2023 Excellence Scholarships
Fall 2023 Scholarship Priority Deadline: February 1, 2023
Fall 2023 Scholarship Deadline: April 17, 2023
To be considered for an Excellence (Academic, Opportunity*, Val/Sal, Leadership, PMA) Scholarship, a student must apply for admission to the University on or before the above deadline(s). With all academic credentials (high school transcript and ACT/SAT scores) being on record, the student will automatically be considered.
Housing scholarships are 2-year, stackable scholarships valued at the cost of a double room in Rivers Hall ($1980 per semester). This amount can be applied to any hotel or suite-style residence hall. Students are not able to stack more than one housing scholarship.
ACT Superscore
The University of North Alabama superscores the ACT effective Fall 2021. 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 2023 test date regardless of test optional status.
Opportunity Scholarship
• No ACT score is required to qualify
• Award amounts are based on unweighted high school GPA
- 3.0-3.5 GPA - $1,000/year
- 3.51-3.70 GPA - $1,500/year
- 3.71-4.00 GPA - $2,500/year
*Opportunity scholarship awards will be cancelled if a student qualifies to receive a higher Academic scholarship award amount. Please note, if a student does submit an ACT/SAT score that qualifies them for an Academic scholarship of the same amount as their qualifying Opportunity scholarship, the Opportunity scholarship will be cancelled and they will only receive their qualifying Academic scholarship.
Valedictorian & Salutatorian Scholarships
• Minimum ACT Score of 20
In addition to the required academic credentials, the appropriate high school official must submit a letter documenting the student’s rank as first or second in the graduating class. Home-schooled students are not eligible for the Valedictorian & Salutatorian Scholarship.
Tennessee Valley Scholars Program
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:
3.25 unweighted high school GPA
20-27 ACT score (comparable SAT score)
Tennessee Housing Scholarship
Beginning in the Fall 2022 semester, all students residing in Henderson, Hardin, Decatur, Wayne, Lawrence, Lewis Perry, and Maury counties will receive a Housing Scholarship. In order to be eligible, students must meet the required GPA below and apply to UNA by the April deadline.
Students must meet the following criteria:
2.75 unweighted high school GPA
Singing River Scholarship
A $1,000 one-year, stackable scholarship will be awarded to all students graduating from a high school in Lauderdale or Colbert County.
Students must meet the following criteria:
3.00 unweighted high school GPA
National Merit® & National Achievement® Finalists*& Semi-Finalists
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
Leadership Scholarships
- Minimum 3.00 high school unweighted GPA
- Minimum ACT score of 20
- Activity resume required. Students may begin uploading Leadership Resumes via AcademicWorks effective November 1, 2022.
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 February 1, 2023
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
- Total awards will be capped at 150
- Recipients may either live in Rivers Hall for free or apply scholarship toward the cost of Mattie Lou or Olive Halls (double room occupancy only)
- 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 February 1, 2023)
Special Recognition Scholarships
These special designation or special recognition scholarships include, but are not limited to, National Merit and National Achievement finalists or semi-finalists, All Alabama Academic Team, 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.
Offers for Special Recognition Scholarships
- 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.
Special Notes about Excellence Scholarships
• The Excellence Scholarship priority deadline is February 1, 2023. The Excellence Scholarship deadline is April 17, 2023. 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 April 17, 2023.
• The University will use the unweighted GPA from the student’s high school academic transcript submitted to the Office of Admissions on or before April 17, 2023. The University will not accept a higher GPA submitted after April 17, 2023 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 April 17, 2023.
• 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 sfins@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.
Special Notes About Out of State Scholarship Students
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.