Houston Christian University: merit scholarships by GPA
Houston Christian University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 3.0 GPA and reach $27,000 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
HCU publishes these as eight-semester TOTALS; the annual figure is that divided by four. A test score does not move a student up this ladder — it adds a separate stackable bonus of $2,000 a year from a 25 or $3,000 from a 30. HCU says admits will be "considered for" one of these awards rather than guaranteed one, and the awards are for new full-time freshmen.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
Legacy Scholarship
$22,000 a year ($88,000 over eight semesters) / year
About $88,000 over four years, if it renews.
HCU 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 HCU merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Houston Christian University’s own pages for 2027-28 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Freshman merit awards
One award per student, keyed to GPA. The bottom grant has no floor, so every admitted full-time freshman reaches a rung.
$27,000 a year ($108,000 over eight semesters)
Founders Scholarship
No score needed
$24,000 a year ($96,000 over eight semesters)
President's Scholarship
No score needed
$22,000 a year ($88,000 over eight semesters)
Legacy Scholarship
No score needed
$16,000 a year ($64,000 over eight semesters)
University Grant I
No score needed
$14,000 a year ($56,000 over eight semesters)
University Grant II
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Founders Scholarship | — | $27,000 a year ($108,000 over eight semesters) |
| President's Scholarship | — | $24,000 a year ($96,000 over eight semesters) |
| Legacy Scholarship | — | $22,000 a year ($88,000 over eight semesters) |
| University Grant I | — | $16,000 a year ($64,000 over eight semesters) |
| University Grant II | — | $14,000 a year ($56,000 over eight semesters) |
Source: Freshmen merit awards — 2027-28 · verified 2026-10-24
Does HCU superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. The only score thresholds are the 25 and 30 for the stackable bonus, and HCU does not say whether it combines sections across sittings to reach them.
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 HCU’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.
HCU scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Campus visit grant — visit by | April 30 before the enrolling semester |
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 Houston Christian 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.
- The amounts on HCU's page are eight-semester totals: $108,000, $96,000, $88,000, $64,000 and $56,000.
- A score adds a stackable bonus rather than a tier — $2,000 a year from a 25 ACT and $3,000 from a 30.
- Nothing above a 30 adds more, so the ACT at HCU is worth at most $3,000 a year.
- The bottom grant has no GPA floor, so every admitted full-time freshman reaches a rung.
- The largest step on the ladder is 2.99 to 3.00, worth $2,000 a year.
- The step from a 3.67 to a 3.68 is worth $2,000, and from 3.87 to 3.88 another $3,000.
- HCU states applicants are considered for scholarships whether or not they submit a score.
- HCU prints the top rung as a closed 3.88–4.00 range. It is modelled open, because as printed a weighted transcript above 4.00 would clear no rung and be paid nothing.
- The page does not say whether the GPA is weighted or unweighted, and publishes no renewal condition.
- Raise.Me micro-scholarships are accepted through October 1 of senior year, separately from this ladder.
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 Houston Christian University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at HCU?
Houston Christian University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is HCU test-optional?
HCU no longer requires standardized test scores from applicants. For merit aid the answer is different: hCU states that all applicants are considered for scholarships whether they submit a score or not, and the GPA ladder reads no score. A score instead adds a stackable bonus on top: $2,000 a year from a 25 ACT, or $3,000 from a 30. So the ACT is worth a flat amount here rather than a tier. 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 HCU?
On HCU's published grid for 2027-28 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for Legacy Scholarship at $22,000 a year, about $88,000 over four years if it renews.
Does HCU superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. The only score thresholds are the 25 and 30 for the stackable bonus, and HCU does not say whether it combines sections across sittings to reach them.
When are HCU scholarship deadlines?
Campus visit grant — visit by: April 30 before the enrolling semester. 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 HCU scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Houston Christian 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
HCU awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though HCU is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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