National Merit Scholarship
ListedCollege program
- Award
- Full cost of attendance for four years, based on 30 credits per year and living on campus or off campus away from relatives. The page estimates $24,797 annually for Florida residents and $39,197 for nonresidents for 2026-27, not confirmed 2027-28 amounts. Additional benefits include priority registration, Honors housing and Hicks Honors admission, a one-time Honors study-abroad scholarship, academic mentorship, and up to three guaranteed paid summer internships. Pre-med students also receive $1,700 toward MCAT testing.
- Deadline
- List UNF as number one with NMSC by May 1, 2027.
- How to apply
- Be a National Merit Finalist and list UNF as number one with NMSC by May 1, 2027.
- What you'll need
- No separate application: you are considered when you apply for admission
- Who can apply
- Incoming freshman National Merit Finalists naming UNF first choice. Florida residents must also qualify as Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholars. NMSC entry rules allow students attending high school in the United States, D.C. or U.S. territories without a universal citizenship requirement. Students attending high school abroad must meet the separate citizenship or permanent-residence requirements.
- Good to know
- UNF explicitly publishes May 1, 2027 for first choice, but the National Merit award figures remain labeled 2026-27. Actual packages vary with enrollment, housing, grants and outside scholarships. Florida Academic Scholars renewal requires a 3.0 cumulative unweighted college GPA and earned hours based on funded enrollment, ordinarily 24 hours for full-time annual enrollment. Complete National Merit package renewal terms are not published here.