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Kettering scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$67,986per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Kettering is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 9 published awards, and one is based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
2 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

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.

Where does your student land?

  1. Kettering University Merit Scholarship (core)Amount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Kettering University Merit Scholarship (core)

    Amount not published

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Holistic review including GPA (no published grid)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Kettering University Merit Scholarship (core)

    Who qualifies

    Awarded to accepted applicants by a scholarship review committee from the admission file; transfers based on GPA from a minimum of 12 credit hours earned

    How to keep it

    Available up to five years (10 undergraduate academic terms). Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress per the Undergraduate Catalog. Awards are set at admission and NOT increased during enrollment; proportionally reduced if you drop below full-time (and that term still counts toward the 10-term limit).

    Worth knowing

    TUITION ONLY. Dollar amount is withheld on the public page (set at admission). VA tuition benefits may adjust the award.

  2. Affinity Scholarship$2,000-$3,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Affinity Scholarship

    $2,000-$3,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Affinity Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Entering freshman or transfer who is a sibling of a current student OR has a parent/step-parent in residence/grandparent who graduated from GMI/Kettering. Meet BOTH criteria for $3,000; one criterion = $2,000. Financial need may be considered

    Worth knowing

    Tuition only; restrictions may apply. Rolling; apply before first term via Scholarship Universe.

  3. Endowed Scholarships$1,000-$10,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Endowed Scholarships

    $1,000-$10,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Varies by scholarship (need and/or GPA)
    Open award details for Endowed Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    Each endowed scholarship has its own criteria; deadline April 1 (incoming and current students); apply via Scholarship Universe

    Worth knowing

    Range across many donor-funded awards.

  4. Robotics and Drone ScholarshipUp to $5,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Robotics and Drone Scholarship

    Up to $5,000

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Robotics and Drone Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Admitted freshman/transfer active in FIRST, VEX, OCCRA, Drones or similar; one recommendation letter; short answers. Deadline February 15. Tuition only

    Worth knowing

    Competitive; tuition only; restrictions may apply.

  5. Esports ScholarshipUp to $5,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Esports Scholarship

    Up to $5,000

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Esports Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    New entering, full-time students who are active competitors engaged with the Kettering Esports team; submit a tracker link. Deadline April 1. Tuition only

    How to keep it

    Renewed annually based on continuing participation.

    Worth knowing

    Tuition only; restrictions may apply.

  6. Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (transfer)$1,500AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (transfer)

    $1,500

    Published amountAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.5 or above
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (transfer)

    Who qualifies

    Transfer students with 30+ credit hours who are PTK members (verification required). Not for Early/Middle College HS students. Tuition only

    Worth knowing

    Tuition only; restrictions may apply.

  7. GM STEM Opportunity Scholarship (co-op)All remaining tuition + academic support after other aidNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    GM STEM Opportunity Scholarship (co-op)

    All remaining tuition + academic support after other aid

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0 cumulative (renewal)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GM STEM Opportunity Scholarship (co-op)

    Who qualifies

    Admitted first-year STEM major; preference to first-generation and need; FAFSA required; MUST be placed as a paid co-op with General Motors; essays

    How to keep it

    Renewable four times; requires full-time enrollment, minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, continued GM co-op employment with acceptable performance each term.

    Worth knowing

    Covers remaining tuition + academic support services after all federal/state/institutional aid. Requires GM co-op placement.

  8. PHINIA Scholars Program (co-op)Up to $20,000 (incl. room & board freshman year)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    PHINIA Scholars Program (co-op)

    Up to $20,000 (incl. room & board freshman year)

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.0
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for PHINIA Scholars Program (co-op)

    Who qualifies

    Newly admitted degree-seeking undergrad; essay; resume; FAFSA; U.S. citizen/permanent resident; placed as a Kettering co-op with PHINIA

    How to keep it

    Remain continuously enrolled full-time and maintain 3.0 GPA throughout the program.

    Worth knowing

    One of the few awards that reaches room & board (freshman year). Requires PHINIA co-op placement.

  9. Piston Group Co-op Scholarship ProgramRemaining tuition + room & board after other aidNot automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Piston Group Co-op Scholarship Program

    Remaining tuition + room & board after other aid

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for Piston Group Co-op Scholarship Program

    Who qualifies

    Incoming freshman/transfer; placed as a paid co-op rotating among Piston Group companies; major in Electrical/Engineering (BSE)/Industrial/Mechanical; FAFSA + demonstrated need

    Worth knowing

    Covers remaining tuition, room & board after other gifts/scholarships. Requires Piston Group co-op placement.

Lights up against Kettering's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleKettering University Merit Scholarship (core): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Available up to five years (10 undergraduate academic terms). Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress per the Undergraduate Catalog. Awards are set at admission and NOT increased during enrollment; proportionally reduced if you drop below full-time (and that term still counts toward the 10-term limit). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsDifferent aid types are displaced differently

Kettering treats loans, work-study, and institutional grant under different rules. The same $5,000 outside award can land against any of them depending on category.

