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University of Louisiana at Monroe · Louisiana

ULM Merit Aid

DRAFT: ULM publishes a fully current 2026-2027 freshman grid split by GPA band — academic award PLUS a matching on-campus housing award (up to $6,000 + $6,000 at ACT 33-36/3.5+, with a laptop and up to $4,500 study-abroad stipend) — and even prints the aid-displacement order (loans first) on the scholarship page.

Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers3See requirements
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK

Rules that bite at ULM

The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from ULM's own published policy, not generic advice.

  • renewal2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.5-4.0 grid (President's Distinguished / Academic Excellence / Academic Merit / Ace's Award): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Awarded for eight semesters or until Bachelor's graduation, whichever comes first, provided retention criteria are met: earn 24 credit hours each academic year (Aug-Jul), enroll in 12+ hours by the 15th class day each Fall/Spring, maintain full-time continuous enrollment, and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of Spring. Once cancelled, appeal decisions by the Scholarship Committee are final. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Common merit-aid mistakes at ULM

  1. 'First time freshmen who enroll in an online degree program are NOT eligible for academic scholarships' — and students who switch from on-campus to an online program after their first semester have their scholarship REDUCED BY 50%.

  2. Housing awards require living on campus, 'will not roll over into a refund,' and can only be used to cover residence hall and meal plan charges. Commuters at ACT 20-22 get no housing award at all.

  3. Students can retest through April 2026 (ACT) / May 2026 (SAT), but ULM must RECEIVE all official scores by May 31, 2026. The highest composite or superscore counts — late scores don't.

  4. The offer is 'only valid if the student enrolls at ULM beginning with the Fall 2026 semester. If the student chooses not to accept the academic award, their award will be forfeited for all future semesters.'

  5. Renewal requires 24 earned credit hours each academic year (Aug-Jul) plus 12+ hours by the 15th class day each Fall/Spring and a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of Spring. AP/CLEP/credit-by-exam can't fill the gap (freshmen may use up to 6 dual-enrollment hours in year one only); off-campus courses need PRIOR Scholarship Office approval. Cancelled awards are gone for all future terms, and committee appeal decisions are final.

  6. The TOPS columns are 'estimates based on prior academic year' — TOPS is state-funded via LOSFA, initially posted as an estimate, and requires a FAFSA in the first year.

  7. ULM Foundation scholarships (which stack on top of academic awards) accept applications 'during the month of February only.'

  8. Aid exceeding the federally mandated COA is reduced in published order: federal loans first, then institutional/other aid, then state scholarships and grants (including TOPS).

Who this school is for

DRAFT: Students with a 20+ ACT (superscore accepted) — the 3.5+ GPA band pays substantially more, on-campus residents double their money via the housing award, 30+ scorers get a laptop, and 33+ adds a $4,500 study-abroad stipend; online-degree freshmen get nothing.

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

Academic Scholarship…Academic Scholarship $1,000-$6,000/year + Housing Award $2,000-$6,000/year (no housing award at ACT 20-22); ACT 30-32 adds a laptop, ACT 33-36 adds a laptop + study abroad stipend up to $4,500

2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.5-4.0 grid (President's Distinguished / Academic Excellence / Academic Merit / Ace's Award)

ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.5-4.0 (6th-semester GPA used)
SAT
See ULM's SAT Scholarship Grid PDF (linked from the page)
ACT
33-36 ($6,000+$6,000), 31-32 ($5,000+$5,000), 30 ($5,000+$5,000), 27-29 ($3,250+$3,250), 23-26 ($2,000+$2,000), 20-22 ($1,000, no housing)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Priority application deadline extended to May 1, 2026; ACT through April 2026 / SAT through May 2026 accepted; all official scores received by May 31, 2026; highest composite/SUPER SCORE used; admission application doubles as the scholarship application; offer valid only if enrolling Fall 2026

Renewal terms

Awarded for eight semesters or until Bachelor's graduation, whichever comes first, provided retention criteria are met: earn 24 credit hours each academic year (Aug-Jul), enroll in 12+ hours by the 15th class day each Fall/Spring, maintain full-time continuous enrollment, and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of Spring. Once cancelled, appeal decisions by the Scholarship Committee are final.

Notes

TOPS amounts shown in the table ($5,788-$10,065) are state awards, 'estimates based on prior academic year.' Housing awards require living on campus and 'will not roll over into a refund' — they only cover residence hall and meal plan. Students are only eligible for ONE freshman academic scholarship. Online-degree freshmen are NOT eligible.

