The University of Alabama runs one of the most fully public automatic scholarship charts of any large university -- two separate tables (in-state, out-of-state), a full ladder of ACT/SAT-to-dollar tiers, and a specific quirk in how it treats GPA that's worth understanding before you assume you know your number.
See all 17 real automatic scholarship charts covered this cycle for how this compares to other public universities' own tables.
The in-state chart
| Scholarship | ACT | SAT | GPA | Yearly Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA Recognition | 25 | 1200–1220 | 3.00–3.49 | $4,000 |
| UA Recognition | 24 | 1160–1190 | 3.50+ | $4,000 |
| Crimson Achievement | 26 | 1230–1250 | 3.00–3.49 | $5,000 |
| Crimson Achievement | 25 | 1200–1220 | 3.50+ | $5,000 |
| UA Legends | 27 | 1260–1290 | 3.00–3.49 | $6,000 |
| UA Legends | 26 | 1230–1250 | 3.50+ | $6,000 |
| Capstone | 28 | 1300–1320 | 3.00–3.49 | $7,000 |
| Capstone | 27 | 1260–1290 | 3.50+ | $7,000 |
| Collegiate | 29 | 1330–1350 | 3.00–3.49 | $8,000 |
| Collegiate | 28 | 1300–1320 | 3.50+ | $8,000 |
| Foundation in Excellence | 30–36 | 1360–1600 | 3.00–3.49 | $9,000 |
| Foundation in Excellence | 29 | 1330–1350 | 3.50+ | $9,000 |
| Presidential | 30–36 | 1360–1600 | 3.50+ | Tuition |
| Presidential Elite | 36 | 1600 | 4.0+ | Tuition+ |
The out-of-state chart
| Scholarship | ACT | SAT | GPA | Yearly Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crimson Legends | 25–26 | 1200–1250 | 3.50+ | $6,000 |
| Capstone | 27 | 1260–1290 | 3.50+ | $8,000 |
| Collegiate | 28 | 1300–1320 | 3.50+ | $10,000 |
| Foundation in Excellence | 29 | 1330–1350 | 3.50+ | $15,000 |
| UA Scholar | 30–31 | 1360–1410 | 3.50+ | $24,000 |
| Presidential | 32–36 | 1420–1600 | 3.50+ | $28,000 |
| Presidential Elite | 36 | 1600 | 4.0+ | Tuition+ |
The part that surprises people: your GPA band changes the ACT bar, not just the GPA bar
It's easy to assume GPA only matters as its own separate cutoff, and that the test score requirement is fixed regardless. UA's in-state chart doesn't work that way. Look at UA Recognition: a student with a 3.00-3.49 GPA needs a 25 ACT to land the $4,000 award, but a student with a 3.50+ GPA only needs a 24 ACT for the exact same $4,000 -- the same pattern repeats at every tier up through Collegiate. A higher GPA band effectively buys you one point of ACT slack at the identical dollar amount. It's a genuinely useful thing to know before junior year: a student sitting right at a GPA cutoff can sometimes do more for their scholarship outcome by pushing the GPA up half a band than by chasing one more ACT point, or the reverse, depending on which is realistically closer.
Test scores: no superscore, one sitting only
UA's policy is explicit and easy to miss if you're used to how admission itself treats test scores: "UA does not use superscores for scholarship purposes. Only official ACT composite scores or official SAT total scores submitted by the testing agency are accepted." If your best Math section came from one test date and your best Reading & Writing came from another, the composite/total from a single sitting is what counts here -- not the combined best-of-both-dates number. Self-reported scores aren't enough either; official score reports from the testing agency are required.
Deadline and GPA snapshot
For Summer/Fall 2027 entry, the application deadline and official score-report deadline is December 4. GPA is considered through the end of junior year -- a strong first semester senior year won't move you into a higher tier after the fact, so the number that matters is already set by the time you apply.
What this means for you
- Compare your GPA band before assuming your test score sets your tier. A 3.50+ GPA can pull you into a higher award at the same ACT score you already have.
- Get an official score report sent, even if you've already self-reported. UA won't apply a self-reported score toward the scholarship decision.
- Don't count on a superscore. If your best section scores are split across test dates, only a single sitting's composite or total applies -- check which of your actual test dates gives you the best single-sitting number.
- Hit December 4, and don't wait for a later Regular Decision-style deadline. This is an Early Action-adjacent timeline, not a spring one.