First-time freshmen with a 3.0 weighted high school GPA – as verified on their official high school transcript – will be considered for merit scholarship awards. Scholarship award consideration will continue until all scholarship funds have been exhausted.
Eligible first-time freshmen are strongly encouraged to accept Direct Admit or apply for admissions to be considered for merit scholarships.
Students are encouraged to accept their awards by May 1, 2025.
| Scholarship Title |
Eligibility Criteria |
Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential |
3.75+ weighted HS GPA and 34+ ACT/1490 SAT All US residents eligible. Competitive Scholarship awarded to the highest-achieving high school students. |
Full Tuition + $6,000 Housing Stipend |
KY Governor's (GSP, GSA, and GSE) |
KY Governor's Scholar with 3.5+ weighted HS GPA Kentucky residents only. Competitive Scholarship awarded to the highest-achieving high school students. |
$4,500 |
| Founders |
3.95+ weighted HS GPA Kentucky residents only. |
$3,000 |
| Excellence | 3.70-3.94 weighted HS GPA (KY residents) 3.70+ (Indiana and Ohio residents) Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana residents only. |
$2,000 |
| Commonwealth |
3.00-3.69 weighted HS GPA Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana residents only. |
$1,000 |
To accept your merit scholarship for 2025-2026 year, please follow the steps below:
Log into your Slate account:
Once on the Merit Scholarship Offer Acceptance page, please select, "yes" or "no" and then "Submit".
REMINDER: Students are encouraged to accept their awards by May 1, 2025.
Through the generosity of our donors, NKU has scholarship opportunities available to a variety of students.
How to Apply for Donor Scholarshps
You may qualify for additional scholarships based on your declared major. Visit our department scholarship page to find out which department's offer scholarships.
Celebrating our differences allows us to grow our campus community and give our students an opportunity to join and learn from unique perspectives. The Educational Diversity and Access Scholarship represents NKU's commitment and investment to support diversity and inclusion.
Leadership training, physical fitness and special summer training programs are just a few of the benefits to being a Cadet. NKU students enrolled in ROTC can earn scholarships that will pay 100% tuition along with a monthly stipend and a book stipend.
NKU ROTC falls under the Xavier University, All for One Battalion, which is the host school for the NKU ROTC program.
If you are a recipient of an athletic grant-in-aid scholarship, you need to know that these scholarships are granted on a one-year basis.
The NCAA requires that student-athletes report all sources of financial aid (other than those awarded by the institution).
If you are receiving a scholarship that is not awarded from NKU, contact the Athletics Compliance Officer and also complete the Financial Aid Declaration Form.
View a list of outside scholarship search tools for help finding other scholarships outside of NKU.
