Hard work and academic achievement are the stepping stones to a rewarding college experience. For high school students whose academic and personal accomplishments have been exceptional, those rewards come as unique opportunities and scholarships. At Radford University they have the opportunity to compete for the University’s most prestigious scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship.

Potential Presidential Scholars are identified during the new student application process and selected to compete for the scholarships. To be considered, a student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and combined minimum SAT I scores of 1180 or an ACT score of 26 or higher. The University offers full scholarships, which include in-state tuition and fees, room and board and a book stipend, and partial scholarships that can be applied to tuition and fees or room cost. On average, five full scholarships and 12 partial scholarships are awarded to new freshmen each year. Currently, there are 75 presidential scholarship recipients enrolled at RU. Twenty-two have full scholarships.

Since the inception of the Presidential Scholars Program in 1994, RU has provided scholarships to in-state and out-of-state students with exceptional academic credentials. The program has seen significant growth and is valuable to attracting and recruiting gifted students who are diverse in their interests and academic goals. These deserving students are valued for the contributions they make to the RU community through leadership and campus involvement.

Meet the incoming 2008-09 Presidential Scholars

The scholarship competition allows students to showcase their talents and demonstrate what sets them apart as unique individuals who have the propensity to become student leaders at RU.  The process requires students to submit two essays, letters of recommendation, transcripts and a list of extracurricular activities, community service, honors and awards. If selected to compete for a presidential scholarship, students are interviewed by a committee and required to deliver a presentation on a topic of their choice.

Programs like the Presidential Scholarship reward students for their academic achievements and provide them with an opportunity to receive a quality education and pursue their dreams. Scholarships are a top priority for RU. There are more than 500 scholarships awarded by the RU Foundation annually, and all are privately funded through the generous support of donors.