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Defiance College · Ohio

Defiance scholarships and merit aid

DRAFT: Defiance publishes four flat-dollar academic scholarship tiers ($6,000-$13,000) determined from GPA/test scores, a transfer GPA grid, and a new 1850 Promise debt-free program for OCOG-eligible commuters from eleven northwest-Ohio counties.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Defiance worth a closer look?

Defiance is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 7 published awards, and one is based on those numbers.

Merit tiers71 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

$13,000

Dean's Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Calculated individually from GPA and ACT/SAT combination (no published cutoff)
SAT
Used in combined calculation; no published cutoff
ACT
Used in combined calculation; no published cutoff
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Test-optional calculation (GPA only) available except for nursing, biology, or education majors

How to keep it

Scholarships are offered to eligible students and are renewed each year according to established requirements (specific renewal GPA not published on this page).

Notes

For students entering Fall 2026. Eligibility is determined individually; the page does not publish a stat grid or state the award is automatic, so automaticOnStats is set false.

Source

$12,000

Pilgrim Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Calculated individually from GPA and ACT/SAT combination (no published cutoff)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Test-optional option except nursing, biology, education majors

How to keep it

Renewed each year according to established requirements (specifics not published).

Notes

For students entering Fall 2026.

Source

$9,000

Trustee Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Calculated individually from GPA and ACT/SAT combination (no published cutoff)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Test-optional option except nursing, biology, education majors

How to keep it

Renewed each year according to established requirements (specifics not published).

Notes

For students entering Fall 2026.

Source

$6,000

Achievement Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Calculated individually from GPA and ACT/SAT combination (no published cutoff)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Test-optional option except nursing, biology, education majors

How to keep it

Renewed each year according to established requirements (specifics not published).

Notes

For students entering Fall 2026.

Source

$6,000-$13,000

Transfer Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.75-4.0+ = $13,000; 3.5-3.74 = $12,000; 3.0-3.49 = $9,000; 2.6-2.99 = $6,000 (cumulative GPA from all previously attended colleges/universities)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Accepted full-time transfer students

How to keep it

Renewed each year according to established requirements (specifics not published).

Notes

Published GPA grid; awarded based on academic performance at all previously attended institutions with no separate application stated.

Source

Amount not published

1850 Promise

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Must qualify for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) via FAFSA; maintain commuter status; permanent residence in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Fulton, Lucas, Putnam, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams, or Wood county

How to keep it

Program requirements include maintaining commuter status; other renewal specifics not published.

Notes

Promise program 'designed for eligible area high school students to earn a debt-free bachelor's degree,' starting with the 2026-27 academic year. No dollar amount published — framed as debt-free outcome, not a stated award value.

Source

$5,000

Presidential Service Leadership Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

New students with a demonstrated record of service in their communities; separate application due May 1 (later applications wait-listed)

How to keep it

This award is renewable for 4 years.

Notes

May not be combined with athletic or music scholarships.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Defiance's published information.

  • Outside awardsNo published displacement order

    Defiance's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

Straight from the aid office

What Defiance's aid office says

Per the financial aid office, Defiance College, August 2026. How we verify

GPA bands for merit scholarships

What GPA range corresponds to each merit scholarship amount?

Scholarship amounts are tied to GPA ranges: 3.75–4.0+ receives $13,000; 3.5–3.74 receives $12,000; 3.0–3.49 receives $9,000; and 2.6–2.99 receives $6,000.

“- 3.75 – 4.0+ $13,000 - 3.5 – 3.74 $12,000 - 3.0 – 3.49 $9,000 - 2.6 – 2.99 $6,000”
Order of reducing aid with private scholarships

When a private outside scholarship posts, what is reduced first?

When a private scholarship is received, federal or private loans are reduced first, depending on the amount and the student's budget.

“In regards to private scholarships, we always reduce any federal or private loan(s) first depending on the amount and budget associated for the student.”

What families often miss

  1. The scholarships page repeatedly footnotes these awards: 'May not be combined with athletic or music scholarships.' Recruited athletes and music-scholarship students cannot add them.

