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Piedmont scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$53,548per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Piedmont may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
2 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

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.

Where does your student land?

  1. Trustee ScholarshipAmount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Trustee Scholarship

    Amount not published

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Trustee Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Rewards top academic applicants; number of recipients and amounts vary year to year; university housing required

    How to keep it

    Recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher at the end of each semester; must live in university housing and be actively involved on campus.

    Worth knowing

    Established by the Board of Trustees; no dollar amount or stat cutoffs published.

  2. Presidential ScholarshipAmount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Presidential Scholarship

    Amount not published

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Number of recipients varies year to year; university housing required

    How to keep it

    Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each semester; live in university housing; active campus involvement.

    Worth knowing

    Established by the Board of Trustees; no amount published.

  3. Premier ScholarshipUp to cost of tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Premier Scholarship

    Up to cost of tuition

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Premier Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Acceptance to Piedmont; first-time boarding freshman status the fall immediately after high school graduation; valedictorian of a HOPE-eligible Georgia high school; recipients selected by the scholarship committee

    How to keep it

    Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the end of each semester; after two consecutive semesters below the required GPA, the scholarship is removed from the student's account.

    Worth knowing

    Will be REDUCED by any state and institutional aid the student receives — it is a topping-up award, not a stacking one. Number of recipients and amount vary year to year.

  4. Lion Grant$2,500Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Lion Grant

    $2,500

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Lion Grant

    Who qualifies

    Enrolled at Piedmont as a dual-enrolled student during high school; acceptance to Piedmont; first-time boarding freshman status; reside on the Demorest campus

    How to keep it

    Renewable as long as the student maintains a cumulative 3.0 GPA at Piedmont and resides on campus.

    Worth knowing

    Stated as 'up to $2,500 per year.' Can stack on other academic and need-based aid, BUT institutional aid cannot exceed cost of tuition and total financial aid cannot exceed cost of attendance. Fall and spring semesters only.

  5. Roaring Start GrantAmount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Roaring Start Grant

    Amount not published

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Roaring Start Grant

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen and transfer students enrolling Fall 2026 at the Demorest or Athens campus; deposited by May 1; completed 2026-2027 FAFSA by May 1

    How to keep it

    Renewal terms not stated on the page.

    Worth knowing

    Automatically added to financial aid for students who meet the May 1 deposit + FAFSA deadlines — automatic on deadline compliance, not on stats.

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The fine print

Aid capHard $53,548 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Piedmont cannot push the package past $53,548. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Piedmont different

DRAFT: Piedmont's named scholarships (Trustee, Presidential, Deans, Pride, Century) publish renewal GPAs and residency requirements but NOT dollar amounts — and most merit awards require living on campus, are split 50/50 between tuition and housing, and are capped at the cost of room, board, and tuition.

Merit tiers5See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Piedmont's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Most named scholarships (Trustee, Presidential, Deans, Pride, Century, Lion) require living in university housing. Students who move off campus only 'may qualify for a merit commuting scholarship' — there is no guarantee the original award value survives, and the award is posted 50% toward housing.

  2. The Premier 'may provide up to the cost of tuition and will be reduced by any state and institutional aid a student receives' — it fills the gap to tuition rather than adding on top.

  3. The page states 'Any scholarships above the cost of room, board, and tuition will be returned to the scholarship fund,' and the Lion Grant terms add that institutional aid cannot exceed the cost of tuition and total aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.

  4. The Roaring Start Grant for Fall 2026 freshmen and transfers requires BOTH an enrollment deposit and a completed 2026-2027 FAFSA by May 1 — miss either and the automatic grant is lost.

  5. Renewal GPAs differ sharply: Pride/Athens/Century 2.5, Deans 2.75, Presidential/Lion 3.0, Trustee/Premier 3.25. The Premier is removed after two consecutive semesters below 3.25.

  6. Awards change if a student moves online, changes campuses, changes state residency, is accepted into nursing, or moves to the graduate level of a 3/2 program (e.g., Athletic Training). Online-only students get no institutional scholarships, and undergraduate scholarships cannot be applied toward master's-level coursework.

