Merit Aid for an ACT 33

What an ACT 33 means for merit positioning

At the public flagship level, an ACT 33 is a clear breakpoint. Alabama’s out-of-state Presidential Scholarship starts at 32 ACT, so a 33 is inside the top automatic tier with room to spare. Auburn’s newly restructured Fall 2026 non-resident Academic Presidential has a specific 33-34 ACT band at $15,000 per year, distinct from the 35-36 ACT band at $17,000. Oklahoma’s tiers are capped at 31+ ACT for the Non-Resident Award of Excellence ($17,000 per year), so a 33 ACT lands at the top automatic tier. Kentucky’s Presidential Scholarship (full tuition) triggers at 31 ACT, so a 33 is well inside.

At the mid-selective private level, a 33 ACT puts the student in the top quartile or above at TCU (middle 50% ACT: 26-31), Baylor (25-31), and SMU. These schools use holistic review, so the exact dollar amount depends on the full application, but a 33 ACT is above their published score-submitting ranges. The student is in a strong bargaining position.

Schools where ACT 33 reaches the top automatic tiers

University of Alabama

A 33 ACT with a 3.5+ GPA triggers the Presidential Scholarship at $28,000 per year for out-of-state students (the 32-36 ACT band). Alabama residents with the same stats qualify for the Presidential Scholarship (in-state variant) covering full in-state tuition (30-36 ACT band). The competitive National Alumni Association Crimson Scholarship requires a 33+ ACT and a 3.8+ GPA with a separate ASAM application by December 5. The Crimson covers out-of-state tuition value plus supplements, a meaningful upgrade over the $28,000 automatic tier. Full Alabama merit aid page.

Auburn University

A 33 ACT with a 3.5+ GPA places non-residents in the Academic Presidential Scholarship (33-34 ACT band) at $15,000 per year ($60,000 over four years). Alabama residents at 33 ACT with a 3.5+ GPA qualify for the Spirit of Auburn Presidential Scholarship at $11,500 per year. Pushing to 35 ACT moves non-residents to the top Academic Presidential tier at $17,000 per year and gives Alabama-resident 4.0-GPA students access to the Presidential Excellence Award covering full tuition and fees. Full Auburn merit aid page.

University of Oklahoma

A 33 ACT exceeds OU’s top non-resident automatic threshold (31+ ACT for the Non-Resident Award of Excellence), so the student qualifies for $68,000 total ($17,000 per year). Oklahoma residents with 31+ ACT and a 3.5+ GPA qualify for the Resident Award of Excellence at $16,000 total ($4,000 per year). At this score level, National Merit Semifinalist status is likely. NMSF non-residents at OU receive the same $17,000 per year as the Award of Excellence. National Merit Finalists who name OU first choice qualify for the full NMF package at up to $153,450.

Ole Miss

A 33+ ACT is the cap of Ole Miss’s resident Academic Merit chart. Mississippi residents with a 3.0+ GPA receive the Academic Merit Scholarship at $9,990 per year (year-one tuition value). Adding a 3.5+ GPA stacks the 1848 Award at $4,000 per year for a combined $13,990 per year in total automatic aid. Important: a 34 ACT does not push the scholarship higher than a 33. The cap is real. Non-residents with a 3.5+ GPA and a 32+ ACT qualify for up to $20,160 per year (the top cell of the non-resident chart with a 3.75+ GPA), which covers the full non-resident fee. Full Ole Miss merit aid page.

Mississippi State

A 33 ACT with a 3.6+ GPA places Mississippi residents in the top cell of the Freshman Academic Excellence grid at $10,500 per year. Students scoring 34+ ACT additionally receive a one-year scholarship valued at the cost of their share of a double-occupancy residence hall room. Non-residents with a 3.60+ GPA and a 31+ ACT (which a 33 clears) qualify for $20,000 per year. With a 4.10+ GPA, the non-resident award reaches $22,000 per year.

University of Kentucky

A 33 ACT exceeds the Presidential Scholarship threshold (31 ACT, 3.50 GPA). Residents and non-residents both receive full tuition through Presidential. The competitive Otis A. Singletary Scholars Program (full tuition plus $10,000 per year housing stipend for two years, roughly 25 awards per year) has a minimum of 33 ACT and a 3.80 GPA. A 33 ACT student with a strong overall profile should apply for Singletary as a potential upgrade on top of the guaranteed Presidential.

Competitive awards at privates

At Tulane, the Dean’s Honor Scholarship(full tuition) typically goes to students with 33+ ACT and top-5% class rank. The admission-based partial merit awards go up to $32,000 per year. Tulane’s middle 50% ACT is 32-34, so a 33 is squarely in the admitted class median. At SMU, a 33 ACT profile with strong GPA typically reaches the Provost Scholar ($30,000 per year) or higher tiers through holistic review. SMU also has the competitive President’s Scholarat $35,000 per year and the Hunt Leadership Scholar (full tuition). At Baylor, merit ranges from $1,000 to full cost of attendance through holistic review with no published thresholds; a 33 ACT places the student above Baylor’s middle 50% ACT range (25-31).

The reach-vs-merit tradeoff at ACT 33

A 33 ACT is a strong score at the top-25 selective tier, but most of those schools do not offer merit aid. The same two exceptions that matter at 1550 SAT apply here: UChicago (4% of freshmen receive merit, average $16,338) and Johns Hopkins (10%, average $29,844). At every other top-25 school, a 33 ACT helps admission but does not generate a merit dollar. For middle-income families (household income $150,000 to $300,000), the automatic merit at Alabama ($28,000 per year), Auburn ($15,000 per year), or Kentucky (full tuition) can exceed the need-based aid at a top-25 school by a wide margin. Run the net price calculator at every reach school before finalizing the list.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ACT 33 high enough for a full ride?

At Alabama with a 3.5+ GPA, the Presidential Scholarship pays $28,000 per year, which covers roughly half of out-of-state cost of attendance. A full ride typically requires a 36 ACT, 4.0 GPA, and the Presidential Elite Scholar package, or National Merit Finalist status combined with a first-choice NMF commitment. An ACT 33 student is close to NMF territory and should check their PSAT score against the state cutoff.

Should I retake from 33 to 35 ACT?

At Alabama, the same $28,000 per year Presidential applies at 33 as at 35, so the retake adds no automatic dollars. At Auburn, pushing from 33 to 35 moves non-residents from $15,000 per year to $17,000 per year, worth $8,000 over four years. The retake math depends on the target school list. If your list is Alabama-heavy, the ACT 33 is functionally equivalent to a 35 for automatic merit purposes. If Auburn is the priority, the extra points matter.

Can an ACT 33 student get merit at a top-25 school?

Only at UChicago and Johns Hopkins. UChicago awards merit to 4% of freshmen (average $16,338); Johns Hopkins awards merit to 10% (average $29,844). Every other top-25 school awards 0% non-need institutional merit. A 33 ACT student applying to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, or MIT should expect need-based aid only, calculated from family income and assets regardless of test score.