The University of North Alabama superscores the ACT. Superscoring at University of North Alabama means that we consider students' highest ACT section (or subtest) scores regardless of test date. The super composite ACT score is calculated as the average of the best ACT English, Reading, Math and Science subject scores and is used as one of multiple factors in admission and financial aid.

*Test scores will be accepted up until the April 2025 test date regardless of test optional status.

The Presidential Mentors Academy is an annual scholarship program for underserved students in the first through fifth years of their college education. Recipients will receive financial assistance, leadership development training, peer mentoring, and academic support. Learn More

• Award (Freshmen) = $2,000 + on-campus housing costs
• Award (Sophomore, Junior, Senior, 5th Year) = Up to $3,100/year

A $1,000 one-year, stackable scholarship will be awarded to all students in the following counties:
AL: Blount, Colbert, Cullman, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Walker, and Winston
TN: Decatur, Giles, Hardin, Henderson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Maury, McNairy, Perry and Wayne
MS: Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Prentiss, and Tishomingo

Students must meet the following criteria:
3.00 unweighted high school GPA

Up To $12,000/Year + Books

To be considered for a National Merit® or National Achievement® Scholarship, a student must apply for admission to the University and submit a letter documenting his or her selection by one of these national organizations. Selection as a National Merit® or National Achievement® Finalist* or Semi-Finalist will qualify the student to be considered for one of our top Excellence Scholarship awards. Participation in the UNA Honors program may be required.

*Board may be added if funding is available

• Minimum 3.00 high school unweighted GPA
• Minimum ACT score of 20
• Activity resume required. Students may upload Leadership Resumes via AcademicWorks.

These competitive scholarships are awarded to students who, based upon a strong record of leadership and volunteerism in high school, have demonstrated the potential to be campus leaders at UNA. In addition to the required academic credentials, a one to two page detailed resume of all activities performed during the 9th – 12th grade years must be submitted by the priority deadline of March 1, 2025.

In order to receive the Leadership Scholarship, you must be able to provide a demonstrated record of academic success, leadership and community involvement.

Housing Scholarships

• Housing Scholarships are 2-year stackable scholarships valued at $4,000 per year. This amount can be applied to any on-campus residence hall. Housing Scholarships are not applicable to apartments. Students are not able to stack more than one housing scholarships and the amount is subject to decrease past the scholarship deadline.
• Applicants who have submitted an activity resume for the Leadership Scholarship or application to the Honors College will automatically be considered (priority deadline to apply for either is March 1, 2025).

A $1000 Leadership Scholarship will be awarded to any Boys/Girls State attendee that selects to attend the University of North Alabama. These awards will be for 4 years with the student receiving $500 per semester (Fall/Spring), and the awards will be stackable with other UNA Excellence Scholarships. In order to receive this award, a student will need to apply for Leadership Scholarships at UNA by the posted deadline and provide proof of attendance at Boys/Girls State.

These special designation or special recognition scholarships include, but are not limited to, National Merit and National Achievement finalists or semi-finalists, Distinguished Young Women, Gorgas Scholars, Bryant Jordan Scholarship winners, State of Alabama American Legion High School Oratorical Program 1st place winner, Youth Leadership Development Program, and other recognized academic or leadership organizations. Such students are eligible to be considered on the same basis as other students meeting UNA’s scholarship due date and eligibility criteria.

Scholarship offers of any amount to students who have achieved a special designation or special recognition based on performance in extra-curricular activities or academic competition are not guaranteed. All scholarship awards are subject to change depending on fund availability, budgetary constraints, and the size/quality of the applicant pool. No commitment shall be made by any party on behalf of the University other than authorized officials in the President’s Office or the Director of the Office of Student Financial Aid. All offers may not be equal in either dollar amount or renewability terms.

• Non-qualifying UNA Scholarship Student - $2,000/Year (Academic, Leadership, Valedictorian/Salutatorian)
• Qualifying UNA Scholarship Student - Original Scholarship + 2,000/Year
• The maximum amount of any such combination of offers will not exceed the Cost of Attendance.

• The Excellence Scholarship priority deadline is March 1, 2025. To be considered for an offer of one of the University’s Excellence Scholarships, an eligible student must apply for admission to the University and submit all required academic credentials (including, but not limited to, high school transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, and activity résumé) by March 1, 2025.

• The University will use the unweighted GPA from the student’s high school academic transcript submitted to the Office of Admissions on or before March 1, 2025. The University will not accept a higher GPA submitted after March 1, 2025 for the purpose of increasing the student’s scholarship award amount, or, for making the student scholarship eligible when the student was not eligible before March 1, 2025.

• All scholarship awards are subject to change depending on fund availability, budgetary constraints, and the size/quality of the applicant pool. No commitment should be made by any party on behalf of the University other than authorized officials in the President’s Office, the Office of Student Financial Aid and/or the Office of Admissions.

• All scholarship offers are time sensitive and must be accepted by the date specified in the scholarship award letter.

• Scholarship awards are fixed dollar amounts that may be used to pay all University charges without respect to any specific charge. 

• Excellence scholarships are for incoming freshmen entering UNA in the summer or fall term immediately after graduation from high school.  Payment of the scholarship award will begin in the fall semester.

• If a student has extenuating circumstances (i.e. attend basic training), they may defer the start of their scholarship(s) for the first fall term. The fall semester of eligibility for any scholarships awarded will be forfeited. Students will be eligible to receive the scholarship(s) they were awarded if they begin attendance at UNA in the following spring term. After a student registers for spring courses, they will need to email financialaid@una.edu requesting their scholarships and financial aid be updated. At that time, Student Financial Aid will send the updated renewal requirements for the student’s scholarship(s). Excellence scholarship awards can only be applied to the fall and spring semesters; the summer semester is excluded.

• The Office of Student Financial Aid will check grades of all first-year Excellence Scholarship recipients at the end of their first semester. A minimum earned GPA is required of incoming freshmen students in their first semester of the scholarship award. The student may lose the scholarship award for the second semester (spring semester) if the minimum GPA is not achieved. However, the student may regain eligibility for the scholarship in the summer semester following the loss of the scholarship. The student must achieve a satisfactory academic performance that meets the minimum renewal criteria. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of this requirement.

• Excellence Scholarships are renewable for seven additional semesters, excluding summer, as long as the renewal criteria are met as stated in the scholarship terms and conditions.  PMA Scholarships may be renewed and payable for up to nine (9) additional semesters if the student meets the annual renewal criteria.

• Only U.S. citizens are eligible for Excellence Scholarships.

• No combination of scholarship offers may exceed the Cost of Attendance for any given term.

At their June 9, 2014 meeting, the UNA Board of Trustees approved a resolution adopting a portion of the provisions of House Bill 424 pertaining to out of state students being eligible to pay the resident tuition rate for enrollment at the University of North Alabama.  This provision allows out of state students receiving a scholarship award of $250 or more to be eligible for the resident tuition rate.  The out of state student must meet the following criteria to be eligible to pay the resident tuition rate: 

The student must be a full-time undergraduate US citizen student enrolled at UNA who is receiving an institutional scholarship award of $250 in recognition of a particular talent or ability, provided such student possessed the talent or ability at the time of initial enrollment and maintains continuous scholarship eligibility at UNA.  Scholarship funds provided by the UNA Foundation and scholarships funded by external organizations do not qualify the student for the resident tuition rate.

The student may no longer be eligible for the resident tuition rate at UNA if the student does not maintain continuous scholarship eligibility.