SUNY Buffalo State University: merit scholarships by GPA
SUNY Buffalo State University publishes merit aid criteria as a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 87.0 GPA and reach $4,000 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
Buffalo State states that meeting these criteria "is not a guarantee of a merit-based scholarship but suggests the minimum type of academic performance necessary to be considered", and every amount is printed as "up to" — so these are the bars to clear rather than awards to count on. The averages are on New York's 100-point scale, every merit award requires living on campus, and fall entry only.
Out of 100, the way New York high schools report it — which is how this school publishes its grid.
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Example — 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.
Buffalo 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 Buffalo State merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from SUNY Buffalo State University’s own pages for Fall 2026 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
First-year scholars awards
No separate application; students are reviewed automatically. The thresholds are minimums to be considered, and the renewal GPA rises with the award.
Up to $4,000 a year, renewal GPA 3.2
President's Scholars Award
No score needed
Up to $3,000 a year, renewal GPA 3.0
Provost's Scholars Award
No score needed
Up to $2,000 a year, renewal GPA 2.75
Dean's Scholars Award
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| President's Scholars Award | — | Up to $4,000 a year, renewal GPA 3.2 |
| Provost's Scholars Award | — | Up to $3,000 a year, renewal GPA 3.0 |
| Dean's Scholars Award | — | Up to $2,000 a year, renewal GPA 2.75 |
Source: First-year scholarships and grants · verified 2026-10-24
Does Buffalo State superscore for scholarships?
Buffalo State superscores for admission. Nothing is said about merit, and nothing would follow from it — the awards read no score.
“we take your highest section scores from all ACT and SAT test results”
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 Buffalo 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.
Buffalo State scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Priority consideration | May 1, 2026 |
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 SUNY Buffalo 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.
- The thresholds are high school averages out of 100, not 4.0 GPAs.
- Every amount is "up to", and Buffalo State says meeting the criteria is not a guarantee.
- A 96 average clears all three bars; the answer is the largest award reached, not all three.
- Every merit award requires living on campus.
- The renewal GPA rises with the award, so the largest one is also the hardest to keep.
- No award reads an ACT score.
- Fall entry only.
- Whether the average is weighted is not stated.
- The $1,000 Orange & Black award is given on a holistic review of the academic record with no threshold, so it is not a band here.
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 SUNY Buffalo State University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Buffalo State?
SUNY Buffalo State University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Buffalo State test-optional?
Buffalo State also superscores for admission, taking the highest section scores across all ACT and SAT results. For merit aid the answer is different: the scholarship page lists high school average only and never mentions a test, so a score cannot move any of these three awards. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
Does Buffalo State superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Buffalo State superscores for admission. Nothing is said about merit, and nothing would follow from it — the awards read no score. we take your highest section scores from all ACT and SAT test results
When are Buffalo State scholarship deadlines?
Priority consideration: May 1, 2026. 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 Buffalo State scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from SUNY Buffalo 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
Buffalo State awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Buffalo State is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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