Out-of-state freshman merit scholarships

This is a real program, but some details for the current cycle are not published or not yet confirmed. Check the official source before you plan around it.

Award

By GPA on a 4.0 scale, four-year totals: KU Excellence 3.95+ $64,000 ($16,000 per year); KU Distinction 3.85-3.94 $56,000 ($14,000); KU Achievement 3.70-3.84 $48,000 ($12,000); KU Performance 3.5-3.69 $40,000 ($10,000); KU Access 3.25-3.49 $32,000 ($8,000).

Deadline

KU scholarship page says to complete admission by December 1, but does not identify an entering year. Confirm the fall 2027 deadline before relying on it.

How to apply

KU describes automatic consideration with a complete admission application; the page says December 1 but does not identify the fall 2027 cycle.

What you'll need

• No separate application: you are considered when you apply for admission

Who can apply

Out-of-state domestic freshmen enrolling in at least 12 credits each fall and spring immediately after high school. KU uses the sixth-semester weighted or unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, whichever benefits the student; weighted GPA must be school-wide and on the transcript. Exclusively online degrees are ineligible.

Good to know

Amounts are reviewed annually and the page does not specify an entering class. No seventh-semester upgrades or GPA rounding. Renewal requires a 3.0 KU GPA and full-time enrollment for the first bachelor's degree or eight continuous semesters, whichever comes first. Awards cannot stack with Missouri Tuition Reciprocity for architecture.