Meritously
Clemson University

National Scholars

ListedCollege programTuition + housing
Award
Cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing, food, and other expenses, plus educational enrichment and study/travel abroad. As a first-year recruiting scholarship, the general published limit is four years/eight semesters with cumulative Clemson GPA at least 3.0 and 24 earned credits annually; more specific award conditions are supplied in iROAR.
Timeline
  1. Oct 15, 2026For the Fall 2027 selection process, apply Early Action by and Honors Priority by October 22, 2026
  2. Nov 1, 2026Required admission and Honors materials by . The explicitly labeled 2027 cohort interview weekend is February 19–20, 2027, with January invitations and early March decisions. Time zones are not stated.
How to apply
Submit Clemson undergraduate Early Action and the separate Honors Priority application, including two essays, activities, awards, STARS academic record and two recommendations by the published deadlines. Selected finalists must attend the February 19–20, 2027 recruitment weekend. Clemson’s broader Named Scholarship page also says to file the FAFSA by January 1 for named-program consideration, while the specific National Scholars page lists only the two applications and includes international applicants; check how the FAFSA instruction applies to this program.
What you'll need
  • An honors college application
  • Recommendations
  • An essay
  • An interview
  • A finalist round or selection weekend
Who can apply
New first-year applicants in all residency categories, explicitly including international students. No entry GPA or score floor is published. Selection assesses academics, intellectual curiosity, leadership and community impact; this is separate from National Merit.
Good to know
Clemson's current first-year admissions and counselor pages state a test-optional policy without the Honors page's older 2026–27 qualifier. The specific National Scholars page admits applicants regardless of residency, including international students. Its application list conflicts with the general Named Scholarship page's FAFSA statement; international applicants cannot use federal FAFSA. General first-year recruiting renewal is 3.0 cumulative GPA and 24 earned credits annually; award-specific conditions accompany iROAR offers. Optional supplemental materials are not required.
Details
Before Early Action