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Radford award rules

Will the scholarship last four years at Radford?

We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

5 of 5 published awards are listed as renewable.

The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.

What to do

Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.

See every award rule, common mistake, and source

At a glance

Renewable tiers
5 of 5
One-time tiers
0
Tiers with published renewal terms
5
Renewal risk profile
moderate

Renewal risk profile

Radford's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

  • Radford Excellence Scholarship: 2.5 GPA
  • Wayfinder Scholarship: 2.5 GPA
  • Compass Scholarship: 2.5 GPA
  • Transfer Excellence Scholarship: 2.8 GPA
  • Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • Radford Excellence Scholarship

    Up to $4,000 (in-state) / Up to $8,000 (out-of-state)

    To keep it: Up to eight consecutive semesters. After the first academic year, and each semester thereafter, must achieve a cumulative 2.5 GPA (4.0 scale) and remain in good judicial standing. Must complete at least 12 credit hours each semester or the scholarship is revoked.

    Source: https://www.radford.edu/financial-aid/aid-types.html

  • Wayfinder Scholarship

    $1,000-$2,000 (in-state) / Up to $8,000 (out-of-state)

    To keep it: New freshmen: up to eight consecutive semesters. Transfers: up to four consecutive semesters. After year one and each semester thereafter, cumulative 2.5 GPA and good judicial standing required; must complete 12+ credits/semester or scholarship revoked.

    Source: https://www.radford.edu/financial-aid/aid-types.html

  • Compass Scholarship

    Up to $1,000 (in-state) / Up to $7,000 (out-of-state)

    To keep it: New freshmen: up to eight consecutive semesters. Transfers: up to four. Cumulative 2.5 GPA and good judicial standing after year one; 12+ credits/semester or revoked.

    Source: https://www.radford.edu/financial-aid/aid-types.html

  • Transfer Excellence Scholarship

    $1,000-$2,000 (in-state) / $7,000-$10,000 (out-of-state)

    To keep it: Up to four consecutive semesters. After year one and each semester thereafter, cumulative 2.8 GPA and good judicial standing required; 12+ credits/semester or revoked.

    Source: https://www.radford.edu/financial-aid/aid-types.html

  • Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship

    $3,000 (in-state)

    To keep it: Up to four consecutive semesters if renewal criteria are met.

    Source: https://www.radford.edu/financial-aid/aid-types.html

How families lose this aid

  • Treating the 'up to' amount as a guaranteed award.

    All freshman tiers are stated as 'up to' a ceiling (or a range), with no published GPA/test grid — the actual amount is determined by the university.

  • Dropping below full-time.

    Students who fall below 12 credit hours at any time will have their scholarship revoked.

  • Ignoring the renewal GPA cliff.

    Renewal requires a cumulative 2.5 GPA (2.8 for Transfer Excellence) and good judicial standing after the first year and each semester thereafter.

Renewal questions families ask

What is the renewal GPA?
A cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (2.8 for the Transfer Excellence Scholarship), plus good judicial standing, checked after the first academic year and each semester thereafter.

How Radford compares across our verified dataset

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

    Radford 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 renewal claim is checked against Radford’s own published materials.

More on Radford merit aid