  2. The page states final scholarships 'are coordinated with other federal, state, and Defiance College sponsored awards and may be influenced by the student's on-campus or commuter status' — moving off campus or commuting can change the package.

  3. The test-optional GPA-only calculation is available only to students who are NOT in nursing, biology, or education majors — those majors must submit ACT/SAT for scholarship calculation.

  4. Applications for the $5,000 Presidential Service Leadership Award are due May 1; later applications are placed on a waiting list rather than considered outright.

  5. It is gated three ways: students must qualify for the need-based Ohio College Opportunity Grant via FAFSA (an income test), maintain commuter status (no campus housing), and hold permanent residence in one of eleven listed northwest-Ohio counties.

  6. If the four-year teaching service obligation in a high-need field is not completed, the TEACH Grant converts to a loan that must be repaid with interest.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

DRAFT: Solid students seeking predictable flat-dollar merit at a small Ohio college — and especially lower-income commuter students from the eleven eligible counties, who can target a debt-free degree via the 1850 Promise.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $42,643 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Defiance, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Defiance, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$27,196
$30,001–$48,000$26,105
$48,001–$75,000$25,884
$75,001–$110,000$24,554
$110,001+$26,637
All income levels (average)$26,337

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$29,320
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$26,337

That works out to roughly a 51% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $53,667 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
31%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
56%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$26,813 (~$284/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$49,351
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
66%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
79%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Final scholarships are coordinated with other federal, state, and Defiance College awards and can be influenced by on-campus vs. commuter status; several specific awards (Presidential Service Leadership, Alumni Legacy Grant, UCC Grant, Defiance College Grant) may not be combined with athletic or music scholarships. Treatment of private outside scholarships is not addressed on the pages opened.

The scholarships page states awards are 'coordinated' and housing status can change amounts, but publishes no formula. The repeated asterisk rule bars combining the listed awards with athletic or music scholarships. No policy on outside/private scholarship displacement was found.

Source

Other Defiance scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$1,000EligibilityDependents of DC alumni demonstrating financial need.

Awarded annually; may not be combined with athletic or music scholarships. Contact financial aid if a parent attended or graduated from DC.

Source

Amount$500EligibilityActive members of a UCC church demonstrating financial need; verification from a church official may be required.

Awarded annually; may not be combined with athletic or music scholarships.

Source

AmountVaries by needEligibilityFull-time students who demonstrate need as determined by FAFSA.

Need-based, not merit; may not be combined with athletic or music scholarships.

Source

Amount$3,772 (grants first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2021)EligibilityUndergraduates agreeing to teach full-time for at least four years in a high-need field at a low-income-serving school.

Converts to a loan with interest if the service obligation is not completed.

Source

Defiance merit aid FAQ

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    The academic scholarships have no published deadline — eligibility is calculated from GPA and ACT/SAT at admission. The Presidential Service Leadership Award application is due May 1; applications after that date are placed on a waiting list.

  • How much are the freshman academic scholarships for Fall 2026?

    Dean's Scholarship $13,000; Pilgrim Scholarship $12,000; Trustee Scholarship $9,000; Achievement Scholarship $6,000 — annual amounts based on full-time enrollment, determined individually from GPA and ACT/SAT (test-optional GPA-only calculation available outside nursing, biology, and education).

  • How much is the transfer scholarship?

    By transfer GPA: 3.75-4.0+ gets $13,000; 3.5-3.74 gets $12,000; 3.0-3.49 gets $9,000; 2.6-2.99 gets $6,000.

  • What does Defiance College cost for 2026-27?

    Full-time tuition is $14,250 per semester ($28,500/year), the all-inclusive fee is $550 per semester ($1,100/year), and housing & food are $6,521.50 per semester ($13,043/year), plus a $90/year parking fee — about $42,643 in published charges before books and personal expenses.

  • What is the 1850 Promise?

    A debt-free bachelor's degree program starting in 2026-27 for commuter students with a 3.0+ high school GPA who qualify for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant via FAFSA and permanently reside in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Fulton, Lucas, Putnam, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams, or Wood county.

See sources and other schools

How Defiance compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Defiance is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Defiance is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Defiance is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Defiance’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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