stated on the page.
Notes
Amount is 'Variable.' Explicitly stacks: 'These awards will be in addition to any merit scholarships students receive.' Selected students notified by early February.
Must be Washington College Bound Scholarship eligible and attend a Washington state high school; FAFSA (or WASFA for undocumented WA residents) required
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to an additional three years as long as the student remains College Bound eligible and maintains satisfactory academic progress.
Notes
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.
Exceptional ability in art & design, dance, media, music, or theatre (acting & technical); applications/auditions due February 12, 2026; may apply in multiple fields
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to an additional three years of undergraduate study.
Notes
Explicitly stacks: 'These awards will be in addition to any merit scholarships students receive.'
Any incoming first-year student for the 2026-2027 academic year who lives on campus; automatic for students indicating on-campus living
Renewal terms
Renewable for every year while living on campus (up to an additional three years).
Notes
Applied toward tuition costs. NOT available to students whose tuition is fully covered through other scholarships (253 PLU Bound, tuition exchange, etc.). Unlimited number.
Outside scholarships reduce loans and/or work-study first; institutional grants are only reduced if required to prevent an over-award.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): PLU may be required by federal regulations to adjust your need-based aid package when outside resources are received. If an adjustment is necessary, work-study and loans will be adjusted first. Grants and scholarships will be adjusted only if required by federal or state regulations and as a last resort. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: PLU's add-on awards explicitly stack on top of base merit (Presidential and Artistic awards are 'in addition to any merit scholarships'), but full-tuition recipients are excluded from the Housing Grant and Visit Scholarship. (per https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/financial-aid/scholarships/)
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
Amount$1,000 per yearEligibilityStudents who attend an official Admission-sponsored on-campus visit between May 1-April 31 of their senior year; awarded automatically
Cannot be combined with a full-tuition scholarship (Regents', tuition exchange/remission, 253 PLU Bound).
AmountUp to $1,000 per year (dollar-for-dollar match)EligibilityStudents receiving scholarships of $100+ from any church congregation; application by the student and awarding church due August 15, 2025; only funds received by October 1, 2025 are matched
Amount$1,000-$1,500 per yearEligibilityStudents of any ethnic background demonstrating interest and leadership in promoting racial and ethnic diversity and social justice; application due March 15, 2026
Renewable for up to an additional three years; awarded by PLU's Center for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability.
AmountUp to full tuition plus room and board, book allowance, and living stipendEligibilityContact the Army ROTC Career Counselor (rotc@plu.edu) for application steps
Do I need a separate application for PLU's Academic Scholarships?
No — 'Students must complete the PLU application for admission. No other application is required.' All first-year applicants are automatically considered for $8,000-$32,000 per year.
What are the key scholarship deadlines?
Presidential Scholarship: apply for admission by December 1 (Early Action II); selected students notified by early February. Artistic Achievement Awards: applications due February 12, 2026. Rieke Leadership Award: March 15, 2026. PLUMS church match: application by August 15, 2025, funds received by October 1, 2025.
Will my tuition go up each year?
PLU advertises a fixed tuition guarantee — for the incoming class, 'the cost of tuition is locked in from the first day of class until graduation day.' The 2026-27 cost page shows cohort-based tuition ($54,080 for 2026-27 starts vs. lower frozen rates for earlier cohorts).
What does PLU cost in 2026-27?
The published 2026-27 cost of attendance for on/off-campus students totals $74,566, including tuition $54,080, housing & food $14,670, fees, books, personal, and transportation.
Does PLU reduce my aid if I win outside scholarships?
The pages opened do not publish an outside-scholarship displacement policy — PLU actively encourages outside scholarship applications. Ask the Financial Aid Office how outside awards interact with PLU aid before counting on full stacking.
How PLU compares across our verified dataset
147 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
PLU is in a recognizable cluster (147 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.
PLU 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 PLU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
