Idaho State University: merit scholarships by GPA
Idaho State University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 2.0 GPA. 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
Idaho State publishes its resident scholarship tiers only as an image, so no resident band can be written here and the dollar figure circulating on third-party sites is not on its own page. What is published as text are the two non-resident waivers below. Their GPA floors are soft — "typically" a 3.0 for Bengal, and a 2.0 for WUE with "preference" above 2.50 — and the savings figures are Idaho State's own estimates. WUE is limited to residents of WUE states and cannot be combined with other tuition waivers.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
Bengal Non-resident Tuition Waiver
Pay 1.5 times the Idaho resident tuition instead of full non-resident tuition — Idaho State estimates savings of more than $8,100 a semester
Idaho 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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Is Idaho State test-optional?
For admission, largely yes. Idaho State states that submitting official ACT or SAT scores is not required for admission.
For money, no. A score reaches exactly one award — the resident Presidential tier, whose amount Idaho State publishes only as an image. Neither non-resident waiver names a test. A family that reads “test-optional” and skips the ACT can be admitted and still walk away from every dollar on the grid below.
The published Idaho State merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Idaho State University’s own pages for 2026-27 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Non-residents outside the WUE states
Automatically reviewed for new incoming full-time non-resident undergraduates. Renewable for up to eight semesters.
Pay 1.5 times the Idaho resident tuition instead of full non-resident tuition — Idaho State estimates savings of more than $8,100 a semester
Bengal Non-resident Tuition Waiver
No score needed · GPA 3.00
| Award | With a score | No score | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal Non-resident Tuition Waiver | — | GPA 3.00 | Pay 1.5 times the Idaho resident tuition instead of full non-resident tuition — Idaho State estimates savings of more than $8,100 a semester |
Source: Non-resident tuition waivers · verified 2026-10-25
Residents of Western Undergraduate Exchange states
A much lower GPA bar than the Bengal waiver, with preference above a 2.50. Cannot be combined with other tuition waivers.
Pay 1.5 times the Idaho resident tuition instead of full non-resident tuition — Idaho State estimates savings of more than $8,000 a semester
Western Undergraduate Exchange
No score needed · GPA 2.00
| Award | With a score | No score | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Undergraduate Exchange | — | GPA 2.00 | Pay 1.5 times the Idaho resident tuition instead of full non-resident tuition — Idaho State estimates savings of more than $8,000 a semester |
Source: Non-resident tuition waivers · verified 2026-10-25
Does Idaho State superscore for scholarships?
Not stated, and neither published waiver 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 Idaho 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.
Idaho State scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Fall entry | July 1 |
| Spring entry | November 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 Idaho 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.
- Non-resident tuition waiversverified 2026-10-25
- New incoming resident students — tiers published as an imageverified 2026-10-25
- Idaho State's resident scholarship tiers are published only as an image, so no resident band can be written.
- A score is required for the resident Presidential tier and for nothing else.
- Both non-resident waivers pay the same rate: 1.5 times Idaho resident tuition.
- Idaho State estimates that as more than $8,000 a semester of savings.
- WUE needs only a 2.0 where the Bengal waiver typically wants a 3.0, so WUE is the cheaper door for students from WUE states.
- Both GPA floors are soft — "typically" and "preference".
- WUE cannot be combined with other tuition waivers.
- Full-time enrolment is required for both.
- Idaho State does not require a score for admission.
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 Idaho State University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Idaho State?
Idaho State University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Idaho State test-optional?
Idaho State states that submitting official ACT or SAT scores is not required for admission. For merit aid the answer is different: a score reaches exactly one award — the resident Presidential tier, whose amount Idaho State publishes only as an image. Neither non-resident waiver names a test. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
Does in-state or out-of-state change merit aid at Idaho State?
Yes. Idaho State publishes separate grids: Residents of Western Undergraduate Exchange states run up to full tuition a year, and Non-residents outside the WUE states run up to full tuition. Check which grid applies to you before planning around a figure.
Does Idaho State superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated, and neither published waiver reads a score.
When are Idaho State scholarship deadlines?
Fall entry: July 1. Spring entry: November 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 Idaho State scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Idaho State University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-25. 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
Idaho State awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Idaho State is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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