Since 1996, SBU has been recognized as one of America's 100 Best College Buys©. Every undergraduate student who attends the Bolivar campus receives a financial aid package. SBU works with you to provide comprehensive financial assistance that will meet your needs through a combination of university, federal, state, and private aid resources.

Freshman Academic Scholarships

These awards are available to new freshmen enrolling at SBU's Bolivar campus in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Each award is renewable for up to eight semesters for students who maintain a 2.0 GPA and full-time status. The residency grant is available for students who live on campus. Students are required to live on campus unless they live with their parents/guardians within a 30-mile radius of the Bolivar campus, or until they turn 21. Award levels are based on weighted high school GPA.

Award	Amount	Residency Grant	Annual Total	Four-Year Total
Presidential Distinguished Scholar (4.0 GPA or above)	$13,000	$3,500	$16,500	$66,000
Provost's Scholar Award (3.80-3.99 GPA)	$12,000	$3,500	$15,500	$62,000
Dean's Scholar Award (3.30-3.79 GPA)	$11,000	$3,500	$14,500	$58,000
Bearcat Scholar Award I (3.00-3.29 GPA)	$10,000	$3,500	$13,500	$54,000
Bearcat Scholar Award II (2.99 GPA or below)	$8,000	$3,500	$11,500	$46,000

 

Transfer Academic Scholarships

These awards are available to new transfers enrolling at SBU's Bolivar campus in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Each award is renewable for up to eight semesters for students who maintain a 2.0 GPA and full-time status. The residency grant is available for students who live on campus. Students are required to live on campus unless they live with their parents/guardians within a 30-mile radius of the Bolivar campus, or until they turn 21. Award levels are based on cumulative college GPA. Students who have completed at least 12 credit hours of college coursework after graduating from high school are considered transfers.

Award	Amount	Residency Grant	Annual Total	Two-Year Total
Presidential Transfer Award (3.75 GPA or above)	$9,000	$3,500	$12,500	$25,000
Provost's Transfer Award (3.00-3.74 GPA)	$8,000	$3,500	$11,500	$23,000
Dean's Transfer Award (2.50-2.99 GPA)	$7,000	$3,500	$10,500	$21,000
Bearcat Transfer Award (2.00-2.49 GPA)	$5,000	$3,500	$8,500	$17,000

 

Other Transfer Awards

• Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship - For students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa while in community college; Amount = $1,500 per year (renewable as long as students maintain full-time enrollment and a 2.0 GPA).

 

Scholars Day Awards

High school seniors who have a 3.3 GPA or above or a qualifying test score, will be invited to participate in Scholars Day to earn one of the academic-competitive scholarships. Incoming transfer students with a 3.5 college GPA or above will also be invited.*

Scholars Day Scholars Day will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026. If you have questions about Scholars Day or want to know if you qualify, please contact your admissions counselor at (417) 328-1810.

• J. R. Maupin Founders Award - Full-tuition (2 awards offered annually)
• Dutile Scholars Award - $500-$1,000 (awarded to each Scholars Day participant not selected for the J.R. Maupin Founders Award; not eligible to combine with/stack with athletics performance awards)

*High school seniors with a 3.3 GPA that have submitted a 16ACT/910SAT/56CLT to the admissions office are not eligible for Scholars Day.

 

Performance Scholarships

SBU offers a number of scholarships designed to both reward and develop your unique talents, whether you are an athlete, have musical talents, or can win an argument on our speech and debate team. 

Award	Amount	Criteria
Athletic Scholarships	Varies	SBU's 21 NCAA Division II sports offer scholarships for athletes who are recruited by coaches. Contact your admissions counselor for details. These awards can stack on top of your academic awards but not other SBU scholarships/grants. SBU Athletics Directory
Music Scholarships	Varies	Scholarships are available to all students regardless of major, based on auditions or tryouts. Contact your admissions counselor for details. These awards can stack on top of your academic award but not other SBU scholarships/grants.
Speech and Debate Scholarships	Varies	Scholarships are available to all students regardless of major, based on auditions or tryouts. Contact your admissions counselor for details. These awards can stack on top of your academic awards but not other SBU scholarships/grants.
Club Sports Scholarships	Varies	Scholarships are available to all students regardless of major, based on auditions or tryouts. Contact your admissions counselor for details. These awards can stack on top of your academic awards but not other SBU scholarships/grants.

 

Ministry-Related Scholarships

As a Christian university, it is SBU's privilege to award scholarships to students entering the ministry and to partner with churches who want to assist their students in pursuing Christian higher education.

These scholarships are eligible to combine with (i.e., stack) with performance awards in athletics, music, art, speech/debate.

Award	Amount	Criteria
Church Matching	Up to $500	SBU will match a scholarship from your church up to $500, renewable up to four years. (Example: Your church gives you a $1,000 scholarship, and SBU will give you a $500 Church Matching Scholarship). Your church does not have to be a Southern Baptist Church.
Church-Related Vocation	$2,000	Available to students pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies, Church Ministry, Church Music, or Missions
Church Minister Dependent	$1,000	Available to students who are a dependent of a full-time church-related vocational professional
Missionary Dependent	$1,000	Available to students who are a dependent of someone currently serving full-time on the mission field for the International Mission Board (IMB), North American Mission Board (NAMB) or another approved missions organization

 

Other Institutional Scholarships

Unless noted, these scholarships are not eligible to combine with (i.e., stack) with performance awards in athletics, music, speech/debate.

Award	Amount	Criteria
SBU Grant	Varies	These awards are based on need using information from the FAFSA.
A+ Scholarship (Missouri Residents)	$1,000	Available to incoming freshmen students who have met A+ requirements in the State of Missouri. Your status must be confirmed by your school.
Dual Credit Scholarship	$250	Available to students who have complete at least 6 hours of dual credit or dual enrollment through SBU, earning a minimum 3.0 GPA. Credits must be earned before end of spring semester of senior year of high school.
Sibling Scholarship	$500	For students who have a brother or sister attending SBU at the same time (siblings who are currently attending will also receive). This award DOES stack with performance awards.

 

50% Tuition Discount*

To qualify for 50% tuition, students must attend SBU's Bolivar campus full-time and meet one of these three qualifications:

• Missouri Southern Baptist Convention 
• Attended a partner Christian K-12 school
• Homeschool student

Any questions about this discount should be directed to your admissions counselor. 

*The 50% Tuition Discount cannot be combined with other institutional aid from SBU, including academic merit scholarships, athletic scholarships, performance scholarships, church-matching, and others. If a student qualifies for a combination of other SBU aid that exceeds the 50% Tuition Discount, the 50% Tuition Discount will be replaced by that combined SBU aid package. The 50% tuition discount is based off the tuition rate during the student's first semester. Families must present a letter from their senior pastor confirming that they are members of an MBC church. The 50% discount does not apply to graduate programs or to degrees at any of SBU's other campuses (Springfield, Salem, Mountain View, or Worldwide). Students who accept this discount will still be able to qualify for government grants/loans and outside scholarships.