USA Scholarships
UofL Out-of-State Scholarship 2027 - $5,000-$30,000
The UofL Out-of-State Scholarship is not one award but a ladder of them, and the rung you start on is decided by your home address rather than your application. The University of Louisville groups every first-time freshman entering in Fall 2027 from outside Kentucky and the seven Southern Indiana reciprocity counties into one of three programmes. Students from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia get the Border Benefit Award, which UofL describes as an approximate $16,000 a year because its real job is to cut out-of-state tuition down to the Kentucky in-state rate, and academic top-ups of $1,000 to $5,000 sit on top of it. Students from California, the DC Metro area, New Jersey, the New York Metro area, Pennsylvania and Southern New England fall under the Regional Scholars Program at $12,000 to $16,000 a year. Everyone else out-of-state is on the National Scholars Program at $5,000 to $15,000. National Merit finalists and semifinalists with a 3.5 weighted GPA are awarded $20,000 a year with no minimum test score, and ten Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarships worth $30,000 a year go to out-of-state students who submit the extra application by 1 December 2026. For context, UofL puts 2026-27 out-of-state tuition and fees at $29,960 and the full on-campus cost at $42,830. Only the Grawemeyer has a deadline. Everything else is applied automatically, and UofL guarantees the awards to students admitted by 1 April 2027. F-1 visa holders are not eligible for any of it and are directed to the separate international scholarships instead.
What is the UofL Out-of-State Scholarship?
The UofL Out-of-State Scholarship is the shorthand students use for a tiered set of admissions awards the University of Louisville hands to first-time freshmen who live outside Kentucky. There is no single award by that name and no single amount. UofL sorts every out-of-state applicant into one of three programmes by geography, then moves you up or down a ladder inside that programme on weighted GPA, with test scores or transferable credit hours as the tiebreaker. Where you grew up is worth more than anything else you do, which is unusual enough to be worth saying plainly.
The best deal goes to the neighbours. If you live or attend school in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia or most of Indiana, the Border Benefit Award drops your tuition to the Kentucky in-state rate. UofL approximates that at $16,000 a year, and the arithmetic checks out against its own published rates: out-of-state tuition and fees are $29,960 for 2026-27, Kentucky residents pay $13,614. Academic top-ups of $1,000 to $5,000 stack on that base, so a student with a 3.5 weighted GPA and a 36 on the ACT lands near $21,000 a year. Students from California, the DC Metro area, New Jersey, the New York Metro area, Pennsylvania and Southern New England get the Regional Scholars Program at $12,000 to $16,000. Every other out-of-state address is on the National Scholars Program, where the range runs $5,000 to $15,000 and, unlike the other two, there is no rung that comes free with admission alone.
Two awards sit above all of that. National Merit finalists and semifinalists with a 3.5 weighted GPA are paid $20,000 a year with no minimum test score attached. The Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarship pays $30,000 a year to ten students, and it is the only one on the page that asks anything extra of you: essays to set prompts, letters of recommendation, a two-page student-involvement resume scored against a published rubric, and acceptance into the University Honors Program, all due in the UofL Gateway by 1 December 2026. Grawemeyer Scholars are steered toward undergraduate research with faculty and civic and cultural work in Metro Louisville, and they attend the banquet where the university names its Grawemeyer Award winners. None of these can be stacked. UofL gives you the highest single amount you qualify for.
Three details decide whether this is worth your time. First, the money is real but partial: even $21,000 against a $42,830 on-campus cost of attendance leaves a gap, and room, meals and books are on you. Second, the deadline structure is friendlier than it looks, since only the Grawemeyer has a date and everything else is guaranteed to students admitted by 1 April 2027, with a 15 February 2027 priority deadline for admission itself. Third, if you hold an F-1 visa, none of this applies to you. UofL routes international students to a separate set of awards paying $5,000 to $8,000, which is a much smaller number than the aggregator posts about this scholarship tend to mention. For comparable university-run merit ladders, the University of Detroit Mercy Scholarships 2027 and the Tulane University Merit Scholarships 2027 guides cover similar automatic awards, and FSU Admissions Scholarships 2026 covers a large public equivalent. Current terms and the full award tables are on the UofL out-of-state scholarships and aid page.
