Auburn University publishes a real merit scholarship chart with a genuinely steep top tier -- but the way Auburn frames the chart itself is worth reading closely before you treat any specific number as locked in.
See all 17 real automatic scholarship charts covered this cycle for how this compares to other public universities' own tables.
Alabama residents
| Scholarship Tier | Minimum GPA | ACT Score | Annual Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit of Auburn University | 3.5 | 28-29 | $5,000 |
| Spirit of Auburn Founders | 3.5 | 30-32 | $9,000 |
| Spirit of Auburn Presidential | 3.5 | 33-36 | $11,500 |
| Spirit of Auburn Presidential Excellence | 4.0 | 35-36 | Full tuition and student services fees |
Non-residents
| Scholarship Tier | Minimum GPA | ACT Score | Annual Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Charter | 3.5 | 29-30 | $7,000 |
| Academic Heritage | 3.5 | 31-32 | $11,000 |
| Academic Presidential | 3.5 | 33-34 | $15,000 |
| Academic Presidential | 3.5 | 35-36 | $17,000 |
The part worth reading closely: this is framed as what already happened, not a promise
Alabama's and Kentucky's charts are both presented as forward-looking, current-cycle tables. Auburn's page reads differently -- its own language states that competitive merit scholarships "were awarded" to residents and non-residents accepted through Early Action at the levels shown, for a specific already-completed fall term. Auburn is explicit that actual awards in any given cycle depend on "the number of qualified admitted students, the credentials of those applicants, and available funding" -- meaning the table functions as a real, recent reference point for what similar credentials received, not a contractual guarantee that the identical GPA and ACT combination produces the identical dollar figure the next time around. Treat the numbers above as a strong, accurate baseline for what to expect, while confirming the live chart on Auburn's own site before finalizing any decision that depends on the exact figure.
The top tier is a narrow target
The steepest jump on either table is the gap into Auburn's highest resident tier: a 35-36 ACT is required for both the full-tuition Presidential Excellence award and the $11,500 Presidential tier's top end, with nothing published between a 33 ACT and a 35 ACT for the very top award. Unlike Alabama's chart, which has GPA-band flexibility built into most tiers, Auburn's minimum GPA is a flat 3.5 across every resident and non-resident tier except the top Presidential Excellence award, which requires a 4.0 -- the test score, not the GPA, is what moves you between rows here.
Superscoring and deadline
Auburn will accept an ACT superscore report and will calculate a superscore for the SAT, using your best individual section results across test dates -- the opposite policy from Alabama's and Kentucky's single-sitting-only rule, and worth knowing if your strongest sections came from different test dates.
The admission application, application fee, high school transcript, and official test scores must be complete by December 1, with updated test scores accepted through January 11 for scholarship reconsideration -- a real second chance to move up a tier that neither Alabama's nor Kentucky's chart offers as explicitly.
What this means for you
- Use this chart as a strong recent baseline, not a locked promise. Auburn's own language frames it as what similar students already received, contingent on that cycle's applicant pool and funding.
- GPA is mostly a flat bar here, not a sliding scale. Unless you're aiming for the 4.0-required top tier, your ACT score is what determines your row.
- Your superscore counts. Submit every test date -- Auburn will calculate the SAT superscore itself and accept an ACT superscore report.
- December 1 is the file-completion deadline, but you have until January 11 to update scores. That's real room to retest and move up a tier after your initial application is in.