What makes Kettering different

Kettering (Flint, MI co-op engineering/business; formerly GMI) awards a holistic core Merit Scholarship whose dollar amount is withheld and that applies to TUITION ONLY and never increases, plus published named/endowed and co-op-employer scholarships (GM, PHINIA, Piston) that can reach full remaining tuition. (DRAFT)

Merit tiers91 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Kettering's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Kettering's aid office says

Per the Financial Aid Office, Kettering University, August 2026. How we verify

Scholarship renewal criteria

What are the exact renewal requirements for scholarships like Kettering Affinity, Robotics and Drone, and Phi Theta Kappa?

Some scholarships have their own specific renewal criteria, and the family should check the scholarships page for details.

“Some of these scholarships will have their own criteria for how they are renewable. Please see the scholarships page regarding specifics.”
Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement

If a scholarship requires Satisfactory Academic Progress, what rules apply?

If a scholarship requires maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress, additional guidelines (found on the linked SAP page) will apply.

“If a scholarship says you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, you will follow these additional guidelines.”

What families often miss

  1. The Kettering Merit Scholarship is applicable to TUITION ONLY — it cannot offset housing, food, or fees — and the dollar amount is not published (set at admission). Budget the rest of the cost of attendance separately.

  2. Merit awards are 'determined by the academic information on file at the time of admission and are not increased during your enrollment,' so the dollar amount stays flat while tuition rises. They also last only up to 5 years / 10 terms.

  3. Merit Scholarships are proportionally reduced if you drop below full-time status and your tuition is reduced — and that term still counts as one of your 10 eligible terms.

  4. You must report outside scholarships; they 'will not typically reduce your Merit Scholarship,' but 'in certain circumstances this may happen.' VA tuition benefits may also adjust the award.

  5. The richest awards (GM STEM, PHINIA, Piston Group, Ford, Lear) require being placed as a paid co-op with that specific company, plus a 3.0 GPA and FAFSA — no co-op placement, no scholarship. Robotics applications close Feb 15; most others April 1; the Michigander program ends June 30, 2026.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

STEM/management students who thrive in a co-op model: strong academics earn a (tuition-only) merit award, robotics/esports competitors and Kettering/GMI family members get named awards, and students placed in a partner co-op (GM, PHINIA, Piston) can cover most remaining tuition. (DRAFT)

Published yearly cost: Approximately $67,986 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Kettering, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$24,910
$30,001–$48,000$23,273
$48,001–$75,000$31,544
$75,001–$110,000$33,401
$110,001+$39,399
All income levels (average)$34,660

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$48,470
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$34,660

That works out to roughly a 43% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $61,250 (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
71%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
94%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$94,823
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
21%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
57%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

You must report all outside scholarships. Outside scholarships will NOT typically reduce the Merit Scholarship, but in certain circumstances they may (the office will inform you). VA tuition benefits may adjust the Merit Scholarship. Co-op employer scholarships (GM, Piston) explicitly fill remaining tuition/room-and-board after all other aid is applied.

Outside scholarship displacement is conditional ('in certain circumstances this may happen'); some co-op awards are last-dollar (cover the remainder after other aid).

Source

Other Kettering scholarships worth checking

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

AmountUp to $10,000EligibilityUp to $5,000 for two completed co-op terms with a Michigan partner company, or $10,000 for accepting a full-time offer and staying in Michigan 12 months; GPA 2.0+; EE/IE/CE/CS preference

PROGRAM ENDING June 30, 2026 — apply by May 22, 2026. Only Winter 2026/Spring 2026 terms remain.

Source

AmountVariable (based on student need)EligibilityAdmitted incoming student residing in Flint or Michigan; 3.0 GPA; FAFSA; U.S. citizen/PR; placed as a Ford co-op

Co-op employer scholarship.

Source

AmountVariable (based on student need)EligibilityChildren of Lear employees admitted to Kettering; FAFSA (or FSA Estimator for non-US); Lear co-op placement

Employer-family co-op program.

Source

Kettering merit aid FAQ

  • How much is the Kettering Merit Scholarship?

    The amount is not published — it is set at admission through a holistic review that includes GPA, applies to tuition only, and does not increase during enrollment. It is available for up to 5 years (10 terms).

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    Robotics and Drone: February 15. Esports and Endowed Scholarships: April 1. Co-op employer scholarships are largely rolling until positions are filled. The Michigander Scholars Program ends June 30, 2026 (apply by May 22, 2026).

  • Can a scholarship cover more than tuition?

    The core Merit and most named awards are tuition-only. A few co-op employer scholarships go further — PHINIA includes room & board freshman year, and Piston Group covers remaining tuition plus room & board after other aid.

  • What does Kettering cost?

    For 2026-27, full-time tuition is $26,335/term ($52,670/year). The in-state on-campus total cost of attendance is $67,986 (direct billed costs $63,740).

See sources and other schools

How Kettering compares

  • 32 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.

    Kettering is in the small minority (32 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

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

    Kettering 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 Kettering’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Kettering merit aid

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