Eligibility
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✓First-time freshman entering Fall 2027These are admissions scholarships for students starting college straight after high school, entering UofL in Fall 2027. If you have enrolled anywhere after graduating high school, even in classes you withdrew from, UofL counts you as a transfer applicant. Transfers are not shut out: the Border Benefit and Regional Scholars pages both carry a flat transfer award, $16,000 and $12,000 a year respectively, for students pursuing a first undergraduate degree.
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✓You live or go to school outside KentuckyThe whole set is aimed at students residing outside Kentucky and the seven Southern Indiana counties that already pay in-state tuition: Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Perry, Scott and Washington. UofL judges this on where you live or where you attend school, so a boarding student can qualify on either. Students from those seven Indiana counties pay the Kentucky rate already and are not eligible for the Border Benefit Award.
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✓Your address decides your ladderBorder Benefit covers all of Illinois, Indiana outside the reciprocity counties, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Regional Scholars covers all of California, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, nine named Maryland counties, eleven named New York counties and three New Hampshire counties. Every other out-of-state address falls under National Scholars.
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✓Weighted GPA of 3.0 to 3.5, depending on the rungThe National Scholars entry rungs start at a 3.0 weighted GPA. Most rungs above that, and every Border Benefit top-up, need a 3.25 or 3.5 weighted GPA. The Grawemeyer and the National Merit award both require a 3.5 weighted GPA.
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✓Test scores optional, and only used to help youUofL says test scores are considered only when they advantage the student. Each award table has a second route for applicants without qualifying scores, based on transferable credit hours earned through AP, IB, Cambridge or dual credit, so 12 or more transferable hours can move you up a rung in place of an SAT or ACT result. The top two Border Benefit top-ups and the top two National Scholars rungs have no credit-hour equivalent, so those need scores.
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✓Not a 100 per cent online degree programmeOut-of-state students enrolled in fully online degree programmes are not eligible for admissions scholarships. UofL publishes separate rates for online programmes, and the scholarship ladder does not apply to them.
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✓Not on an F-1 visaThis one matters if you are reading about UofL on an international scholarships site. The university states plainly that students attending school on an F-1 visa are only eligible for its international scholarships, a separate ladder paying $5,000 to $8,000 a year on cumulative high school GPA. F-1 students cannot claim the Border Benefit, Regional Scholars, National Scholars, National Merit or Grawemeyer awards.
Benefits
- Base award About $16,000 a year, automatic on admission
- What the base award actually does Lowers out-of-state tuition to the Kentucky in-state rate
- Top-up, 1230-1290 SAT or 26-27 ACT with 3.5 GPA +$1,000
- Top-up, 1300-1350 SAT or 28-29 ACT with 3.5 GPA +$2,000
- Top-up, 1360-1380 SAT or 30 ACT with 3.5 GPA +$3,000
- Top-up, 1390-1560 SAT or 31-35 ACT with 3.5 GPA +$4,000
- Top-up, 1570-1600 SAT or 36 ACT with 3.5 GPA +$5,000
- Route without test scores 12-20, 21-29 or 30+ transferable credit hours with 3.5 GPA
- Renewable Yes, UofL lists every award here as renewable
- Eligible states Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
- Southern Indiana reciprocity counties Not eligible, they already pay the in-state rate
- Combining with other UofL awards Cannot be combined with Grawemeyer, Regional, National Scholars or National Merit
- Automatic on admission $12,000 a year
- 1160-1250 SAT or 24-26 ACT with 3.25 GPA $13,000 a year
- 1260-1320 SAT or 27-28 ACT with 3.5 GPA $14,000 a year
- 1330-1600 SAT or 29-36 ACT with 3.5 GPA $16,000 a year
- Route without test scores 12+ hours for $13,000, 12-20 for $14,000, 21+ for $16,000
- Eligible areas California, DC, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, plus named counties in Maryland, New York and New Hampshire
- Transfer version $12,000 a year for transfers from the same areas
- 100 per cent online degree programmes Not eligible
- 1160-1600 SAT or 24-36 ACT with 3.0 GPA $5,000 a year
- 1160-1600 SAT or 24-36 ACT with 3.25 GPA $7,500 a year
- 1200-1600 SAT or 25-26 ACT with 3.25 GPA $10,000 a year
- 1260-1320 SAT or 27-28 ACT with 3.5 GPA $12,000 a year
- 1330-1600 SAT or 29-36 ACT with 3.5 GPA $15,000 a year