  7. Neighborhood Grant recipients (25+, 16-county region, 50% tuition) 'are ineligible for other institutional scholarships and grants' — it cannot be combined with merit awards.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

DRAFT: Students willing to live on campus at Demorest (most merit awards require it), Georgia valedictorians targeting the up-to-tuition Premier, and Piedmont dual-enrollment alumni who can add the $2,500 Lion Grant.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $53,548 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Piedmont, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$15,416
$30,001–$48,000$17,618
$48,001–$75,000$19,085
$75,001–$110,000$24,161
$110,001+$25,622
All income levels (average)$20,599

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$31,700
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$20,599

That works out to roughly a 56% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $46,801 (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
47%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
70%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$25,000 (~$265/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$49,130
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
45%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
66%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Piedmont caps and channels its aid in several ways: any scholarships above the cost of room, board, and tuition are returned to the scholarship fund; institutional aid cannot exceed the cost of tuition (stated in the Lion Grant terms); total financial aid cannot exceed cost of attendance; the Premier Scholarship is reduced dollar-for-dollar by state and institutional aid; and residential merit scholarships are applied 50% to tuition and 50% to housing.

Page-level rules: 'Any scholarships above the cost of room, board, and tuition will be returned to the scholarship fund.' Lion Grant terms: 'Institutional aid cannot exceed cost of tuition. Total financial aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.' Premier: 'will be reduced by any state and institutional aid a student receives.' Additional-requirements section: residential merit scholarships post as 50% tuition / 50% housing; awards change if a student moves online, changes campuses, changes state residency, enters nursing, or moves to the graduate phase of a 3/2 program; students who move off campus 'may qualify for a merit commuting scholarship.' Treatment of private outside scholarships is not specifically addressed.

Source

Other Piedmont scholarships worth checking

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

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityFull-time undergraduates attending the Athens Campus with active campus involvement.

Renewal requires 2.5 cumulative GPA each semester.

Source

AmountAmount not published (varies with institutional resources)EligibilityUndergraduate boarding students with outstanding academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

Renewal requires 2.5 cumulative GPA, on-campus residence, and continued campus/community involvement.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityUndergraduates living in campus housing with active campus involvement.

Renewal requires minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA each semester.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityUndergraduates living in university housing with active campus involvement.

Renewal requires 2.5 cumulative GPA each semester.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityStudents with a sibling attending Piedmont at the same time — both siblings are eligible.

Established by the President of Piedmont University.

Source

Amount50% of tuition (fall/spring; prorated summer)EligibilityStudents 25+ years old pursuing a first bachelor's degree at the Demorest campus, with permanent residence in Banks, Dawson, Elbert, Franklin, Forsyth, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, or White county; 6+ hours per semester.

Recipients are INELIGIBLE for other institutional scholarships and grants; nursing and online students excluded; funds limited.

Source

AmountVaries; adjusted each yearEligibilityStudents with unmet need per the U.S. Department of Education; valid FAFSA required each year.

Students who exhibit no need may not qualify in future years; satisfactory academic progress required.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityResident assistants employed by Residence Life.

Pro-rated if the RA moves off campus mid-semester or leaves the role.

Source

AmountVaries; pending availability of fundingEligibilityVarious donor-set criteria; see the university's endowed scholarship list (PDF).

Awarded annually pending funding.

Source

Piedmont merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    For the Roaring Start Grant (Fall 2026 freshmen and transfers at Demorest or Athens), students must be deposited AND have a completed 2026-2027 FAFSA by May 1. Other named scholarships have no published deadlines; recipients are selected by committee at admission.

  • How much are Piedmont's merit scholarships?

    Piedmont does not publish dollar amounts for the Trustee, Presidential, Deans, Pride, Century, or Athens scholarships — amounts and recipient counts 'vary from year to year.' Published figures: Lion Grant up to $2,500/year, Premier up to the cost of tuition (reduced by other aid), Neighborhood Grant 50% of tuition.

  • Do I have to live on campus to keep my scholarship?

    Most merit scholarships require living in university housing and active campus involvement, and are posted 50% to tuition / 50% to housing. Students who move off campus may qualify only for a (different) merit commuting scholarship.

  • What GPA do I need to renew?

    Pride/Athens/Century: 2.5 cumulative. Deans: 2.75. Presidential and Lion Grant: 3.0. Trustee and Premier: 3.25 (Premier is removed after two consecutive semesters below the line).

  • What does Piedmont cost for 2026-27?

    Demorest undergraduate tuition is $16,526/semester ($33,052/year) plus a $270/semester technology fee; housing runs $7,500–$9,400/year and meal plans $4,800–$6,800/year. The official 2026-27 cost of attendance for a Demorest on-campus student totals $53,548 including books, transportation, and personal expenses.

See sources and other schools

How Piedmont compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Piedmont is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

    Piedmont 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 Piedmont’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Piedmont merit aid

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