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ULM scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

ULM may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jun 2026
3 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. 2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.5-4.0 grid (President's Distinguished / Academic Excellence / Academic Merit / Ace's Award)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 $4,500Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

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

    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

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    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)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.5-4.0 grid (President's Distinguished / Academic Excellence / Academic Merit / Ace's Award)

    Who qualifies

    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

    How to keep it

    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.

    Worth knowing

    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.

  2. 2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.0-3.49 gridAcademic Scholarship $1,000-$5,000/year + Housing Award $1,500-$3,000/year (no housing award at ACT 20-22)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

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

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

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    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)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for 2026-2027 Freshman Academic Scholarships — GPA 3.0-3.49 grid

    Who qualifies

    Same deadlines and rules as the 3.5+ grid

    How to keep it

    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.

    Worth knowing

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

  3. Out-of-State Warhawk ScholarshipAmount not published (described as out-of-state fee waivers on the Money Matters page; detail page not opened)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Out-of-State Warhawk Scholarship

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

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Out-of-State Warhawk Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    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')

    Worth knowing

    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.

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The fine print

Renewal rule2026-2027 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.

What makes ULM different

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.

Merit tiers3See who qualifies
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take ULM's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  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).

See costs and school data

Who this school may work 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.

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at ULM, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at ULM, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$11,490
$30,001–$48,000$11,553
$48,001–$75,000$12,647
$75,001–$110,000$17,003
$110,001+$18,642
All income levels (average)$13,466

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$24,932
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$9,190
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$21,290
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$13,466

That works out to an average 46% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.

ULM is a public school; Scorecard's net price and cost of attendance figures cover in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
54%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
73%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$21,500 (~$228/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$46,769
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
51%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
48%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

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

Other ULM scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own 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).

See sources and other schools

How ULM compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    ULM is in a recognizable cluster (145 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    ULM is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring ULM merit aid

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