- Route without test scores 12+ hours for $5,000, 12-20 for $7,500, 21+ for $10,000
- Who it covers Every out-of-state address outside the Border Benefit and Regional areas
- Automatic tier with no academic minimum None, the lowest rung still needs a 3.0 GPA plus scores or credit hours
- Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarship $30,000 a year for out-of-state students
- Grawemeyer places Ten students
- Grawemeyer academic bar 3.5 weighted GPA and 1160 SAT or 24 ACT
- Grawemeyer extras Undergraduate research with faculty, civic and cultural engagement in Metro Louisville, the Grawemeyer awards banquet
- National Merit finalist or semifinalist $20,000 a year with a 3.5 weighted GPA
- National Merit test requirement No minimum score required
- Grawemeyer application Required, with essays, recommendations, a two-page resume and Honors admission, by 1 December 2026
- Room, meals and books Not covered, UofL puts on-campus room at $7,972, meals at $4,898 and books at about $980
- F-1 visa holders Not eligible, international students apply for the separate international scholarships
Document checklist
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✓UofL Take Flight Application or the Common AppEither route works and both are free of the usual friction. UofL states that its freshman application needs no essays and no letters of recommendation, and that SAT and ACT scores are optional for admission and for many of the automatic scholarships. The 2027 application is already open.
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✓Official high school transcriptYour weighted GPA drives every rung on every ladder, so the transcript is the document that decides your award. Send it through your school along with the rest of the freshman application checklist.
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✓SAT or ACT scores, if they help youOptional, and UofL only counts them when they move you up. Submit if your score clears the band for a higher rung, leave them out if it does not. The scholarship tables show exactly which score band pays what, so you can check before you decide.
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✓Evidence of transferable credit hoursThe alternative to test scores. Credit earned by passing AP, IB or Cambridge exams, or through a dual credit class that transfers to UofL from another accredited institution, counts toward the credit-hour route. Twelve hours is roughly four courses, and 30 or more hours unlocks the highest credit-based top-up.
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✓Grawemeyer application, essays and recommendation lettersOnly for the competitive award. Once you apply to UofL, eligible students find the next steps in the UofL Gateway, and the application with all supporting materials is due by 1 December 2026. It asks for essays written to prompts UofL sets and for letters of recommendation, neither of which the university requires for admission itself, so this is extra work only Grawemeyer candidates take on.
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✓Student-involvement resume, two pages maximumScored against a published rubric across three categories: academic engagement, leadership initiative and extracurricular involvement, and formatting and grammar. UofL asks you to spell out acronyms, use section headers, describe leadership roles briefly and give the length of time you spent in each organisation.
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✓University Honors Program applicationGrawemeyer recipients must apply to and be accepted into the University Honors Program, which asks for 15 hours of honors coursework and a cumulative 3.35 UofL GPA to complete by graduation.
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✓FAFSA, if you want need-based aid tooNot required for the merit awards, but the route to Pell, FSEOG, work-study and federal loans. UofL school code is 001999.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
How much is the UofL out-of-state scholarship?
It depends which of three programmes your address puts you in. The Border Benefit Award is worth about $16,000 a year, rising to roughly $21,000 with the academic top-ups, and UofL calls the figure an approximation because the award is defined as lowering out-of-state tuition to the Kentucky in-state rate rather than as a fixed sum. The Regional Scholars Program pays $12,000, $13,000, $14,000 or $16,000 a year. The National Scholars Program pays $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $12,000 or $15,000. On top of those, National Merit finalists and semifinalists get $20,000 a year and ten Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarships pay $30,000 a year to out-of-state students. None of them stack. UofL states that admissions scholarships cannot be combined with other admissions scholarships and that you receive the highest single amount you qualify for.
