William Peace· Renewal Rules
Keeping William Peace’s Merit Aid for Four Years
What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.
At a glance
- Renewable tiers
- 4 of 4
- One-time tiers
- 0
- Tiers with published renewal terms
- 4
- Renewal risk profile
- low
Renewal risk profile
William Peace's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.
- First Time in College Merit Scholarships: See notes
- Transfer Merit Scholarships: See notes
- Peace Pledge: See notes
- Honors Scholarship: 3.25 GPA
Renewal terms by tier
First Time in College Merit Scholarships
$13,000-$22,000Entry requirements: 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) GPA
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.
Source: https://peace.edu/admissions/understand-costs-and-financial-aid/scholarships-and-awards/
Transfer Merit Scholarships
$10,000-$16,000Entry requirements: 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) GPA
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.'
Source: https://peace.edu/admissions/understand-costs-and-financial-aid/scholarships-and-awards/
Peace Pledge
Full tuitionEntry requirements: Weighted GPA of 3.25 and higher GPA
To keep it: The Peace Pledge is renewable for four years, provided you continue to meet all stipulated criteria.
Source: https://peace.edu/peace-pledge/
Honors Scholarship
$1,000Entry requirements: 3.5+ weighted GPA for incoming students; transfer students need a 3.5 cumulative GPA and fewer than 46 credit hours GPA · Considered if submitted SAT · Considered if submitted ACT
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).
Source: https://peace.edu/admissions/understand-costs-and-financial-aid/scholarships-and-awards/
How families lose this aid
- Assuming any admitted student can get the Peace Pledge.
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.
- Assuming the merit-grid renewal GPA is the same as the SAP minimums.
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.
- Transfer students budgeting four years of their merit scholarship.
The Peace Transfer Scholarship is 'renewable for up to two additional years' — i.e., three years total — provided the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Missing the Honors Scholarship because everything else is automatic.
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.
Renewal questions families ask
- 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.
- 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.
How William Peace compares across our verified dataset
- 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
William Peace 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 renewal claim is checked against William Peace’s own published materials.
More on William Peace merit aid
- William Peace merit aid overviewFull tier ladder, named scholarships, departmental awards, and how families decide.
- William Peace scholarship stackingWhether outside awards land as upside or quietly displace institutional aid.
- Does William Peace displace outside scholarships?The dollar math on a $5,000 outside award, plus peer schools that handle it differently.