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MeritPlaybook / Take-home research

Louisville
Decision sheet

Kentucky · Research checked 2026-07-02 · School research, not an aid offer

The starting point

Kentucky public flagship with one of the most transparent automatic out-of-state merit grids in the country: every admitted non-resident gets a published stat-banded award with no separate application, and the awards are calibrated to chew through the out-of-state tuition surcharge.

Published academic criteria. These awards are recorded as automatic on academic criteria. Match the published grades and scores, then check residency, entering year and every additional condition.

Awards to discuss

First 3 of 5 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.

Border Benefit Award (base)

$16,000 per year · Published amount

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: Automatic upon admission for eligible out-of-state freshmen. No scholarship application required; guaranteed to students admitted by April 1.

Renewal: All awards listed on the out-of-state grid are renewable. The grid does not publish a renewal GPA on the page; confirm the renewal GPA with the financial aid office.

https://louisville.edu/cost-aid/undergraduate-scholarships-aid/out-state-scholarships-aid

Border Benefit Award (top stacked tier)

$21,000 per year ($16,000 base + $5,000) · Published award terms

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

GPA: 3.5 weighted GPA · SAT: 1570-1600 · ACT: 36

Eligibility: Stacked add-on grid: +$1,000 at 26-27 ACT/1230-1290 SAT, +$2,000 at 28-29/1300-1350, +$3,000 at 30/1360-1380, +$4,000 at 31-35/1390-1560, +$5,000 at 36/1570-1600 — each requiring a 3.5 weighted GPA. Test scores are only considered when they advantage the student.

Renewal: Renewable. The $5,000 add-on is the top band on the published grid.

https://louisville.edu/cost-aid/undergraduate-scholarships-aid/out-state-scholarships-aid

Regional Scholars Program

$12,000–$16,000 per year · Published range

Recorded as automatic on academic criteria; all conditions apply.

Eligibility: For students from designated regional/border areas. Base $12,000 automatic upon admission; $13,000 at 24-26 ACT/1160-1250 and 3.25 weighted GPA; $14,000 at 27-28/1260-1320 and 3.5; $16,000 at 29 ACT/1330 SAT and 3.5.

Renewal: Renewable. Accepted freshmen from designated regional areas automatically receive this award.

https://louisville.edu/cost-aid/undergraduate-scholarships-aid/out-state-scholarships-aid/regional-scholars-program

Ask before you decide

  1. Which entering-year policy and residency category apply to us? What are the admission and scholarship deadlines?
  2. What grades and credits are required to renew, and for how many terms?
  3. How would other school awards or outside scholarships change the offer?

Recorded stacking policy: Louisville publishes a clear overaward/stacking policy. When you bring an outside scholarship, the office reduces self-help aid (loans and work-study) FIRST before touching any grant or scholarship — so an outside award generally replaces your loans rather than displacing your institutional merit, up to the cost-of-attendance ceiling.

Our unanswered questions / Family notes

Keep the sources with the decision

Full research, award details and source context: https://meritplaybook.com/colleges/university-of-louisville/merit-aid

The research date is not a guarantee that a policy still applies. Confirm current amounts, deadlines and conditions with the school before making a financial decision.