Financial Aid Office

• You must be a new first year freshman student* with U.S. or Canadian citizenship admitted to Minot State Summer 2024 or later.
• As an eligible and fully admitted new freshman applicant, you will be evaluated based on the following information recorded by the Minot State Enrollment Services Office:
  • Full admission acceptance to Minot State by Feb. 15 for fall applicants 
  • New freshman students who start in the summer semester will be evaluated and awarded with the following fall semester applicants
  • A student fully admitted to Minot State after the priority deadline may be eligible if funding is available
  • Unweighted high school GPA

        *Transfer students are not eligible for the Academic Excellence Scholarship

You must:

• Be enrolled in 12 or more Minot State credits by the end of the 100% refund period for the 16 week semester (Financial Aid census date) each fall and spring semester
  • Collaborative classes are not eligible in the 12 credit enrollment minimum and do not count as completed credits for the award
  • Remedial Minot State credits do count as completed credits
  • Credit requirement includes graduating semester
• Be continuously enrolled in consecutive fall and spring semesters as an undergraduate student
• Maintain 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA
• Successfully complete 24 or more total Minot State credits during the fall and spring semesters
  • Successful completion requires a D or higher grade
  • The summer term can be used to complete your 24 total credits or to improve your GPA if needed
  • Students who withdraw or do not complete the 24 total credits per academic year will not be eligible to renew the award for subsequent years

Academic Excellence Scholarships:

• Are renewable up to eight consecutive fall and spring semesters if criteria is met
• Will be disbursed equally between fall and spring semesters
• Will be evaluated for renewal at the end of each spring semester 
• Will be reduced if review of your final unweighted high school GPA is lower than the recorded in-progress high school GPA
• Will be discontinued when your undergraduate degree is posted
• Students eligible for more than one tuition waiver program will receive the offer of greater value. Other tuition waiver programs include the Minot State Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver, ND Veterans Dependent Tuition Waiver, and Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver.

Academic Excellence Scholarships are not available to a student who is:

• Eligible for a more beneficial program such as the Minot State Employee Spouse/Dependent Tuition Waiver, ND Veterans Dependent Tuition Waiver or Cultural Diversity Waiver program if these waivers are worth more than the Academic Excellence Program.
• Enrolled in study abroad experiences with no regular Minot State tuition charged
• Enrolled in programs that require remission of tuition to other organizations
• Pursuing a graduate degree
• Transferring to Minot State  

Your Academic Excellence Scholarship may be reduced or terminated in situations where you are eligible for direct tuition payment from a third-party payer such as Veteran’s Affairs or employer funded tuition reimbursement programs.

The maximum amount you can receive from institutional funds cannot exceed an amount equal to the tuition, fees and books, and room and board (if living on campus). Institutional funds include tuition waivers and scholarships.

All Minot State students are also encouraged to complete the Minot State General Scholarship Application as they may be eligible for a variety of undergraduate scholarships funded from gifts to the University. Scholarships are based on academic achievements, financial need, and other criteria defined by the donors. For a list of scholarships, view the undergraduate catalog.