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The Citadel· Renewal Rules

Keeping The Citadel’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
5 of 7
One-time tiers
2
Tiers with published renewal terms
5
Renewal risk profile
moderate

Renewal risk profile

The Citadel'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.

  • Full Academic Scholarship (Citadel Scholar): 3.0 GPA
  • Citadel Honors Program Scholarship: See notes
  • Upperclass Cadet Scholarship (institutional, renewal/upperclass): 3.0 GPA
  • SC LIFE Scholarship (SC state portable): See notes
  • SC Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC state portable): See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • Full Academic Scholarship (Citadel Scholar)

    Catalog costs (tuition, room/board, quartermaster charges)

    Entry requirements: Not published; invitation based on holistic review of HS credentials, activities, and separate application/interview GPA · Not published SAT · Not published ACT

    To keep it: Renewal criteria not published on official pages reviewed; invitation-based competitive process. Upperclass renewal requires filing annual FAFSA and scholarship application by priority deadlines; most scholarships require maintaining a 3.0 GPA.

    Source: https://www.citadel.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/cadet-scholarships/

  • Citadel Honors Program Scholarship

    Amount not published (four-year scholarship available to all chosen students)

    Entry requirements: Not published; holistic review of HS academic performance, course grades, courses taken, class rank, test scores (when provided), HS activities and leadership GPA · Not published SAT · Not published ACT

    To keep it: Four-year scholarship tied to continued participation in the Honors Program. Specific renewal GPA not published on pages reviewed.

    Source: https://www.citadel.edu/honors/benefits-of-the-program/

  • Upperclass Cadet Scholarship (institutional, renewal/upperclass)

    Amount not published

    Entry requirements: Most scholarships require a 3.0 cumulative GPA GPA · Not applicable (upperclass) SAT · Not applicable (upperclass) ACT

    To keep it: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors must complete a separate Citadel scholarship application each year. Evaluation occurs after spring grades are posted. Most scholarships require maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Some scholarships also have a financial need component.

    Source: https://www.citadel.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/cadet-scholarships/

  • SC LIFE Scholarship (SC state portable)

    $5,000/year (up to $7,500/year with STEM Enhancement)

    Entry requirements: 3.0 final high school cumulative GPA (one of three criteria; must meet two of three) GPA · 1100 SAT (one of three criteria; must meet two of three) SAT · 22 ACT (one of three criteria; must meet two of three) ACT

    To keep it: Available up to 8 semesters. Upperclass renewal requires 30 credit hours/year and cumulative 3.0 'LIFE GPA' (all post-secondary institutions). Annual LIFE GPA evaluated at end of each summer. Must complete The Citadel's LIFE Scholarship Affidavit. SC residents only.

    Source: https://www.citadel.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/state-scholarship-programs/

  • SC Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC state portable)

    $6,700/year (freshman); $7,500/year (soph/jr/sr); up to $10,000/year with STEM Enhancement

    Entry requirements: Set by SC Commission on Higher Education (eligibility criteria identified by SC high school officials) GPA · Set by SC Commission on Higher Education SAT · Set by SC Commission on Higher Education ACT

    To keep it: Administered by SC Commission on Higher Education; must complete The Citadel's Palmetto Fellows Affidavit each year. STEM Enhancement available starting sophomore year. SC residents only. COA-cap stacking rule applies.

    Source: https://www.citadel.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/state-scholarship-programs/

How families lose this aid

  • Assuming The Citadel has an automatic merit grid (GPA + test score = automatic scholarship dollar amount)

    The Citadel does NOT publish an automatic merit grid. All three main cadet scholarship tiers (Full Academic, Honors, 1842 Scholars) require a separate competitive application and invitation process after admission. Scholarship amounts are not linked to specific GPA/test score thresholds on any published grid.

  • Missing the renewal GPA cliff for most upperclass scholarships

    Most Citadel scholarships require students to maintain a 3.0 GPA. Falling below 3.0 triggers loss of renewal. Evaluation occurs after spring grades are posted each year.

  • Believing the SC LIFE Scholarship 3.0 renewal GPA is the same as The Citadel's academic GPA

    The 'LIFE GPA' is calculated from all post-secondary institutions attended (including dual enrollment in high school). It is separate from The Citadel's internal GPA. A student can be in good academic standing at The Citadel but lose the LIFE Scholarship if their cumulative LIFE GPA falls below 3.0.

  • Missing the LIFE Scholarship credit-hour requirement

    To maintain the LIFE Scholarship as an upperclassman, students must earn an average of 30 credit hours per year. Failing to hit this threshold can cause loss of the award regardless of GPA.

Renewal questions families ask

Does The Citadel have an automatic merit scholarship grid based on GPA and test scores?
No. All three main freshman cadet merit scholarship tiers require a separate competitive application and invitation process after the student has already received an admission offer. There is no published automatic grid.
What GPA must I maintain to keep my Citadel scholarship?
Most Citadel scholarships require a minimum 3.0 GPA. Renewal evaluations occur after spring grades are posted each year.

How The Citadel compares across our verified dataset

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

    The Citadel 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 The Citadel’s own published materials.

More on The Citadel merit aid