Radford University: merit scholarships by GPA
Radford 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 $10,000 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
Only freshmen who apply by the February 1 regular deadline are automatically reviewed for these awards; Radford accepts applications until July 31 but does not say the merit review extends that far. The page does not print "per year" — annual is inferred from the awards being renewable up to four years — and does not say whether the GPA is weighted.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
Wayfinder Scholarship
$3,000 a year / year
About $12,000 over four years, if it renews.
Radford 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 Radford merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Radford 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.
Virginia residents
Reviewed automatically for applicants who apply by February 1. Keyed to GPA alone.
$4,000 a year
Radford Excellence Scholarship
No score needed
$3,000 a year
Wayfinder Scholarship
No score needed
$2,000 a year
Compass Scholarship
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Radford Excellence Scholarship | — | $4,000 a year |
| Wayfinder Scholarship | — | $3,000 a year |
| Compass Scholarship | — | $2,000 a year |
Source: Freshman application guidelines — 2026-27 merit awards · verified 2026-10-24
Non-residents
The same three awards at roughly two and a half times the resident amount — a discount against the non-resident bill rather than a better offer.
$10,000 a year
Radford Excellence Scholarship
No score needed
$8,000 a year
Wayfinder Scholarship
No score needed
$6,000 a year
Compass Scholarship
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Radford Excellence Scholarship | — | $10,000 a year |
| Wayfinder Scholarship | — | $8,000 a year |
| Compass Scholarship | — | $6,000 a year |
Source: Freshman application guidelines — 2026-27 merit awards · verified 2026-10-24
Does Radford superscore for scholarships?
Not stated, and there is nothing for it to apply to — Radford says scores are not used for merit consideration at all.
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 Radford’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.
Radford scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Early action | November 1 |
| Regular deadline, and the cutoff for automatic merit review | February 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 Radford 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 non-resident grid pays roughly two and a half times the resident grid at every rung.
- Radford's headline figure of $10,000 is the non-resident top rung. A Virginia resident at a 4.0 receives $4,000.
- Radford says explicitly that test scores are not used for merit scholarship consideration.
- Automatic review requires applying by February 1.
- The page does not print "per year"; annual is inferred from the four-year renewal.
- The "4.0+" top rung allows for a weighted scale, but the page does not say which scale it reads.
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 Radford University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Radford?
Radford University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Radford test-optional?
Radford does not require an ACT, SAT or CLT score as part of the application. For merit aid the answer is different: radford states in one sentence that scores are not required for admission OR for merit-based scholarship consideration. Every rung is keyed to GPA, so a student with no ACT is considered for exactly the same award as a student with a 36. 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 Radford?
On Radford's published grid for 2026-27 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for Virginia residents — Wayfinder Scholarship at $3,000 a year, about $12,000 over four years if it renews; Non-residents — Wayfinder Scholarship at $8,000 a year, about $32,000 over four years if it renews.
Does in-state or out-of-state change merit aid at Radford?
Yes. Radford publishes separate grids: Virginia residents run $2,000 to $4,000 a year, and Non-residents run $6,000 to $10,000 — a difference of $6,000 a year at the top. Check which grid applies to you before planning around a figure.
Does Radford superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated, and there is nothing for it to apply to — Radford says scores are not used for merit consideration at all.
When are Radford scholarship deadlines?
Early action: November 1. Regular deadline, and the cutoff for automatic merit review: February 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 Radford scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Radford 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
Radford awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Radford is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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