Great Gorilla Scholarships
The Great Gorilla Scholarship program is designed to reflect the current realities of the cost of college. Pitt State is responding to this challenge by investing in you and your future.
This program starts with you as a freshman, and follows you for four years. These academic achievement awards are applied to tuition and fees, and are based on your high school GPA for fall 2024. Starting in fall 2025, awards can be based on GPA or your ACT score (we'll select the higher of the two). In addition, these awards are renewable for three additional years provided you maintain satisfactory academic progress (2.0 GPA).
And best of all? You don't have to apply! Academic achievement awards are automatically applied to your account.
Academic Achievement Awards
Freshman
| Level | GPA | Amount |
ACT Starting fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.95-4.0 | $4,000 per year/$16,000 for four years | 28+ |
| 2 | 3.85–3.94 | $3,000 per year/$12,000 for four years | 26-27 |
| 3 | 3.7–3.84 | $2,000 per year/$8,000 for four years | 24-25 |
| 4 | 3.25–3.69 | $1,500 per year/$6,000 for four years | 22-23 |
| 5 | 2.85–3.24 | $1,000 per year/$4,000 for four years | 20-21 |
Transfer students
Students who transfer to Pitt State with more than 24 hours of college credit earned from other institutions after high school are considered transfers. If these students have a 3.0 transfer GPA, they are eligible for an annual $1,000 Great Gorilla Scholarship ($500/semester). The award is renewable for a total of four semesters ($500/semester) if they maintain satisfactory academic progress (2.0 GPA).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Great Gorilla Scholarship Program?
The Great Gorilla Scholarship Program is a tiered system of academic achievement awards based on GPA at the time of application for admission. Starting in fall 2025, either GPA or ACT can be used to determine award amount (we select the higher of the two). Awards are applied automatically to student accounts during the fall and spring semesters as long as a 2.0 GPA is maintained. Awards are split evenly between the two semesters (no summer awards). Award systems are available for both new freshmen and transfer students. Freshmen are eligible for eight semesters of aid, and transfer students are eligible for four semesters.
Is there an eligibility deadline each year?
No. Awards are made at the time of application up to the last day to enroll in classes in the fall and spring semesters.
Will my award automatically renew each semester?
Yes, if you maintain satisfactory academic progress, which means maintaining a 2.0 GPA.
If I transfer to Pitt State after only one semester at a different college or university, and I’m still a freshman, am I eligible for the new freshman scholarships?
Yes – students who have completed fewer than 24 credit hours at another college or university are still considered new freshmen at the time of application. Academic Achievement awards will be based upon final high school GPA or, starting in fall 2025, GPA or ACT score (we select the higher of the two).
What if I take a semester off after high school graduation, and start at Pitt State in the spring semester?
In this case, you are considered a new freshman and are therefore eligible for the new freshman awards.
If my GPA goes up while at Pitt State, will I then be eligible for a larger award?
Are awards based on weighted or unweighted high school GPAs?
For new freshmen, the award level is based on the highest GPA reported on your high school transcript – if your GPA is weighted, you will be awarded based on the weighted GPA. Starting in fall 2025, if your ACT score qualifies you for a larger Great Gorilla scholarship, we'll use that score to determine your aid level.
Can I apply Great Gorilla Scholarships to my housing expenses?
No. These awards are applied to tuition and fees only. Our financial aid team can apply other unrestricted awards or scholarships to housing costs, and will stack awards in the way that best benefits you.
Do semesters need to be sequential?
Yes. Students need to be enrolled in consecutive semesters to remain eligible.
Are the Crawford County, valedictorian, and first generation scholarships still available for new freshmen?
No. The new Great Gorilla Scholarship Program absorbed these awards into one simple program. In nearly every case, students will receive larger awards with the new program.
Are current students eligible for the new award levels?
No, but we have good news for current students. Current freshmen and sophomores will now retain their current academic achievement awards for their junior and senior years (not to exceed eight total fall/spring semesters).
I’m a Pitt State employee. How do these new levels apply to my kids?
Benefits-eligible employees’ dependents already receive a tuition waiver. Now, if dependents meet the GPA requirements, they will also receive an academic achievement award up to the cost of standard fees each semester. Non-standard fees are not covered by the Great Gorilla Scholarship Program. Starting in fall 2025, awards will be based on GPA or ACT (we'll select the highest one).