How much more do out-of-state students get?

Roughly double: e.g., the Cecil C. Humphreys Presidential is $7,000/yr in-state vs $14,000/yr out-of-state; National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists get $15,000/yr in both cases.

Can I stack my UofM scholarship with the Tennessee HOPE?

Yes — 'Tennessee residents may stack Memphis Promise and additional awards from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) if eligible and awarded.'

What is the cost of attendance?

Published 2025-2026 figures (the most recent on the COA page): in-state undergraduate on-campus total $30,536; out-of-state $35,240 (based on 12 hours). 2026-27 figures were not yet posted.

University of Memphis· Scholarship Stacking

Stacking Outside Scholarships at University of Memphis

How University of Memphis treats outside scholarships when they arrive on top of institutional merit aid.

Verified Jul 202625 days ago· COWORK

The verdict

Loan-first displacement

At University of Memphis, an outside scholarship reduces loan offers before touching institutional grants. The strategy follows from that: every $1 in outside scholarship is effectively $1 less in graduation debt.

memphis.edu publishes the $30,536 cost-of-attendance worksheet the math is run against.

Stacking policy at University of Memphis

Outside scholarships reduce loans and/or work-study first; institutional grants are only reduced if required to prevent an over-award.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): If the UofM has met 100% of your demonstrated need and subsequently you receive an outside scholarship, one or more of your financial aid sources may need to be adjusted as required by law. Loan assistance is adjusted first, whenever possible. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: One first-time freshman scholarship per student — except the Valedictorian Scholarship, which can stack on top. (per https://www.memphis.edu/scholarships/ftf/)

Source: https://www.memphis.edu/scholarships/faq/

Common stacking mistakes

Expecting to combine two UofM freshman merit awards
Award Limitations: 'Students may receive one first-time freshman scholarship' — only the $1,000/yr Valedictorian Scholarship can stack on top of another award.
TN residents skipping the FAFSA and losing HOPE
HOPE (up to $2,250/semester early years, plus Aspire/Merit supplements) requires completing the FAFSA as specified by TSAC — and HOPE stacks with a UofM merit award, so missing it leaves state money on the table.

Stacking questions families ask

How much more do out-of-state students get?: Roughly double: e.g., the Cecil C. Humphreys Presidential is $7,000/yr in-state vs $14,000/yr out-of-state; National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists get $15,000/yr in both cases.
Can I stack my UofM scholarship with the Tennessee HOPE?: Yes — 'Tennessee residents may stack Memphis Promise and additional awards from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) if eligible and awarded.'
What is the cost of attendance?: Published 2025-2026 figures (the most recent on the COA page): in-state undergraduate on-campus total $30,536; out-of-state $35,240 (based on 12 hours). 2026-27 figures were not yet posted.

Aid-office script (copy & send)

A binding written answer beats a verbal hallway promise. This script is keyed to University of Memphis's published displacement type. Paste it, fill in your name, and send it before you accept an outside award.

Subject: Outside-scholarship treatment question, fall applicant

Dear University of Memphis Financial Aid Office,

I'm a fall applicant reviewing how outside scholarships interact with my institutional aid package. I've read the public policy at https://www.memphis.edu/scholarships/faq/ and the $30,536 cost-of-attendance worksheet.

If I win a $5,000 outside scholarship after the package is built, can you confirm it reduces my Direct Loan offer first, before any institutional grant is touched?

If the loan offer is smaller than the outside award, what is the next aid type that gets reduced (work-study, institutional grant, other)?

A written answer (email is fine) is important because the outside-scholarship awarding bodies want confirmation before disbursing. Thank you for the time.

— [Student name], [Application ID if available]

How University of Memphis compares across our verified dataset

147 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
University of Memphis is in a recognizable cluster (147 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
University of Memphis 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.
132 of 750 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.
University of Memphis is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against University of Memphis’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.