USA Institutional Scholarship Earn Back Program

The University of South Alabama is committed to the ongoing success of our students and is dedicated to helping you achieve your higher education goals. Academic standards exist for most renewable scholarships and students who fail to meet these standards at the end of the academic year will not have their scholarship renewed.

Institutional scholarship recipients must earn at least 30 credit hours and meet the minimum cumulative institutional GPA* requirement for their award by the end of the academic year. We understand that unexpected bumps may happen and for those students that lose their award there are options to 'earn back'.  

Students who do not meet the minimum renewal requirements at the end of the spring term will be notified through their university email account. As a first option students may elect to take summer courses at USA (at their own expense), to continue to try and meet this required criteria. However if, at the end of the summer term, students still have not met these standards they are eligible to participate in the USA Institutional Scholarship Earn Back Program**. 

The USA Institutional Scholarship Earn Back Program consists of a probationary year during which students are provided with access to USA Student Academic Success workshops, one-on-one advising, and individualized support to help complete needed credit hours or improve an institutional GPA. 

To participate students must:

  • Complete the USA Institutional Scholarship Earn Back application, available in the JagSPOT system. This application will remain open until the last day of the late registration period (drop/add) of the Fall term.
  • Once approved, enroll and complete the JagSuccess workshop through Student Academic Success.
  • Successfully earn 30 credit hours by the end of the academic year subsequent to the loss and maintain the minimum institutional GPA for their scholarship*.

Students must apply for the program in the term subsequent to the loss of their scholarship and are eligible to continue to participate in the program as long as there is time remaining on their scholarship 'clock' (terms of loss continue to count against all eligible terms). However, students are required to reapply each year they participate. 

At the end of each year students who have completed the Student Academic Success programming will be reviewed. If the student has completed the programming successfully and maintained academic standards, the scholarship may be reinstated.   

While out-of-state residents may participate in the USA Institutional Scholarship Earn Back program, they will only be eligible to 'earn back' the scholarship portion of their award. The in-state tuition rate will be adjusted to the out-of-state tuition rate and can not be reinstated. 

Continuous enrollment at USA is required. If a student has voluntarily forfeited their institutional award, the student is not eligible to participate in the programming.


 *A minimum 3.0 cumulative institutional GPA is required for the USA Freshman Admission scholarships. A minimum 2.5 cumulative institutional GPA is required for the Jaguar Marching Band Scholarship.

**Current participation in the Jaguar Marching Band and Director's approval is also required to earn back the Jaguar Marching Band Scholarship.