StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarships
High Point University (HPU), a private university in High Point, North Carolina (founded 1924), runs its undergraduate scholarships on a refreshingly simple principle: your admission application is also your scholarship application. There is no extra essay or separate form for the main merit awards — the admissions team evaluates every applicant for scholarships as part of the admissions review.
A word of honesty before you read on: some listing sites market HPU scholarships as “fully funded” for everyone. That is not what the university publishes. The official merit band runs from $5,000 a year up to full tuition, and only the very top candidates reach the full-tuition ceiling — most awards are meaningful partial reductions. This article describes the awards exactly as HPU publishes them.
The live cycle is the 2026-27 admissions round for Fall 2027 entry (the Class of 2031). The priority deadline — and the date for full consideration for all merit awards — is 15 November 2026, 24 days from today (22 October 2026).
Eligibility
- Be an entering freshman admitted to High Point University for Fall 2027 — both US and international applicants are evaluated for merit awards.
- Show outstanding achievement, good citizenship, strong leadership and exceptional scholarship during high school — these are HPU’s stated criteria for merit awards.
- SAT/ACT scores are optional (HPU is test-optional); submitted scores are superscored.
- For Honors Scholars and Fellows: submit the supplemental application on PantherPage after your admission application (priority 15 Jan, final 1 Mar).
- For talent awards: complete an audition (Theatre, Dance, Music departments), an interview (Marching Panther band), or be recruited by a coach (NCAA Division I athletics).
- For Scout awards: hold Eagle Scout rank (Boy Scouts of America) or a Gold Award (Girl Scouts of the USA) and send a copy of your certificate to your admissions counsellor.
- Note honestly: ROTC scholarships require US citizenship, and need-based/local awards (shift_ed, First Generation, Alumni Association Merit Scholarships — the latter also requires FAFSA) are aimed at US students. International applicants should focus on the merit, Fellows, Honors, performing-arts, marching-band and athletic tracks.
Benefits
- Merit scholarships: $5,000 per year up to full tuition. The top recipients are invited to the Presidential Scholarship Interview Weekends in February, where interviews and activities can raise their award. Awarded at three levels and renewable over four years.
- Honors Scholars Program: $3,000 per year, renewable with continued participation.
- Fellows Scholarships: $3,000 per year across nine discipline-specific fellowship programmes — this stacks on top of the Presidential, Presidential Fellowship or High Point Scholarship.
- Marching Panther Scholarship: $5,000 per year for wind, drum line, colour guard and majorette performers (requires Band Camp attendance over the summer).
- Performing Arts Scholarships: $500–$2,000 for entering music majors (audition-based, offered by the Theatre, Dance and Music Departments).
- Scout Awards: $1,000 for Eagle Scouts and Gold Award holders.
- ROTC scholarships: full tuition and books, plus $100 per month for personal expenses (US Army/Air Force; three- or four-year awards).
- Athletic scholarships: talent-based awards across all varsity sports under NCAA Division I rules (amounts vary).
- Renewable: most awards run up to four years provided GPA and programme requirements are met.
Documents required
- The undergraduate admission application itself (Common App or HPU application) with the standard admission materials — this is the only paperwork needed for merit-award consideration.
- Official SAT/ACT scores (optional under test-optional admissions; HPU superscores).
- PantherPage supplemental application for the Honors Scholars or any Fellows Programme.
- Copy of Eagle Scout certificate or Gold Award certificate (Scout awards) — submitted to your admissions counsellor.
- Audition / interview / recruitment materials for performing-arts, marching-band and athletic awards (programme-specific).
How to apply
- Submit your admission applicationApply for undergraduate admission to High Point University (via the Common App or HPU’s application) by 15 November 2026. This application automatically doubles as your scholarship application — no separate form or extra essay.
- Add supplemental applicationsIf you want the Honors Scholars Programme or a Fellows Programme, complete the matching application on your PantherPage (priority deadline 15 January).
- Audition or interview for talent awardsContact the Music/Theatre/Dance departments for auditions, the Marching Band for an interview, or work with a coach for athletics.
- Send Scout certificatesEagle Scouts and Gold Award holders send a copy of the certificate to their admissions counsellor.
- Interview for top merit tiersTop merit candidates are invited to the Presidential Scholarship Interview Weekends in February, which can increase their award.
FAQs
Not for everyone. The published merit band is $5,000 a year up to full tuition — full tuition goes only to the very top Presidential candidates selected at the interview weekends. Treat it as a strong partial award unless you are at the top of the pool.
Yes. Merit scholarships, Honors, Fellows, performing-arts, marching-band and athletic awards are all evaluated from the admission application regardless of nationality. Only US-only tracks (ROTC, need-based/local grants, FAFSA-based awards) are off the table for international applicants.
No for the main merit awards — your admission application is the scholarship application. Yes for Honors/Fellows (a PantherPage supplement), performing arts (audition), marching band (interview) and athletics (coach recruitment).
15 November 2026 is the priority Early Action deadline and the date HPU gives for full consideration for all merit awards (decisions by 15 December 2026). Honors/Fellows run to a priority date of 15 January with a final deadline of 1 March. Regular Decision (1 February 2027) is late for merit funding.
Awards are typically renewable for up to four years as long as you meet the GPA, programme-participation and good-standing requirements published in HPU’s Financial Planning Policies. Fellows must also meet programme-specific professionalism requirements.
Yes — the Fellows $3,000/yr scholarship is explicitly stated to stack on top of the Presidential, Presidential Fellowship or High Point Scholarship.
Verified 22 Oct 2026 via the official highpoint.edu page "Admissions Scholarships at HPU" (merit band $5,000–full tuition, priority deadline Nov 15, Scout $1,000, Honors $3,000/yr, Fellows $3,000/yr, performing arts $500–$2,000, Marching Panther $5,000/yr, athletics vary, ROTC tuition+books+$100/mo, admission application = scholarship application) and the official highpoint.edu pages "Scholarship Awards Programs" (three Presidential levels, renewable 4 years, interview weekends, test-optional, apply by Nov 15) and "Academic Fellowship Programs & Honors Scholars" ($3,000/yr renewable, stackable, PantherPage application, priority Jan 15 / final Mar 1) plus the official admissions page (Early Action deadline 15 Nov 2026). Corroborated by CollegeData/Peterson's (Nov 15, 2026 deadline; three award levels; $5k–$10k High Point Scholar band) and CollegeDunia (2027-cycle award lineup). Queue title "2026 (Funded)" was stale: the 2026 intake deadline passed on 15 Nov 2025, so the article covers the Fall 2027 cycle and is marketed as Partially Funded, not fully funded. The $40k "Presidential Founders" tier on one third-party page could not be confirmed on highpoint.edu and is omitted. US-only awards (ROTC, need-based/local) are flagged as such; no invented GPA/SAT cut-offs are given — HPU publishes none for the main awards.
