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The merit-aid verdict at Bushnell
DRAFT: Bushnell publishes a clean eight-band GPA scholarship grid ($6,000 at 2.80 up to $16,000 at 3.90+, set once at admission), plus flat add-ons for Christian-school grads ($4,000), visits ($1,000), church ties, and family connections.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Bushnell
'Merit scholarships based on academic achievement are considered only at the time of admittance to the university' — the GPA grid is locked at admission.
Bushnell states 'By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will automatically be considered for most scholarships' — skipping it can cost consideration for institutional money (including the $600-$10,000 Bushnell Need Grant).
The page publishes no renewal GPA or term limit for the GPA grid (unlike the Private Christian High School award's 'renewable up to four years'). Get renewal conditions in writing.
Endowed funds for declared ministry or music majors require 'a separate application... due by March 1st of each year.'
A completed formal campus visit is worth a guaranteed $1,000 one-time scholarship.
Performing Arts and Athletic awards are 'Renewable with ongoing Ensemble participation' / 'ongoing athletic participation' — quitting the ensemble or team ends the award.
Who this school is for
DRAFT: GPA-strong students (no test scores involved) read their award straight off the grid; Christian-high-school grads, pastors' kids, and DOC/Christian Church members layer on flat awards; the grid is set only at admission, so apply with your best GPA.
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Bushnell, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at Bushnell, academic year 2021-22
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$17,924
$30,001–$48,000
$21,033
$48,001–$75,000
$12,656
$75,001–$110,000
$22,084
$110,001+
$23,361
All income levels (average)
$20,789
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$47,143
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$35,800
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$20,789
That works out to an average 56% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
56%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
76%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,500 (~$249/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$53,623
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
37%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
59%
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
'Merit scholarships based on academic achievement are considered only at the time of admittance to the university.' Page says FAFSA completion automatically considers you 'for most scholarships' but does not label the GPA grid itself automatic.
Renewal terms
Renewal terms not stated on the page.
Notes
Pure GPA grid — no test-score component published. No aid-year label on the page.
AmountVarying amountsEligibilityTraditional undergraduates; merit, need, or major-based; ministry/music majors require a separate application due March 1 each year
Merit (GPA) scholarships are set at admission with no separate application. The only posted date is the endowed-scholarship application for ministry/music majors, due March 1 each year. FAFSA completion drives consideration for most other awards.
How much will my GPA earn?
Per Bushnell's grid: 3.90-4.00 → $16,000; 3.80-3.89 → $14,000; 3.65-3.79 → $13,000; 3.50-3.64 → $12,000; 3.35-3.49 → $11,000; 3.20-3.34 → $10,000; 3.00-3.19 → $8,000; 2.80-2.99 → $6,000. No test scores are referenced.
What does Bushnell tuition cost?
The financial-aid landing page lists undergraduate tuition at '$34,500 annual' (no aid-year label, and no full cost-of-attendance total with housing/food was published on the pages opened).
Are there church-related awards?
Yes: Heritage Grant $2,500 (Disciples of Christ or Christian Church/Church of Christ attendees), Pastors Child $1,500, and a Church Matching Grant up to $1,000.
How Bushnell compares across our verified dataset
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Bushnell is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against Bushnell’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
