Skip to content
← Back to Point Loma Nazarene's chapter

MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Point Loma Nazarene
Decision sheet

California · Research checked 2026-06-03 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

PLNU's six-tier freshman merit grid is automatic on admission — $12,000 to $24,000 per year, earned by meeting any 2 of 3 GPA/test thresholds, with no separate scholarship application.

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 10 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.

President's Gold Scholarship

$24,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Unweighted HS GPA ≥ 3.95 · SAT: SAT ≥ 1430 · ACT: ACT ≥ 32

Eligibility: Weighted HS GPA ≥ 4.40. Student must meet any 2 of 3 criteria to qualify.

Renewal: Academic scholarships are offered for an initial two-year period and, subject to maintaining renewal criteria, can be received for a maximum of eight (8) semesters. Continuous full-time enrollment (12+ units/semester) is required, and renewal is based on cumulative GPA; once lost, an academic scholarship cannot be regained. The page publishes a per-tier renewal-GPA grid; the exact renewal cumulative GPA for this tier should be confirmed (see Section C).

Other terms: Awarded automatically by the admissions office based on the transcript after admission; no separate scholarship application. Top tier of the six-level freshman merit grid (for freshmen starting fall 2026 to spring 2027).

https://www.pointloma.edu/offices/student-financial-services/undergraduate-student-financial-services/types-aid/scholarships

President's Green Scholarship

$21,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Unweighted HS GPA ≥ 3.90 · SAT: SAT ≥ 1400 · ACT: ACT ≥ 31

Eligibility: Weighted HS GPA ≥ 4.25. Student must meet any 2 of 3 criteria to qualify.

Renewal: Renewable for a maximum of eight (8) semesters subject to a cumulative-GPA renewal rule and continuous full-time enrollment (12+ units/semester). Exact renewal cumulative GPA for this tier to be confirmed (see Section C).

Other terms: Awarded automatically on the transcript at admission; no separate application.

https://www.pointloma.edu/offices/student-financial-services/undergraduate-student-financial-services/types-aid/scholarships

Trustee's Scholarship

$18,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: Unweighted HS GPA ≥ 3.85 · SAT: SAT ≥ 1370 · ACT: ACT ≥ 30

Eligibility: Weighted HS GPA ≥ 4.00. Student must meet any 2 of 3 criteria to qualify.

Renewal: Renewable for a maximum of eight (8) semesters subject to a cumulative-GPA renewal rule and continuous full-time enrollment (12+ units/semester). Exact renewal cumulative GPA for this tier to be confirmed (see Section C).

Other terms: Awarded automatically on the transcript at admission; no separate application.

https://www.pointloma.edu/offices/student-financial-services/undergraduate-student-financial-services/types-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: PLNU's published rule is that performance-based awards (athletic, music, forensics) may be combined with the academic merit grid and with science honors scholarships. For OUTSIDE/third-party scholarships, PLNU does not state that they reduce institutional merit aid; instead recipients must report the award and PLNU verifies there is room in the Cost of Attendance/Budget before adding it to the offer — implying a COA-cap rather than a dollar-for-dollar displacement of institutional aid.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/point-loma-nazarene-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.