Rhodes · Tennessee
Memphis-based liberal arts college with one of the most generous and transparent published merit ladders in the South — seven named tiers from $20,000 to $43,000 per year, all renewable for four years.
All seven Rhodes merit scholarships use a December 1 priority deadline. Applications submitted later remain eligible but the scholarship pool shrinks. Early Decision I families face an even earlier November 1 FAFSA deadline.
Rhodes accepts the CSS Profile (school code 1730) alongside the FAFSA (Title IV code 003519). For families with non-custodial parent situations, business ownership, or significant assets, completing both forms can produce a more favorable institutional aid offer. Verify CSS Profile is required vs. accepted with the office before skipping.
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award has a February 1 FAFSA deadline but may run out of funds before that date. The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship also requires the FAFSA. Tennessee residents stacking Tennessee Advantage ($31k) plus Hope and TSAA can meaningfully cut out-of-pocket cost — but missing the state-aid window leaves money on the table.
Rhodes does not publish GPA/test cutoffs for any of its seven merit tiers. Modeling a Cambridge or Founders Scholarship from forum-sourced stat profiles is unreliable. Build the budget assuming the Rhodes Award low end ($20,000) until the actual offer arrives, then adjust up.
Academically strong students looking for a small Southern LAC with a clear, predictable merit ladder and a December 1 priority date; especially favorable for Tennessee residents who layer the state Hope and TSAA awards on top.
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.
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
Rhodes' top-tier institutional merit award.
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
Tennessee residents; automatic consideration through the admission application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
Material in-state award. Stack with Hope/TSAA for Tennessee residents who file the FAFSA by February 1.
All applications for admission are automatically considered; no separate application. Priority deadline December 1.
Renewable up to four years
The catch-all award; range placement is holistic and not stat-driven on the public page.
Rhodes publishes a seven-tier merit ladder for first-year students: Cambridge ($43,000), Founders ($38,000), Presidential ($37,000), Ralph C. Hon ($35,000), Diehl ($34,000), Tennessee Advantage ($31,000, in-state), and Rhodes Award ($20,000-$32,000 holistic). All are renewable up to four years. The priority deadline is December 1.
No. All seven Rhodes institutional merit scholarships use the admission application as the scholarship application. Submit by the December 1 priority date to be in the strongest consideration pool.
Rhodes accepts both the FAFSA (Title IV code 003519) and the CSS Profile (school code 1730). For some admission rounds, the CSS Profile is 'also accepted' alongside the FAFSA. Families with complex finances should consider submitting both.
The Tennessee Advantage Scholarship is a $31,000-per-year institutional award from Rhodes itself, restricted to Tennessee residents and renewable for four years. The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship is a separate state award funded by the lottery, requiring FAFSA filing. They can stack.
FAFSA deadlines vary by admission plan: November 1 for Early Decision I, November 15 for Early Action, January 15 for Early Decision II, and January 31 for Regular Decision. Tennessee residents should additionally complete the FAFSA by February 1 to be considered for state aid.
Rhodes is one of them. The cohort minority (17 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Every claim is checked against Rhodes’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
