Scholarships

Academic Year 2026-2027 Financial Aid Opportunities

All Arizona Christian University scholarships require students to be enrolled full-time and maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA (unless otherwise noted). Scholarships listed on this website are available to students who will begin classes at ACU in Fall 2026. Students starting at ACU in the Spring 2025 semester are encouraged to contact the ACU Admissions Department at [email protected] for any questions regarding scholarship eligibility.

Arizona Christian University offers a wide range of scholarship opportunities to help students with the cost of education. ACU scholarships fall into the following categories.

University Scholars

ACU awards a limited number of scholarships each year to incoming full-time students with outstanding academic records. University Scholar awards are renewable for up to four years, provided eligibility requirements are met. Recipients are required to live on campus.

Academic

ACU may award academic scholarships based on academic achievement, including GPA, test scores, and academic achievement. Academic scholarships are calculated based on GPA. Scholarship amounts vary.

Partnership

ACU may award certain students scholarships based on where they attended school prior to enrolling at ACU. Scholarship amounts vary.

Spiritual Life

ACU may award certain student scholarships based on the student’s participation in church or ministry activities. To qualify, students must submit a letter of recommendation from their pastor or ministry leader. Scholarship amounts vary.

Extracurricular

ACU may award certain student scholarships based on the student’s participation in church or ministry activities. To qualify, students must submit a letter of recommendation from their pastor or ministry leader. Scholarship amounts vary.

University Scholars

The University Scholars program (formerly the Honors Scholarship) recognizes incoming full-time students with exceptional academic achievement. Each year, ACU awards a limited number of these highly competitive scholarships.

University Scholar awards are renewable for up to four years, provided eligibility requirements are met. Recipients are required to live on campus. These awards are not available to transfer students and cannot be combined with other institutional scholarships.

Selection Process

Exceptional students are identified during the application process and invited to attend the University Scholars Event. Interested students who have not yet applied may also inquire about an invitation. During the event, students interview for one of the University Scholars awards.

Eligibility is based on a combination of SAT, ACT, or CLT scores and a minimum cumulative, unweighted high school GPA of 3.65. Applicants are reviewed holistically by a committee, considering academic performance, interview results, leadership in service, and letters of recommendation. Participation in a University Scholars interview is required.

University Scholars Event

All recipients are invited to participate in the ACU University Scholars Event. For application deadlines for the 2026–2027 academic year, contact your admissions representative at [email protected].

Scholarship Levels
Recipients may be awarded one of the following:

• President’s Scholarship
  Full tuition, renewable for four years with a minimum 3.7 collegiate GPA

• Provost’s Scholarship
  85% tuition, renewable for four years with a minimum 3.5 collegiate GPA

• Dean’s Scholarship
  75% tuition, renewable for four years with a minimum 3.5 collegiate GPA

Recipients may also qualify for additional need-based financial aid. Contact your admissions representative to determine eligibility and learn more about the University Scholars Event.

Academic Scholarships

ACU may award academic scholarships based on academic achievement, including GPA and academic achievement. Academic scholarships are calculated based on GPA. Scholarship amounts vary.

Firestorm Academic Excellence Award

Requirement – Minimum 3.75 unweighted, cumulative GPA
Renewal GPA* – 3.0

ACU Scholar Award

Requirement – Minimum 3.4 unweighted, cumulative GPA
Renewal GPA* – 2.75

Faculty Award

Requirement – Minimum 3.0 unweighted, cumulative GPA
Renewal GPA* – 2.5

Partnership Scholarships

ACU may award certain students scholarships based on where they attended school prior to enrolling at ACU. Scholarship amounts vary.

Homeschool Scholarship

The ACU Homeschool Scholarship is designed to encourage, train, support, and educate homeschool students, who share in the common focus, value, and importance of Christian education in our culture. The Homeschool Scholarship will also provide a scholarship benefit for students choosing to continue their Christian education at ACU*.

Requirement: High school graduate from a homeschool
Renewal: 2.0 ACU GPA
*Not stackable with Athletics or Honors scholarship packages.

Christian School Coalition Scholarship Program

The ACU Christian Schools Coalition Scholarship Program (CSCSP) is designed to encourage, train, support, and educate students from partnership Christian Schools who share in the common focus, value, and importance of Christian education in our culture. The CSCSP will also provide a scholarship benefit for students choosing to continue their Christian education at ACU*.

Requirement: High school graduate from one of our partner coalition schools.
Renewal: 2.0 ACU GPA
*Not stackable with Athletics or Honors scholarship packages.

Association of Classical Christian Schools Scholarship

ACU is a college affiliated with the Association of Classical Christian Schools. The ACU ACCS Scholarship is designed to encourage, train, support, and educate ACCS students who share in the common focus, value, and importance of a classical Christian education in our culture. The ACCS scholarship provides a scholarship benefit for students choosing to continue their classical Christian education at ACU*.

Requirement: High school graduate from one of our ACCS-affiliated schools.
Renewal: 2.0 ACU GPA
*Not stackable with Athletics or Honors scholarship packages.

Transfer Scholarships

Students who have a minimum of 15 post-high school college credits may receive a transfer scholarship.

Spiritual Life Scholarships

ACU may award certain students scholarships based on the student’s participation in church or ministry activities. To qualify for these scholarships may require additional documentation, including letters of recommendation and
character references. Scholarship amounts vary.

Christian Ministries Scholarship
Faith and Service Award
Leadership Award

Extracurricular Scholarships

ACU may offer students scholarships based on their participation and achievement in certain extracurricular activities, such as athletics, music, and drama.

Athletic Scholarships

A student-athlete’s full institutional scholarship package is determined by the athletic department. The student-athlete will be offered a scholarship based on an evaluation of the following:

• Achievements in the classroom
• Assessment of his/her contribution to the team
• Leadership qualities aligning with the university mission

***ATHLETIC AWARDS CAN NOT BE STACKED WITH ANY OTHER INSTITUTIONAL AID***

Contact the Athletic Department for complete details.

Music Scholarships

These audition-based annual scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional musical talent. Vocal and instrumental scholarships are available and awarded on an audition basis only. The scholarships are subject to review at the end of each Spring semester.

Schedule an audition here.

Contact the Music Department for complete details.

• Don and Mary King Music Performance Scholarship
• Don and Mary King Scholarship
• Don and Mary King Leadership Scholarship