Does UofL give scholarships to out-of-state students automatically?
Yes, for everything except the Grawemeyer. UofL states that no scholarship application is required for the other admissions scholarships and that students who meet the minimum criteria are notified of their award or eligibility in the UofL Gateway. The awards are guaranteed to students admitted by 1 April 2027. Only the Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarship needs a separate application, and that one closes on 1 December 2026.
What GPA do you need for a UofL out-of-state scholarship?
A 3.0 weighted GPA gets you onto the first two National Scholars rungs at $5,000 and $7,500. A 3.25 weighted GPA reaches $10,000 on National Scholars and $13,000 on Regional Scholars. A 3.5 weighted GPA is the bar for everything above that, including every Border Benefit top-up, the $20,000 National Merit award and the $30,000 Grawemeyer. Note that these are weighted GPAs, so honors, AP and dual credit coursework works in your favour twice, once through the weighting and again through the transferable credit hours route.
What is the UofL Border Benefit Award?
It is the strongest of the three out-of-state ladders, and it works differently from the others. Rather than paying a set amount, it lowers out-of-state tuition to the Kentucky in-state tuition rate, which UofL approximates at $16,000 a year. Given that 2026-27 out-of-state tuition and fees run to $29,960 against $13,614 for Kentucky residents, the arithmetic holds up. It is automatic on admission for accepted freshmen and transfers who live or attend school in Illinois, Indiana outside the reciprocity counties, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia, and academic top-ups of $1,000 to $5,000 sit on top of the base award.
Can international students get the UofL out-of-state scholarship?
No. The university states that students attending school on an F-1 visa are only eligible for its international scholarships. That is a separate ladder: the Global Cardinal Scholarship pays $5,000 for a cumulative high school GPA of 3.25 to 3.49, $6,500 for 3.5 to 3.74 and $8,000 for 3.75 and above, applied automatically on admission, with a Global Transfer Scholarship of $5,000 for transfers holding a 3.0 college GPA. Those figures sit well below the out-of-state ladders, so if you are reading an aggregator post that presents the Border Benefit or Grawemeyer as open to international students, it is wrong.
Does UofL require SAT or ACT scores for scholarships?
No. UofL says scores are optional for admission and for many automatic scholarships, and that test scores are only considered when they advantage the student. Every award table carries a second column for applicants without qualifying scores, keyed to transferable credit hours from AP, CLEP, IB, Cambridge or dual credit coursework. Two exceptions are worth knowing: the top two Border Benefit top-ups, worth $4,000 and $5,000, and the top two National Scholars rungs, worth $12,000 and $15,000, list no credit-hour equivalent, so those need a score.
When is the UofL scholarship deadline for 2027 entry?
The Grawemeyer Competitive Scholarship closes on 1 December 2026, and that is the only scholarship deadline on the out-of-state page. Every other admissions scholarship has no deadline and is guaranteed to students admitted by 1 April 2027. The priority deadline to apply for admission is 15 February 2027. Applying well before December still makes sense, because Grawemeyer next steps only appear in your UofL Gateway once your admission application is in.
Does the UofL out-of-state page really say the awards are for Kentucky residents?
It does, and it appears to be a copy-paste error rather than a rule. The page opens by describing scholarships for freshmen residing outside Kentucky and Southern Indiana, then a bullet further down reads that all scholarships are available for students who are residents of Kentucky or Southern Indiana. The identical bullet sits on the separate Kentucky and Southern Indiana scholarships page, where it makes sense, and the Border Benefit and Regional Scholars pages both state that recipients must be classified as out-of-state, non-residents. Read together, the out-of-state ladders are plainly for out-of-state students. If your award hinges on it, confirm with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on 502-852-6531 before you commit.
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