Source

Academic Scholarship…Academic Scholarship $1,000-$5,000/year + Housing Award $1,500-$3,000/year (no housing award at ACT 20-22)

2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.0-3.49 grid

ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.0-3.49 (6th-semester GPA)
SAT
See ULM's SAT Scholarship Grid PDF
ACT
30-36 ($5,000+$3,000), 27-29 ($3,000+$2,500), 23-26 ($2,000+$1,500), 20-22 ($1,000, no housing)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Same deadlines and rules as the 3.5+ grid

Renewal terms

Same retention criteria: 24 hours/year, 12+ hours by 15th class day each Fall/Spring, continuous full-time enrollment, 3.0 cumulative GPA at end of Spring; eight semesters or Bachelor's graduation.

Notes

Lower GPA band pays less at every ACT tier — the GPA split is the page's central structure.

Source

Amount not published…Amount not published (described as out-of-state fee waivers on the Money Matters page; detail page not opened)

Out-of-State Warhawk Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Non-Louisiana residents; 'many non-residents are eligible for out-of-state fee waivers'; separate maintenance criteria page exists ('Maintaining Out-of-State Warhawk Scholarships')

Notes

Distinct named track referenced from both the freshman scholarships page and the Money Matters page; the dedicated detail page (ulm.edu/scholarships/outofstate.html) was not opened — criteria unverified.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

ULM publishes its displacement order directly on the freshman scholarships page: if total aid plus scholarships exceeds the federally mandated COA, aid is reduced in this order — federal loan aid first, then institutional and other aid per institutional practice, then State Scholarships and Grants (including TOPS). ULM Foundation scholarships explicitly stack ON TOP of academic scholarships. Students may hold only ONE freshman academic scholarship.

COA cap with a published reduction sequence (loans → institutional/other → state). The one-award rule limits institutional freshman scholarships to a single award; Foundation awards 'are added on top of any Academic Scholarships.' Private outside scholarships are encouraged but their specific displacement treatment beyond the COA-cap order is not separately addressed.

Source

Lesser-known scholarships at ULM

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

AmountAmount not published (donor-criteria based: major, hometown, involvement)EligibilityApply during the month of February ONLY

'The scholarships you receive from the ULM Foundation are added on top of any Academic Scholarships you may receive.'

Source

Amount$250-$2,500 per semesterEligibilityFull-time students in good standing who audition and are selected for ULM bands, choral ensembles, or dance repertoire; open to all majors; certain visual art students also eligible

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityAll members of spirit squads (Cheerleading, Hawkline dance team, Ace the Mascot); some leadership positions (SGA, CAB, Miss ULM) also carry awards

Source

AmountAmount not published ('available on a competitive basis')EligibilityHonors Program members pursuing Honors certificates; program admission: first-time full-time freshmen with 27+ ACT or 1210+ SAT (or recommendation letters + exemplary GPA)

'Honors students are eligible for exclusive Honors Housing in Bayou Suites, as well as extra Honors-only scholarships.'

Source

ULM merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    The priority application deadline for admission has been extended to May 1, 2026 (the admission application doubles as the scholarship application). ACT scores through April 2026 and SAT through May 2026 count, but all official scores must be received by May 31, 2026. Foundation scholarships: apply in February only.

  • Does ULM superscore?

    Yes — 'The highest ACT Composite/Super Score, or SAT Total Score is used to determine scholarship eligibility.'

  • How much can a top student get?

    At GPA 3.5-4.0 and ACT 33-36: $6,000 academic + $6,000 housing per year, plus a laptop and a study-abroad stipend up to $4,500, plus an estimated $10,065 TOPS for Louisiana residents — a published total of $22,065/year.

  • What does renewal require?

    24 earned credit hours each academic year, 12+ hours by the 15th class day each Fall/Spring, continuous full-time enrollment, and a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of Spring — for eight semesters or until your bachelor's degree.

  • Do other awards stack with the academic scholarship?

    ULM Foundation scholarships are explicitly 'added on top' of academic scholarships, and out-of-state students can add the Out-of-State Warhawk fee waiver. But you may hold only ONE freshman academic scholarship, and total aid is capped at the COA (loans reduced first).

How ULM compares across our verified dataset

  • 99 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    ULM is in the modest minority (99 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

    ULM 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 claim is checked against ULM’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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