Research · Scholarships · October 2026
Scholarships in Nevada: the 2 state programs and what each asks for
As of October 2026: Nevada has 2 state scholarship programs for students who graduate from its own high schools. The table says what each one pays, who qualifies, and when it closes, in the state's own words.
The table holds every state-funded award we could confirm for a Nevada high school graduate going to college. It does not hold federal aid, or a scholarship that comes from one college rather than from the state.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The findings, in plain English
Nevada runs 1 award that turn on grades or scores. Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship is one of them. 1 of the 2 programs we could read name a GPA, and 1 name a test score. A need-based award asks about family income instead, through the FAFSA.
The state's own pages are the only place these rules live. Every row links to the page the state publishes for that program. The rules and the dollar figures move from year to year, so the page is the thing to read, not a summary of it.
What this table does not tell you. Every figure on the table was read off the state's own page for that program. Nothing is estimated and nothing is carried over from an earlier year.
Every state scholarship in Nevada
Read the row, then open the state's own page before you count on a figure.
| Program | Merit or need | What it pays | GPA it asks for | Test score it asks for | Who qualifies | Deadline | Renewable | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship | Merit | Up to $10,000 total, paid per credit hour (up to 15 credits/semester): $40/credit (lower-division) or $60/credit (upper-division) at NSHE community colleges, $60/credit at Nevada State University, $80/credit at all other eligible institutions | 3.25 overall (weighted or unweighted) | SAT 1070 or higher, or ACT 21 or higher (alternative to the GPA path) | Nevada resident for at least 2 years; complete 4 years English, 4 years math (incl. Algebra II or higher), 3 years science, 3 years history in high school; no application needed for traditional public/private/charter HS grads (school submits the name); home-schooled or out-of-state students must apply | — | — | Source |
| Silver State Opportunity Grant | Need-based | Need-based award up to $5,500 per year (max $4,400/year for students enrolled 12 credits/semester); amount is cost of attendance minus student contribution, Student Aid Index, and federal aid | — | — | Enrolled at least 12 credit hours in a degree/certificate program at an NSHE community college or Nevada State University; classified as a Nevada resident for tuition; 'college-ready' in math and English by placement or coursework; no prior bachelor's degree; FAFSA required | — | Students who receive an SSOG award remain eligible for future semesters providing they continue to meet Title IV Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, though it is not a guarantee of a future award | Source |
Every row is a state-funded or state-administered award for a Nevada high school graduate going to an undergraduate program, as of October 2026. A scholarship from a single college, a private foundation award, a federal program and a graduate-only award are all left out. A blank cell means the state's own page does not state it. Dollar figures and GPA floors change every year.
How to read a state scholarship
State awards come in two shapes. A merit award asks about grades, a course list, or a test score, and it does not care what a family earns. A need-based award asks about income and assets through the FAFSA, and it does not care about grades. Some awards ask about both, and the table calls those merit and need.
The deadline column is the one families miss. For most need-based state aid the deadline is really the FAFSA deadline, and it falls months before a college asks for a decision. A merit award more often has no application at all: the state or the high school nominates the student from records it already holds.
What a family should do with this
Open the official page in the last column for the one or two programs your student plausibly qualifies for, and write down two dates: the state aid deadline and the FAFSA deadline. Those are the two that close. The Nevada pages on this table post no date, so file the FAFSA as early as you can and check the program page again in the spring.
Then look past the state. A state award is usually the smaller half of an offer. The college's own merit grid and its net price for your family income move more money than any state program on this page, and both are published.
Questions parents ask
What scholarships does Nevada offer?
Nevada has 2 state scholarship programs for students who graduate from its own high schools. The table says what each one pays, who qualifies, and when it closes, in the state's own words.
Does Nevada have a merit scholarship?
Nevada runs 1 award that turn on grades or scores, and Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship is one of them.
How do I find the rules for a Nevada scholarship?
Every row links to the page the state publishes for that program. The rules and the dollar figures move from year to year, so the page is the thing to read, not a summary of it.
Method & sources: Programs come from the Nevada State Treasurer's Office and the agency's own program pages, read in October 2026. The population is a student who graduates from a Nevada high school and enrolls as an undergraduate. A scholarship offered by one college, a private foundation award, a federal program and a graduate-only award are all out of scope. A value the agency's own page does not state is left blank rather than filled from elsewhere, and a page that could not be read drops every figure.
This brief as data: /research/scholarships-in-nevada.json. Free for editorial use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Related: Merit scholarships by college · State scholarships in every state · High schools in Nevada · Scholarship deadlines