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Southeastern· Renewal Rules

Keeping Southeastern’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
3 of 4
One-time tiers
1
Tiers with published renewal terms
2
Renewal risk profile
moderate

Renewal risk profile

Southeastern'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.

  • The Southeastern Honors Scholarship (fees award + housing supplement): See notes
  • TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) — Louisiana state award hosted at Southeastern: 2.0 GPA

Renewal terms by tier

  • The Southeastern Honors Scholarship (fees award + housing supplement)

    $2,500-$4,000/year scholarship + $1,000-$3,000/year housing supplement (by ACT tier)

    Entry requirements: 3.0 six-semester cumulative high school GPA (through junior year) GPA · SAT accepted (page references ACT/SAT scores; grid published in ACT terms) SAT · 24+ composite (tiers: 24-26, 27-29, 30+) OR superscore 26+ (tiers: 26-28, 29-31, 32+) ACT

    To keep it: All scholarships are awarded for eight continuous semesters provided retention requirements are met. (Specific retention GPA/credit requirements are not published on this page.) Housing supplements are only available to students who continuously live on campus beginning with their first semester of enrollment.

    Source: https://www.southeastern.edu/admin/fin_aid/scholarships/freshman-sch/

  • TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) — Louisiana state award hosted at Southeastern

    $5,652.21/year (Opportunity) to $9,043.00/year (Excellence; $9,203.00 in High Cost Programs); Honors $6,452.21; Performance $6,052.21; TOPS Tech $2,380.00 (amounts include potential stipends)

    Entry requirements: 2.5 (Opportunity/Tech), 3.25 (Performance), 3.5 (Honors/Excellence) GPA · 20 (Opportunity), 23 (Performance), 27 (Honors), 31 (Excellence), 17 (Tech) ACT

    To keep it: Each semester: full-time enrollment on the 15th class day; 24 credit hours by end of academic year; continuous fall/spring enrollment; required GPA per award; 2.0 cumulative GPA at end of each fall/spring/interim. Summer checks: Opportunity 2.00 (<24 hrs), 2.30 (24-47), 2.50 (48+); Performance/Honors/Excellence 3.00.

    Source: https://www.southeastern.edu/admin/fin_aid/scholarships/state_scholarships/tops/

How families lose this aid

  • Missing the score/GPA receipt deadlines.

    Qualifying ACT/SAT scores must be EARNED by the July test date immediately after graduation, and all qualifying GPAs and scores must be RECEIVED by Southeastern on or before August 1 after graduation; priority goes to applications submitted by January 15 of senior year.

  • Moving off campus and losing the housing supplement.

    Housing supplements 'are only available to students who continuously live on campus beginning with their first semester of enrollment' — a gap in on-campus living ends the $1,000-$3,000/year supplement.

  • Falling short of 24 credit hours on TOPS.

    TOPS retention requires 24 earned hours per academic year, full-time enrollment on the 15th class day each semester, continuous fall/spring enrollment, and award-specific GPA floors (3.0 for Performance/Honors/Excellence at summer checks).

Renewal questions families ask

What is the scholarship deadline?
Priority is given to applications submitted by January 15 of the student's high school senior year. Qualifying test scores must be earned by the July test date after graduation and received (with GPAs) by August 1. For TOPS, complete the FAFSA by July 1 each year.
Is the freshman scholarship automatic?
Yes — Southeastern states it 'automatically awards freshman scholarships' based on six-semester GPA and ACT/SAT scores, but on a funds-available basis, subject to change.
How long does the scholarship last?
Eight continuous semesters, provided retention requirements are met (the specific retention GPA/credit thresholds are not published on the freshman scholarships page — ask the aid office).
What do National Merit students get?
The Southeastern Merit Award: $1,000/semester for 8 semesters for National Merit finalists or semifinalists, upon submitting proof of standing to the Office of Financial Aid.

Rules that bite at Southeastern

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from Southeastern's own tier rules and not generic advice.

  • renewalTOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) — Louisiana state award hosted at Southeastern: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Each semester: full-time enrollment on the 15th class day; 24 credit hours by end of academic year; continuous fall/spring enrollment; required GPA per award; 2.0 cumulative GPA at end of each fall/spring/interim. Summer checks: Opportunity 2.00 (<24 hrs), 2.30 (24-47), 2.50 (48+); Performance/Honors/Excellence 3.00. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Southeastern compares across our verified dataset

  • 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Southeastern 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.

  • 133 of 751 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    Southeastern is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against Southeastern’s own published materials.

More on Southeastern merit aid