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.

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 Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK

The verdict

Displacement policy unclear

At University of Memphis, an outside scholarship isn't fully spelled out in published policy. The strategy follows from that: assume the worst-case (grant-first) until the aid office confirms otherwise in writing.

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

Stacking policy at University of Memphis

One first-time freshman scholarship per student — except the Valedictorian Scholarship, which can stack on top. Tennessee residents may additionally stack Memphis Promise and TSAC state awards (e.g., HOPE) if eligible. Treatment of private outside scholarships is not addressed on the pages opened.

Award Limitations (freshman pages): 'Students may receive one first-time freshman scholarship, with the Valedictorian Scholarship eligible to be stacked. Tennessee residents may stack Memphis Promise and additional awards from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) if eligible and awarded.'

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

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.

Rules that bite at University of Memphis

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

displacementNo published displacement order
University of Memphis's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

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/ftf/ and the $30,536 cost-of-attendance worksheet.

The public policy doesn't specify how outside scholarships are treated against institutional merit and need-based aid. Can you confirm in writing whether outside awards reduce: (a) loans first, (b) institutional grant first, or (c) only trigger a reduction when total aid exceeds COA?

If the answer varies by aid type or award size, what's the dollar threshold or category split?

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

199 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
University of Memphis is in a recognizable cluster (199 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
199 of 751 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.
University of Memphis is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.
669 of 751 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.

Sources used on this page

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