Governors State University: merit scholarships by GPA
Governors State University publishes merit aid criteria as a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 2.75 GPA and reach $5,000 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, a hundredth of a GPA point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and what the next band needs.
Read this first
AIM HIGH is an Illinois state program rather than a Governors State award, and it is means-tested — it requires Illinois residency, an Illinois high school and a household income no higher than six times the poverty rate, so the GPA thresholds are only reachable after the income test. Governors State also states the awards come in limited quantities, so clearing both tests does not guarantee the money. The posted figures are for the 2025-26 cycle and no later grid is published.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
AIM HIGH Tier 1
$5,000 a year toward tuition, fees, housing and meals / year
About $20,000 over four years, if it renews.
Governors State awards this on GPA alone, so an ACT score does not change it. A higher score can still matter for admission, for honours programmes, and at other schools on the list — but not for this award.
The ACT doesn't move the money here — but it still decides admission, honours eligibility, and what they is worth at the other schools on the list, where most awards are score-keyed.
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The published Governors State merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Governors State University’s own pages for 2025-26 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Illinois residents within the income limit
Applies to tuition, fees, on-campus housing and meals. Renewable for up to eight continuous semesters, with a FAFSA or Alternative Application each year.
$5,000 a year toward tuition, fees, housing and meals
AIM HIGH Tier 1
No score needed · GPA 3.50
$3,000 a year toward tuition, fees, housing and meals
AIM HIGH Tier 2
No score needed · GPA 2.75
| Award | With a score | No score | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIM HIGH Tier 1 | — | GPA 3.50 | $5,000 a year toward tuition, fees, housing and meals |
| AIM HIGH Tier 2 | — | GPA 2.75 | $3,000 a year toward tuition, fees, housing and meals |
Source: Freshman AIM HIGH scholarships · verified 2026-10-24
Does Governors State superscore for scholarships?
Not stated, and neither rung reads a score.
With nothing published, plan for the stricter reading: look up your best single sitting in the grid above, work out your superscore as well, and ask Governors State’s financial aid office which one they read before you count on the higher band.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Governors State scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Fall priority | November 15 |
| Fall preferred | April 1 |
| Spring preferred | December 1 |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from Governors State University’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- AIM HIGH is an Illinois state program, not a Governors State award.
- It requires Illinois residency, an Illinois high school, and a household income no higher than six times the poverty rate.
- The awards come in limited quantities, so clearing the thresholds does not guarantee the money.
- The award applies to tuition, fees, on-campus housing and meals, so it goes further than a tuition-only award.
- The 2.74-to-2.75 step is the difference between nothing and $3,000 a year.
- The admission floor is a 2.0, so some admitted students qualify for no award at all.
- Neither rung reads an ACT score.
- Renewal needs a 2.5 institutional GPA and a FAFSA each year.
- The posted figures are for the 2025-26 cycle.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with Governors State University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Governors State?
Governors State University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Governors State test-optional?
The minimum admission GPA is a 2.0 unweighted, below where any award begins. For merit aid the answer is different: neither rung names a test. The only academic criterion is the GPA, and the binding criteria are residency and income. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is a 30 on the ACT worth at Governors State?
On Governors State's published grid for 2025-26 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for AIM HIGH Tier 1 at $5,000 a year, about $20,000 over four years if it renews.
Does Governors State superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated, and neither rung reads a score.
When are Governors State scholarship deadlines?
Fall priority: November 15. Fall preferred: April 1. Spring preferred: December 1. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this Governors State scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Governors State University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-24. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
Other schools to check
What to do next
Governors State awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Governors State is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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