Amount not published
Hope Scholarship
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Valdosta State University · Georgia
Valdosta State University scholarships and merit aid
Strong Georgia merit-aid tradition with deep alumni-funded awards across arts, business, and athletics.
Verified Jul 20261 month ago
The short answer
Is Valdosta State University worth a closer look?
Valdosta State University may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.
Merit tiers5See who qualifies
First-year students with school awards3%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team
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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.
Amount not published
Zell Miller Hope Scholarship
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Amount not published
Dr Joseph A And Hazel Durrenberger Scholarship
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- GPA
- 2.5
Amount not published
Clare Philips Martin Scholarship
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- GPA
- 3.5
Amount not published
Air Force Rotc Scholarship
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See costs and school data
Who this school may work for
Georgia residents with solid academics who qualify for state merit programs, and students in fine arts, theatre, business, or engineering with focused career interests.
Published yearly cost: Approximately $17,008 for 2026-2027. Source
Cost and graduation facts
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Valdosta State University, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
| Family income | Average net price paid |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $9,378 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $9,541 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $11,877 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $14,906 |
| $110,001+ | $15,905 |
| All income levels (average) | $10,945 |
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
- Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
- $6,124
- Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
- $17,836
- Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
- $10,945
That works out to roughly a 47% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $20,801 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
Valdosta State University is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers 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
- 42%
- First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
- 72%
- Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
- $24,779 (~$263/mo on a 10-yr plan)
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
- $49,361
- Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
- 59%
- Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
- 42%
See other scholarships and cost examples
More school data
From the Valdosta State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated figures):
3%of admitsget merit
Average award$2,074Covers ~12% of $17,008 cost of attendance
At Valdosta State University, roughly 1 in 33 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $2,074 — about 12% of total cost.
As filed in Valdosta State University's CDS Section H2A: of 1,081 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 31 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $2,074. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 100 of 5,266, averaging $2,186. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.
The 2024-2025 column is marked "estimated" in the school's own CDS filing — school-projected figures, not final audited counts.
Receive institutional merit3%First-year students, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Average merit award$2,074Across recipients, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Other Valdosta State University scholarships worth checking
These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Bernard L. Linger Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship is awarded to a sophomore, junior, or senior majoring in music, art, or communication arts who maintained a 3.5 GPA, and it is renewable for up to three years with a 3.5 cumulative GPA while continuing in an eligible major.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Ola Lee Means Scholarship is a non-renewable scholarship offered to outstanding students in English and College of the Arts programs, alternating by year between English and College of the Arts majors.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe LaForrest Eberhardt Theatre Scholarship is awarded to theatre majors based on a combination of academic achievement and audition or portfolio presentation.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Wesley Ren Christie Scholarship is for communication arts majors; high school seniors must have a combined SAT score of at least 1100, and selection is based on SAT or ACT scores, academic average and standing, and an original essay.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Lucy Martin Stewart Scholarship is awarded each year to a vocal music major, with selection made solely on promise as a performer and by audition.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Elene D. Dorminy Scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate music major based on musical ability and potential, with recipients selected by audition.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Robert F. Barr Scholarship provides scholarship awards for promising instrumentalist Music and Music Education majors, with recipients selected by the Department of Music on the basis of audition.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Golden Circle Theatre Scholarship is awarded to theatre majors based on a combination of academic achievement and audition or portfolio presentation.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Belk-Hudson Management Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding management major and is renewable with a 2.75 GPA and satisfactory progress toward the B.B.A. degree.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Jim & Mary Threatte Scholarship recognizes an outstanding student in the College of Education, with recipients selected by the College of Education.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Bank of America Scholarship is awarded based on recommendations by the Dean of the College of Business Administration, gives preference to business majors, and requires good academic standing.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Elizabeth Lohmar Award is awarded to an outstanding junior or returning senior mathematics major with a 3.0 GPA or better and a combined interest in scholastic and extracurricular activities.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe A.B. “Sonny” Martin Scholarship is for students pursuing a master's of education degree and is based on ability and promise.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe James E. Martin Scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a B.S. degree in physics, excluding Engineering Track students, and can be renewed for up to three years with a 3.0 GPA in all physics-major required courses.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Julia Wisenbaker Sumerford Scholarship is a non-renewable scholarship for outstanding students in chemistry and nursing, awarded to chemistry students in even-numbered years and nursing students in odd-numbered years.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Billy Grant Scholarship is awarded to a member of the VSU golf team based on recommendations from the golf coach and athletic director.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Maxwell Stephenson Scholarship is awarded based on recommendations by the Dean of the College of Business Administration, gives preference to business administration majors, and requires good academic standing.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityGeorgia Gulf Sulfur Athletic Scholarships assist academically and athletically talented students who are members of the VSU basketball teams.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Jesse F. Tuggle Scholarship assists members of the VSU football team, and recipients must be in good academic standing.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Mrs. Maya Goel Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding junior or returning senior mathematics major with a 3.3 GPA or better.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Threadgill-Thompson Pre-Engineering Scholarship is awarded to Georgia residents in the second year of VSU's pre-engineering program who plan to transfer to the University of Georgia engineering program and have a minimum GPA of 3.2.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityThe Georgia Gulf Sulfur Business—Athlete Scholarship recognizes outstanding classroom and athletic performance for incoming freshmen majoring in a College of Business discipline and participating in a VSU intercollegiate athletic team; it requires a minimum 950 SAT and can be renewed with a 2.5 GPA, continued business major, and continued intercollegiate athletics participation.
Amount$1,000EligibilityThe Jeffrey K Cutchens Scholarship for Criminal Justice Majors awards a $1,000 annual scholarship to a junior, senior, or graduate student majoring in Criminal Justice who has maintained a B average and meets residency criteria.
See sources and other schools
How Valdosta State University compares
- 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Valdosta State University 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 Valdosta State University’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
- Cost of attendanceValdosta State University cost-of-attendance worksheet
- Merit tiersHope Scholarship
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