Shawnee State University: merit scholarships by ACT score
Shawnee State University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 18 and reach Full Tuition. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, one point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a score and a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and exactly how many points the next one needs.
Read this first
Both criteria are required, which Shawnee states outright: a student must meet the ACT threshold AND the GPA to receive the amount listed. The top two bands share a 3.8 GPA, so the difference between FULL TUITION and $5,000 a year is three ACT points. Renewal needs a 3.0 GPA and 27 earned credit hours a year, which is more than a standard full load averages. The February 1, 2027 priority deadline is the one that makes these guaranteed; December 1, 2026 is early consideration.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
No automatic award at this combination
A 29 with a 3.60 GPA does not reach the published grid. That is not a verdict on admission — only on automatic merit.
Knowing where a score sits is the easy part. Moving it starts with knowing exactly which questions they're being missed, and why.
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The published Shawnee State merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Shawnee State University’s own pages for Fall 2027 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
ACT/SAT scholarship awards
Shawnee states both the score and the GPA must be met. Applicants who meet the February 1 priority deadline are described as receiving guaranteed scholarships.
Full Tuition
Presidential
ACT 30–36 · GPA 3.8+ or higher
$5,000/year
Shawnee Achievement
ACT 27–29 · GPA 3.8+
$4,000/year
Shawnee Excellence
ACT 25–26 · GPA 3.6+
$3,000/year
Shawnee Success
ACT 23–24 · GPA 3.4+
$2,000/year
Blue & Gray
ACT 21–22 · GPA 3.2+
$1,000/year
Shawnee Empowerment
ACT 18–20 · GPA 3.0+
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential | ACT 30–36 · GPA 3.8+ or higher | Full Tuition |
| Shawnee Achievement | ACT 27–29 · GPA 3.8+ | $5,000/year |
| Shawnee Excellence | ACT 25–26 · GPA 3.6+ | $4,000/year |
| Shawnee Success | ACT 23–24 · GPA 3.4+ | $3,000/year |
| Blue & Gray | ACT 21–22 · GPA 3.2+ | $2,000/year |
| Shawnee Empowerment | ACT 18–20 · GPA 3.0+ | $1,000/year |
Source: Scholarships — ACT/SAT Scholarship Awards · verified 2026-10-21
Does Shawnee State superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. The bands are written as plain ACT thresholds with no indication of whether sittings may be combined.
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 Shawnee 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.
Shawnee State scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Early consideration scholarship deadline | December 1, 2026 |
| Priority scholarship deadline — guaranteed for eligible applicants | February 1, 2027 |
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 Shawnee 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.
- Both the score and the GPA must be met. Clearing one is not enough.
- Presidential and Shawnee Achievement share a 3.8 GPA, so three ACT points separate full tuition from $5,000.
- Renewal requires 27 earned credit hours a year, more than two 12-hour semesters produce.
- The February 1, 2027 priority deadline is what makes these guaranteed for eligible applicants.
- Shawnee separately publishes an award for Pell-eligible students with a 3.0 GPA and an ACT of at least 18.
- Full-tuition scholarships are described as limited, so the Presidential band is the one to confirm directly.
- Shawnee State is silent on the Enhanced ACT.
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 Shawnee State University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Shawnee State?
Automatic merit aid at Shawnee State University starts at an ACT composite of 18, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches full tuition at the top. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so the only score that matters is the next threshold above where you are now.
Is Shawnee State test-optional?
Not stated on the scholarship page. The merit position is unambiguous: every band requires a score as well as a GPA. For merit aid the answer is different: required, and required alongside the GPA rather than instead of it. Shawnee publishes no test-optional route to this grid. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is one more ACT point worth at Shawnee State?
The most valuable single point on Shawnee State's published grid is 20 to 21, at a 3.2 GPA: it moves the award by $1,000 a year, or $4,000 across a four-year degree. The same point is worth less at other GPAs, and most points move nothing at all — the grid steps rather than slopes, which is why the only score worth aiming at is the next threshold.
Does Shawnee State superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. The bands are written as plain ACT thresholds with no indication of whether sittings may be combined.
When are Shawnee State scholarship deadlines?
Early consideration scholarship deadline: December 1, 2026. Priority scholarship deadline — guaranteed for eligible applicants: February 1, 2027. 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 Shawnee State scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Shawnee State University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-21. 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
You know what a score is worth at Shawnee State. The question is whether you can move it.
A grid tells you the target. It does not tell you which questions are costing the points between here and there. That takes about three minutes to find out.
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