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William Peace scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

William Peace awards automatic merit on admission. William Peace does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
2 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. First Time in College Merit Scholarships$13,000-$22,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    First Time in College Merit Scholarships

    $13,000-$22,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted GPA bands: 4.0+ = $22,000 (Presidential); 3.7-3.99 = $19,000 (Trustee); 3.25-3.69 = $18,000 (Excellence); 2.8-3.249 = $16,000 (Achievement); <2.8 = $13,000 (Pacer)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for First Time in College Merit Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    Awarded automatically upon admission; no further action required (except the Honors Scholarship, which requires additional application materials). Adult and online students are not eligible for institutional aid.

    How to keep it

    These scholarships are renewable each year if you maintain a designated minimum grade point average. The specific GPA threshold per award is not published on the page.

    Worth knowing

    Five named awards on a single weighted-GPA (WGPA) grid; every admitted first-time-in-college student lands in a band, including students below a 2.8 WGPA.

  2. Transfer Merit Scholarships$10,000-$16,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Transfer Merit Scholarships

    $10,000-$16,000

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    GPA bands: 3.8+ = $16,000 (Tier 1); 3.5-3.79 = $15,000 (Tier 2); 3-3.49 = $14,000 (Tier 3); 2.75-2.99 = $12,000 (Tier 4); <2.75 = $10,000 (Tier 5)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Transfer Merit Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    Considered automatically upon admission without further action. The companion 'Peace Transfer Scholarship' text says awards are based on number of transferable credits earned at an accredited college or university and cumulative GPA at each institution attended.

    How to keep it

    Per the related Peace Transfer Scholarship description on the same page: 'The scholarships are renewable for up to two additional years, provided recipients maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress with Financial Aid.'

    Worth knowing

    The page also describes a 'Peace Transfer Scholarship' of $10,000 to $16,000 — the same dollar range as this tier grid — which appears to describe the same program; the descriptions differ slightly on criteria (GPA-only grid vs. transferable credits plus GPA). Flagged in Section C.

  3. Peace PledgeFull tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Peace Pledge

    Full tuition

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

    GPA
    Weighted GPA of 3.25 and higher
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Peace Pledge

    Who qualifies

    Household income of less than $75,000 (as determined by the FAFSA); eligible for a Federal Pell Grant; resident of North Carolina; first-time-in-college students only (current students not eligible). Requires completing the FAFSA; no extra steps beyond the admission application.

    How to keep it

    The Peace Pledge is renewable for four years, provided you continue to meet all stipulated criteria.

    Worth knowing

    Covers 100% of TUITION only — students remain responsible for all fees, housing and food, and other expenses. Page states availability 'to first-time students starting at William Peace University in Fall 2025'; confirm the program continues for Fall 2026 entry (flagged in Section C). automaticOnStats is false because eligibility turns on FAFSA-determined income, Pell eligibility, and NC residency, not solely GPA/test stats — though the school says it is automatically awarded with no application beyond admission + FAFSA.

  4. Honors Scholarship$1,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Honors Scholarship

    $1,000

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

    GPA
    3.5+ weighted GPA for incoming students; transfer students need a 3.5 cumulative GPA and fewer than 46 credit hours
    SAT
    Considered if submitted
    ACT
    Considered if submitted
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Honors Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Requires additional application materials and possibly an interview with the Honors Committee; community engagement and leadership are also strong factors.

    How to keep it

    Honors scholarships are renewable for a further three years of study at William Peace University, provided recipients actively work toward completion of the Honors Program curriculum and maintain a 3.25 GPA. The scholarship increases annually during your time at Peace (later-year amounts not published).

    Worth knowing

    Stacks on top of the merit grid as a separate named award; the only Peace scholarship that requires additional application materials.

Lights up against William Peace's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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What makes William Peace different

DRAFT: William Peace publishes a clean, fully automatic weighted-GPA merit grid ($13,000-$22,000 for freshmen, $10,000-$16,000 for transfers) plus the Peace Pledge, a 100%-of-tuition guarantee for Pell-eligible North Carolina students with household income under $75,000 and a 3.25+ weighted GPA.

Merit tiers42 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  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 William Peace'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. The Pledge covers 100% of TUITION only. The school states students 'are still responsible for all fees, housing and food, and other expenses associated with attending Peace' — on the 2026-27 cost page that is at least $700 in comprehensive fee plus $13,700 housing/food for a residential student.

  2. It is gated four ways: North Carolina residency, household income under $75,000 (per FAFSA), Federal Pell Grant eligibility, AND a 3.25+ weighted GPA — and it is limited to first-time-in-college students. The page also still says it is 'available to first-time students starting... in Fall 2025'; families entering in Fall 2026 should confirm the program is still offered.

  3. The school describes the Pledge as reducing tuition costs 'by maximizing available financial aid resources' — i.e., it works with Pell, state, and institutional aid to reach the tuition figure, not as a separate stackable grant.

  4. Peace requires all outside awards to be reported. They are first applied to self-help aid (work-study/need-based loans), but once self-help is replaced, 'Peace scholarships and grants may be reduced, dollar for dollar, for any remaining amount.'

