The starting point
Truman gives every admitted freshman automatic, stackable TruMerit scholarships ($2,000-$10,000) off a GPA × test grid that differs for Missouri vs out-of-state students — but big competitive awards (Pershing, Kirk, Harry S. Truman) supersede everything else, and Truman money covers tuition + on-campus room/meals only, never fees.
More than one award path. Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
Awards to discuss
First 3 of 8 recorded awards, in chapter display order. This is a selection, not a ranking. Read the full chapter for all awards. Amounts retain the original units and conditions; confirm the entering year with the school.
TruMerit Scholarship
$2,000-$10,000 per year · Published range
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
GPA: Cumulative HS GPA 3.00-4.0+ (grid) · SAT: SAT ERW+M ~1130-1600 (grid) · ACT: ACT 23-36 (grid)
Eligibility: Automatically awarded based on cumulative GPA and ACT/SAT at time of application; verified test score required
Renewal: Renewable per Scholarship Renewal Guidelines (SAP-based). Truman continues updating the TruMerit award through the June test date of senior year as GPA / ACT-SAT improve.
Other terms: Truman publishes SEPARATE Missouri-resident and Out-of-State TruMerit charts (GPA × test). The live chart is an image (truman.edu/?da_image=186579) that could not be OCR'd; the live table states the overall range as $2,000-$10,000. An older 2020-21 PDF showed Missouri tiers of $2,000/$3,000/$4,000 and Out-of-State tiers of $3,500/$5,000/$7,000/$8,000 — STALE, not used as current. Out-of-State TruMerit assists with the out-of-state tuition portion and cannot be combined with other out-of-state-portion awards.
https://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/scholarships/automatic-scholarships/
Bulldog Legacy Scholarship
$1,000/year (Missouri residents) / $2,000/year (Out-of-State residents) · Published award terms
Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.
Eligibility: Children, step-children, or grandchildren of Truman alumni, or whose sibling currently attends or graduated from Truman
Renewal: Renewable per Scholarship Renewal Guidelines.
Other terms: Notably, Bulldog Legacy can be combined with all scholarships EXCEPT the Pershing award — it is the one award that survives the Kirk/HSTL supersede rule.
https://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/scholarships/automatic-scholarships/
General John J. Pershing Scholarship (competitive)
Full tuition + average room and board, plus a one-time $4,000 study abroad stipend · Published coverage or package
Not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules.
SAT: Top 3% nationally · ACT: Top 3% nationally
Eligibility: Typically top 3% of HS class; complete application with test score, essay AND activities resume prior to Dec. 1
Renewal: Renewable per Scholarship Renewal Guidelines.
Other terms: Approximately twelve awards annually. SUPERSEDES ALL OTHER TRUMAN-FUNDED AWARDS (and Bulldog Legacy cannot be combined with Pershing).
https://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/scholarships/competitive-scholarships/
Ask before you decide
- Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
- What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
- How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?
Recorded stacking policy: Automatic awards are generally stackable and renewable, and a student may receive multiple automatic and/or competitive awards. BUT: (1) Truman-funded scholarships apply only to tuition and on-campus room and meal plans — never to fees; (2) competitive awards (Pershing, Kirk, Harry S. Truman) supersede all other Truman-funded awards, except the Bulldog Legacy Award (which can combine with everything except Pershing); (3) out-of-state-portion awards (Out-of-State TruMerit, Non-Resident Tuition Waiver, Non-Resident Tuition Grant, MSEP) cannot be combined — only the greatest-value one is given; (4) NEMO does not stack with Top Scholar or TruPlus; (5) some larger awards replace/supersede smaller ones.
Our unanswered questions / Family notes
