University of Nevada, Las Vegas: merit scholarships by ACT score
University of Nevada, Las Vegas awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 24. 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
WUE is the only UNLV award with a published threshold, and it is open only to residents of the eligible western states and Pacific territories. It is a tuition rate rather than a dollar award, and the savings figure is UNLV's own estimate. A student who does not live in a UNLV residence hall during their first year may forfeit eligibility. UNLV's own Signature and Opportunity awards are offered at admission with an amount that simply varies and no criteria published.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
Western Undergraduate Exchange — on a score
Charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — UNLV estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27
There is no higher band to reach at this GPA — more points would not change the award here. They may still matter for admission, for honours programmes, or at other schools on the list.
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 UNLV merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from University of Nevada, Las Vegas’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.
Residents of Western Undergraduate Exchange states
Either route qualifies — the GPA or the score. Eligible students are reviewed automatically from their admission materials, first-come through July 1.
Charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — UNLV estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27
Western Undergraduate Exchange — on a score
ACT 24–36 · No GPA needed on the score route
Charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — UNLV estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27
Western Undergraduate Exchange — on GPA
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Western Undergraduate Exchange — on a score | ACT 24–36 · No GPA needed on the score route | Charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — UNLV estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27 |
| Western Undergraduate Exchange — on GPA | — | Charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — UNLV estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27 |
Source: Western Undergraduate Exchange · verified 2026-10-24
Does UNLV superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. With a single 24 threshold deciding eligibility, a student near it should ask directly.
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 UNLV’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.
UNLV scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Priority for fall financial aid and scholarships | November 15 |
| WUE — first-come, first-considered | Through July 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 University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- Western Undergraduate Exchangeverified 2026-10-24
- Scholarshipsverified 2026-10-24
- First-year admissionsverified 2026-10-24
- A 24 composite reaches WUE with no GPA requirement at all.
- The GPA route takes a 3.25 weighted or unweighted — either counts.
- WUE is a tuition rate, not a dollar award: 150% of the in-state rate.
- UNLV estimates the saving at about $15,500 for 2026-27, and calls it an estimate.
- Not living in a UNLV residence hall in the first year may forfeit eligibility.
- WUE covers residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, plus five Pacific territories.
- WUE is considered first-come through July 1, so the date matters as much as the threshold.
- UNLV's Signature and Opportunity awards publish no amount and no criteria.
- The $10,000 President's Scholarship requires National Merit Finalist status and naming UNLV first choice, 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 University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at UNLV?
Automatic merit aid at University of Nevada, Las Vegas starts at an ACT composite of 24, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches charged 150% of the in-state tuition rate — unlv estimates about $15,500 of savings in 2026-27 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 UNLV test-optional?
UNLV encourages a score for placement while requiring none — and the WUE threshold is the one place a score reaches money. For merit aid the answer is different: a 24 is a complete alternative to the 3.25 GPA, so the score is a second route rather than a tiebreaker. It is the only ACT threshold UNLV publishes anywhere. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
Does UNLV superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. With a single 24 threshold deciding eligibility, a student near it should ask directly.
When are UNLV scholarship deadlines?
Priority for fall financial aid and scholarships: November 15. WUE — first-come, first-considered: Through July 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 UNLV scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from University of Nevada, Las Vegas'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
You know what a score is worth at UNLV. 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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