Does SOU require test scores for merit scholarships?

No. The 2026-2027 first-year merit grid is based on minimum GPA only.

How much are the awards for out-of-state students?

Non-resident awards range from $8,000/yr (Churchill) to $12,000/yr (Raider Scholar, 3.95+ GPA). Oregon residents receive $1,000–$5,000/yr and WUE-state residents $1,000–$3,000/yr.

How do I keep my scholarship?

Maintain full-time status and good academic standing.

Southern Oregon (SOU)· Renewal Rules

Keeping Southern Oregon (SOU)’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 20268 days ago· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 1 of 1
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 1
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

Southern Oregon (SOU)'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.

First Year Merit Scholarships grid (Raider Scholar, Laurels, Churchill, Siskiyou) — by residency: Full-time enrollment

Renewal terms by tier

First Year Merit Scholarships grid (Raider Scholar, Laurels, Churchill, Siskiyou) — by residency
$1,000-$12,000
Entry requirements: 3.00+ (Oregon) up to 3.95+ for top tier; thresholds differ slightly by residency GPA · Not required (test-optional) SAT · Not required (test-optional) ACT
To keep it: Renewable if recipient maintains full-time status AND good academic standing.
Source: https://sou.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/freshmen/

How families lose this aid

Out-of-state students overlooking how large SOU's non-resident merit is
Non-resident awards ($8,000–$12,000/yr) are roughly double the Oregon-resident awards ($1,000–$5,000/yr) at the same GPA — and 16 WUE states also receive the WUE tuition rate worth almost $13,000/yr.
Letting enrollment drop below full-time
These scholarships are renewable only if you maintain full-time status AND good academic standing.

Renewal questions families ask

Does SOU require test scores for merit scholarships?: No. The 2026-2027 first-year merit grid is based on minimum GPA only.
How much are the awards for out-of-state students?: Non-resident awards range from $8,000/yr (Churchill) to $12,000/yr (Raider Scholar, 3.95+ GPA). Oregon residents receive $1,000–$5,000/yr and WUE-state residents $1,000–$3,000/yr.
How do I keep my scholarship?: Maintain full-time status and good academic standing.

Rules that bite at Southern Oregon (SOU)

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

renewalFirst Year Merit Scholarships grid (Raider Scholar, Laurels, Churchill, Siskiyou) — by residency: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable if recipient maintains full-time status AND good academic standing. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Southern Oregon (SOU) compares across our verified dataset

669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Southern Oregon (SOU) 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 Southern Oregon (SOU)’s own published materials.