Scholarship guide
All new and continuing ASU merit scholarship recipients must successfully complete a minimum of 30 ASU credit hours for the academic year by the end of each spring semester.
You must maintain a minimum 3.00 ASU cumulative GPA. See semester criteria below for additional information.
You must be continuously enrolled at the university in order to have your scholarship renewed for the next academic year.
Any break in enrollment without an approved deferment on file with the scholarship office will result in a loss of your scholarship. Please see the leave of absence/scholarship deferment section below.
If you are awarded a scholarship but have an approved deferment for the fall and plan to attend in the spring, you will need to complete a total of 15 ASU credit hours with a minimum 3.00 ASU cumulative GPA by the end of the spring semester. You must successfully complete a total of 30 ASU credit hours with a minimum 3.00 ASU cumulative GPA by the end of each remaining spring semester.
If you have a New American University scholarship at the National Scholar, President’s, Provost’s, or Dean’s level and you complete your undergraduate degree in less than eight semesters, any remaining semester scholarship amount may be applied to an ASU immersion graduate degree program. Additional details may be found on our Merit Award Commitment FAQs.
To renew the scholarship at the graduate level, you must:
The following do not satisfy credit hour requirements for renewal eligibility; however, these may be used toward your overall credits for degree completion:
Seniors preparing to graduate who need fewer than full-time hours to complete their degree can submit a Certificate of Coursework Completion in order to remain eligible while attending part time.
Students who have accommodations approved by the Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services office may be eligible to receive their scholarships while attending part-time. Learn more about this option on the Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services website.
Changing your status from nonresident to resident will result in the adjustment of cost of attendance, scholarship and financial aid amounts. If you are meeting renewal criteria, certain eligible scholarship amounts will be adjusted to the equivalent resident award effective beginning the semester of your status change. Please be aware that after your scholarship is either adjusted or canceled, you will be responsible for payment of any resulting charges on your student account.
Changing your campus, major or tuition classification will result in adjustments to your cost of attendance, scholarship and financial aid amounts. Examples include students participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange and ASU in Lake Havasu programs, and students who qualify for the reduced Non-Resident Tuition Rate for Arizona High School Graduates.
Students enrolled in an ASU Online major are ineligible for these scholarships. If you change your major to an online major, you will lose your scholarship eligibility.
Your advisor will help you review your progress and discuss possible summer enrollment options that can help you meet the enrollment criteria. You can find your academic advisor on My ASU.
If you need to complete additional credit hours or improve your cumulative GPA to meet renewal criteria, you can take summer classes to get back on track.
Please note that scholarships are only applied to fall and spring semesters, and may not be used toward summer sessions, so you will need to find other options to pay for summer courses. Work with your advisor to see if a summer enrollment option could help you remain eligible.
View your advisor information, eAdvisorTM tracking status, academic status reports and progress reports. You can also use the chat feature to ask questions and get help finding resources.
Counseling and mental health services are available to you at each ASU campus. Counseling staff have training and experience in issues facing university students and are committed to helping you adjust to campus life and meet your academic goals. You can get help 24/7.
The Student Success Center offers free academic support resources for all students including tutoring, writing support, structured study groups, coaching, success courses or a place to study on your own. Connecting with these resources can help you develop the skills to be successful as you work toward your degree.
If you are at risk of losing your scholarship, the Scholarship Maintenance Plan can help you get back on track and may let you retain a portion of your academic award.
An appeal might be an option only if you have experienced significant, extenuating circumstances beyond your control, such as an extended, serious medical emergency.
To see examples of extenuating circumstances and read more about the scholarship appeal process, visit the Scholarship Appeals page.
The Scholarship Guide is specifically for the following scholarships:
National Merit and National Recognition
Leadership Scholarship Program
Arizona Academic Decathlon Finalist and Top Score
New American University Merit Awards
RaiseMe
ASU Flinn Semi-Finalist Award
Renewal criteria for other awards may differ. Visit program webpages to learn about renewal criteria for ASU’s Transfer Achievement, All-Arizona Academic Team and ASU Scholastic Awards.
Eligible students who participate in the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) program should review details about how QTR impacts their institution merit award. Learn more.
Your institutional merit scholarship has been awarded for a total of eight consecutive semesters of eligibility, fall and spring, toward completion of your first undergraduate degree, provided you meet the renewal criteria outlined below by the end of each spring semester.
Your institutional merit scholarship has been awarded for a total of four consecutive semesters of eligibility, fall and spring, toward completion of your first undergraduate degree, provided you meet the renewal criteria outlined below by the end of each spring semester.