Is there a separate application or deadline for Roanoke's merit scholarships?

No separate application — merit awards (Trustee, Presidential, Dean's, Faculty and Maroon) 'are presented to students upon their acceptance to Roanoke College' based on high school GPA. Admission deadlines for fall entry are Early Decision November 1 and Regular Decision March 15 (spring entry: November 1); merit offers are made only to accepted students.

How much merit aid will I get as a freshman?

The published examples for Fall 2026 are GPA-based: 4.0+ = $21,000; 3.70 = $19,000; 3.50 = $17,000; 3.00 = $15,000; 2.50 = $12,000; 2.00 = $10,000. Students with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 1200 SAT/25 ACT at acceptance receive an additional $1,000.

Is the merit scholarship renewable?

Yes — 'Award amounts vary and may be renewed for up to seven additional semesters provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.' That means a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.7 by the end of freshman year and 2.0 by the end of sophomore year and beyond; all College-funded aid is limited to 8 semesters.

What do Virginia residents get, and when is the deadline?

Virginia residents also receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, estimated at $5,250 on the merit page. The completed VTAG application must be in the Roanoke College financial aid office by September 15 of the fall semester of enrollment (a strict deadline; later submissions through October 1 for fall are funded only if money remains).

How much merit aid do transfer students get?

Transfers accepted for Fall 2026 may qualify for $8,000-$17,000 annually based on transfer GPA (2.40 = $8,000 up to 3.50 = $17,000), plus $2,000/yr with an Associates Degree and 3.0+ GPA, $1,500/yr for out-of-state residency, and $1,000/yr for visiting before enrollment.

Roanoke· Renewal Rules

Keeping Roanoke’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 11 of 11
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 9
Renewal risk profile: low

Renewal risk profile

Roanoke's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.

Roanoke College Merit Awards (Trustee, Presidential, Dean's, Faculty and Maroon) — freshman GPA grid: See notes
Additional $1,000 merit award (GPA + test score): See notes
Transfer merit awards (institutional merit funds for transfer students): See notes
The Bishop Jim Mauney Lutheran Student Grant: See notes
Friends in Faith Scholarship: See notes
The Legacy Award: See notes
Art Scholarships: SAP standards
Music Performance Scholarships: SAP standards
Theatre Art Scholarships: SAP standards

Renewal terms by tier

Roanoke College Merit Awards (Trustee, Presidential, Dean's, Faculty and Maroon) — freshman GPA grid
$10,000-$21,000
Entry requirements: Examples: 4.0+ = $21,000; 3.70 = $19,000; 3.50 = $17,000; 3.00 = $15,000; 2.50 = $12,000; 2.00 = $10,000 GPA
To keep it: Award amounts vary and may be renewed for up to seven additional semesters provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
Additional $1,000 merit award (GPA + test score)
$1,000
Entry requirements: at least a 3.0 high school GPA GPA · 1200 or higher SAT · 25 or higher ACT
To keep it: Not separately stated; merit awards generally may be renewed for up to seven additional semesters with Satisfactory Academic Progress (ask the aid office whether this bonus follows the same rule).
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
Transfer merit awards (institutional merit funds for transfer students)
$8,000-$17,000
Entry requirements: Transfer GPA examples: 2.40 = $8,000; 2.60 = $10,000; 3.00 = $13,000; 3.15 = $15,000; 3.50 = $17,000 GPA
To keep it: Stated as 'Amount of Annual Grant'; renewal terms for transfers not separately stated beyond the college-wide Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
The Bishop Jim Mauney Lutheran Student Grant
$2,000
To keep it: To continue this program through four years, students must satisfy the same GPA requirements as specified for Roanoke College grants and awards.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
Friends in Faith Scholarship
$1,000
To keep it: To continue this program through four years, students must satisfy the same GPA requirements as specified for Roanoke College grants and awards.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
The Legacy Award
$1,000
To keep it: To continue this program through four years, students must satisfy the same GPA requirements as specified for Roanoke College grants and awards.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/merit
Art Scholarships
Up to $2,500 per year
To keep it: Per the SAP page, the Roanoke College Choral, Music, Art and Theatre scholarships are reinstated for each semester of continued participation in the respective program as determined by the Fine Arts Department.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/selectiveprograms
Music Performance Scholarships
Up to $2,500 per year
To keep it: Per the SAP page, the Roanoke College Choral, Music, Art and Theatre scholarships are reinstated for each semester of continued participation in the respective program as determined by the Fine Arts Department.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/selectiveprograms
Theatre Art Scholarships
Up to $2,500 per year
To keep it: Per the SAP page, the Roanoke College Choral, Music, Art and Theatre scholarships are reinstated for each semester of continued participation in the respective program as determined by the Fine Arts Department.
Source: https://www.roanoke.edu/selectiveprograms

