Pillars for Excellence
Scholarship Competition
The Pillars for Excellence Scholarships provide full tuition scholarships (awarded annually at the freshman value) to highly qualified students with exceptional intellectual ability. Recipients of the scholarship are expected to demonstrate both the qualities of mind and the qualities of person that will allow a student to flourish in C-SC’s rigorous but community-orientated academic environment and in the challenging world beyond college.
Stringent academic standards are required. To be eligible, students must meet two of the three following requirements:
- A minimum ACT score of 27 (1220 SAT, verbal and math)
- A minimum 3.75 high school GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- *Top 10% of graduating class
*If class rank is unavailable, students must meet the other two requirements to be eligible to compete. All Pillars for Excellence candidates must have applied to and been accepted by Culver-Stockton College prior to competing.
In addition to academic excellence, students must come to campus between the dates of October 1st and December 15 to for interviews with two faculty members on the Pillars for Excellence Scholarship Interview Committee. All visits will be held on a weekday. In addition to the interview, students will get a tour of campus and meet with a faculty member in academic program of choice. Students also must write an essay responding to a question asked of all competitors. The essay should be submitted prior to coming to campus to compete.
Pillars for Excellence candidates who compete but who are not selected for this scholarship are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship of 50% tuition based upon cost of tuition at the time of matriculation to C-SC.
To accept the Pillars for Excellence or Presidential Scholarship, students must complete the following steps to receive the full award:
- Completing the $200 Confirmation Fee by March 1.
- Attending the Pillars for Excellence Scholar Luncheon on Saturday, March 10.
** Pillars competitors can be enrolled automatically in Honors English rather than the general course. If not selected for the scholarship, a Pillars candidate can list a preference for Honors English. Students who express this preference and who have completed an early confirmation (i.e., paid the $200 confirmation fee) will receive priority placement in the course until it is full.
** The Pillars for Excellence Scholarship recipients are ineligible for additional institutional scholarships or awards throughout their career at Culver-Stockton. Pillars for Excellence Scholarships can be renewed annually at the value of the student's freshman year if the student maintains a 3.2 GPA at Culver-Stockton.