  5. The scholarships page only says merit awards are 'renewable each year if you maintain a designated minimum grade point average' — but never publishes that designated GPA. The separate SAP policy (1.7/1.8/2.0 by credits attempted, 67% pace, 150% timeframe) governs all aid including Peace scholarships, but the merit award may carry its own higher threshold. Ask the aid office for the exact figure in writing.

  6. The scholarships page's notice states: 'All awards cannot exceed tuition and are determined by the appointed committee. The Board of Trustees can change these limitations at any time.' Awards stop at the tuition figure — they will not cover housing, food, or fees.

  7. The page states plainly: 'Adult and online students are not eligible for institutional aid because of the discounted tuition rate.'

  8. The Peace Transfer Scholarship is 'renewable for up to two additional years' — i.e., three years total — provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.

  9. Peace's other awards require no application, but the Honors Scholarship 'requires additional application materials' and possibly an interview — and renewal requires actively working toward the Honors curriculum and a 3.25 GPA.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

DRAFT: Strongest for North Carolina students from households under $75,000 who are Pell-eligible with a 3.25+ weighted GPA — the Peace Pledge covers 100% of tuition for them. Every other admitted freshman and transfer gets an automatic merit award off the weighted-GPA grid with no separate application, even below a 2.8 GPA.

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at William Peace, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$15,779
$30,001–$48,000$18,233
$48,001–$75,000$20,429
$75,001–$110,000$23,046
$110,001+$30,565
All income levels (average)$21,649

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$49,362
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$34,176
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$21,649

That works out to an average 56% 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.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
45%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
74%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$22,250 (~$236/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$46,643
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
40%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
53%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships must be reported and are applied loan-first: they first replace self-help aid (Federal Work-Study or need-based loans); once self-help is fully replaced, Peace scholarships and grants may be reduced dollar for dollar. Separately, the school caps its non-merit awards at tuition.

Federal regulations require outside scholarships to be incorporated into the aid package. An outside scholarship is first applied to the self-help portion (Federal Work-Study or need-based loans). After all self-help has been replaced, Peace scholarships and grants may be reduced dollar for dollar for any remaining amount. The page's 'IMPORTANT NOTICE about Non-Merit Scholarships' also states all (non-merit) awards cannot exceed tuition and are determined by the appointed committee, and that the Board of Trustees can change these limitations at any time.

Source

Other William Peace scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$375-$1,000 per yearEligibilitySelect students nominated by the Peace Admissions Committee upon admission; limited number of awards; competitive. Highlight leadership and community service involvement on the application to be considered.

Renewable each year pending good academic standing.

Source

Amount$2,000EligibilityCurrent or past members of Phi Theta Kappa (two-year/community college honor society, including dual-enrolled high school students); send proof of membership to your admissions counselor.

Granted as an additional $2,000 PTK scholarship along with your merit scholarship — explicitly stacks on the merit grid.

Source

Amount$500 per semesterEligibilityStudents whose parents or grandparents are graduates of Peace; indicate on the application for admission.

Source

Amount$500 per semester per siblingEligibilitySiblings simultaneously enrolled in the day program at Peace; must indicate simultaneous enrollment on the application for admission and alert the Office of Financial Aid of continued eligibility.

May apply to renew each year both siblings are enrolled.

Source

William Peace merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    There is no separate scholarship deadline — merit awards are made automatically at admission, and Peace uses rolling admissions. The school encourages applying by April 1 for the fall term and December 1 for the spring term (no year printed on the page).

  • Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?

    No. All first-year and transfer students accepted for admission are considered for merit-based scholarships and grants 'without further action required' — the one exception is the Honors Scholarship, which requires additional application materials and possibly an interview.

  • Is the Peace Pledge a full ride?

    No. It guarantees 100% of tuition for eligible students (NC residents, household income under $75,000, Pell-eligible, 3.25+ weighted GPA). Students are still responsible for all fees, housing and food, and other expenses.

  • Will an outside scholarship reduce my Peace aid?

    Possibly. You must report all outside awards. They are first applied to the self-help portion of your package (Federal Work-Study or need-based loans); after all self-help is replaced, Peace scholarships and grants may be reduced dollar for dollar for any remaining amount.

  • What GPA do I need to keep my merit scholarship?

    The scholarships page says merit awards are renewable each year 'if you maintain a designated minimum grade point average,' but does not publish the number. Separately, the SAP policy that governs all aid requires a cumulative GPA of 1.7 (0-29 hours attempted), 1.8 (30-59), and 2.00 (60+), a 67% completion pace, and finishing within 150% of program length. Confirm the merit-specific renewal GPA with the aid office.

  • Is the FAFSA required?

    For need-based aid and the Peace Pledge, yes — the school says 'As long as you fill out the FAFSA, we'll consider you for both merit and need-based aid, without additional essays or applications.' Use FAFSA code 002953.

See sources and other schools

How William Peace compares

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

    William Peace 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.

    William Peace 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 William Peace’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring William Peace merit aid

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