How families lose this aid

Expecting Roanoke scholarships plus VTAG to cover room and board
The SAP page states: 'College dollars and the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant are limited to the cost of tuition.' Institutional aid and VTAG cannot exceed tuition ($38,420 for 2026-27), so they will not offset the roughly $18,554 in fees, housing, and meal plan costs.
Assuming merit aid lasts as long as you're enrolled
Merit awards 'may be renewed for up to seven additional semesters' (8 semesters total), and the SAP page confirms 'Eligibility for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, Tuition Exchange, and all College funded aid is limited to four years, or 8 semesters.' A ninth semester would carry no institutional merit or VTAG.
Ignoring the renewal GPA floor
Per the SAP page, recipients of institutional funds must reach a cumulative GPA of at least 1.7 by the end of freshman year and 2.0 by the end of sophomore year and thereafter. If the GPA is not attained, 'institutional financial aid programs are automatically reduced on a percentage basis and re-instated' — the award shrinks rather than being fully restored.
Letting a fine-arts scholarship lapse by dropping the activity
Per the SAP page, 'The Roanoke College Choral, Music, Art and Theatre scholarships are reinstated for each semester of continued participation in the respective program as determined by the Fine Arts Department.' Stop participating and the scholarship is not reinstated.
Visiting campus too late (or not reporting legacy/denomination on the application)
The $1,000 Visit Grant requires a campus visit during junior or senior year that 'must take place before May 1 of their Senior Year.' The Legacy Award and the faith-based grants are determined solely by 'the information submitted on the application at the time of acceptance' and are 'not retroactive' — omit the alumni connection or denomination on the application and the money is lost.

Renewal questions families ask

Is there a separate application or deadline for Roanoke's merit scholarships?: No separate application — merit awards (Trustee, Presidential, Dean's, Faculty and Maroon) 'are presented to students upon their acceptance to Roanoke College' based on high school GPA. Admission deadlines for fall entry are Early Decision November 1 and Regular Decision March 15 (spring entry: November 1); merit offers are made only to accepted students.
How much merit aid will I get as a freshman?: The published examples for Fall 2026 are GPA-based: 4.0+ = $21,000; 3.70 = $19,000; 3.50 = $17,000; 3.00 = $15,000; 2.50 = $12,000; 2.00 = $10,000. Students with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 1200 SAT/25 ACT at acceptance receive an additional $1,000.
Is the merit scholarship renewable?: Yes — 'Award amounts vary and may be renewed for up to seven additional semesters provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.' That means a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.7 by the end of freshman year and 2.0 by the end of sophomore year and beyond; all College-funded aid is limited to 8 semesters.
What do Virginia residents get, and when is the deadline?: Virginia residents also receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, estimated at $5,250 on the merit page. The completed VTAG application must be in the Roanoke College financial aid office by September 15 of the fall semester of enrollment (a strict deadline; later submissions through October 1 for fall are funded only if money remains).
How much merit aid do transfer students get?: Transfers accepted for Fall 2026 may qualify for $8,000-$17,000 annually based on transfer GPA (2.40 = $8,000 up to 3.50 = $17,000), plus $2,000/yr with an Associates Degree and 3.0+ GPA, $1,500/yr for out-of-state residency, and $1,000/yr for visiting before enrollment.

How Roanoke compares across our verified dataset

669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Roanoke 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 renewal claim is checked against Roanoke’s own published materials.