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Oakwood University scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$34,768per year · 2025-2026 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Oakwood University is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 13 published awards, and 13 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
4 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. GOLD — Platinum$8,125 per semester / $16,250 per year / $65,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    GOLD — Platinum

    $8,125 per semester / $16,250 per year / $65,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.9+
    SAT
    1260+
    ACT
    26+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GOLD — Platinum

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; not for students who attended another college/university after high school graduation. GED-equivalent path: GED 700+/800+ depending on series.

    How to keep it

    Tier 1 renewal: renewed for a second year with a 2.5 GPA, a third year with a 2.75 GPA, and a fourth year with a 3.0 GPA; must maintain full-time status each semester. Limited to a maximum of four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    Highest GOLD (test-based) tier. GOLD tiers require both the GPA and the ACT/SAT score shown.

  2. GOLD — Premier 2$6,000 per semester / $12,000 per year / $48,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    GOLD — Premier 2

    $6,000 per semester / $12,000 per year / $48,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.75+
    SAT
    1120+
    ACT
    22+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GOLD — Premier 2

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman. GED-equivalent path: GED 650+/750+ depending on series.

    How to keep it

    Tier 1 renewal: 2.5 GPA (year 2), 2.75 GPA (year 3), 3.0 GPA (year 4); full-time status required; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    GOLD (test-based) tier; requires both GPA and the ACT/SAT score shown.

  3. GOLD — Prestige 2$5,000 per semester / $10,000 per year / $40,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    GOLD — Prestige 2

    $5,000 per semester / $10,000 per year / $40,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.5+
    SAT
    1033+
    ACT
    20+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GOLD — Prestige 2

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman. GED-equivalent path: GED 600+/700+ depending on series.

    How to keep it

    Tier 1 renewal: 2.5 GPA (year 2), 2.75 GPA (year 3), 3.0 GPA (year 4); full-time status required; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    GOLD (test-based) tier; requires both GPA and the ACT/SAT score shown.

  4. GOLD — Achievement 2$3,000 per semester / $6,000 per year / $24,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    GOLD — Achievement 2

    $3,000 per semester / $6,000 per year / $24,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.0+
    SAT
    946+
    ACT
    18+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for GOLD — Achievement 2

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman. GED-equivalent path: GED 500+/650+ depending on series.

    How to keep it

    Tier 1 renewal: 2.5 GPA (year 2), 2.75 GPA (year 3), 3.0 GPA (year 4); full-time status required; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    Lowest GOLD (test-based) tier; requires both GPA and the ACT/SAT score shown.

  5. BLUE — Soaring$4,750 per semester / $9,500 per year / $38,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    BLUE — Soaring

    $4,750 per semester / $9,500 per year / $38,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.75+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for BLUE — Soaring

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; GPA-only (no test score required for BLUE tiers).

    How to keep it

    Tier 2 renewal: maintain full-time status each semester and a 2.0 GPA; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    Top BLUE (GPA-only) tier — the test-optional path. Awarded on GPA alone with no ACT/SAT requirement shown.

  6. BLUE — Striving$3,750 per semester / $7,500 per year / $30,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    BLUE — Striving

    $3,750 per semester / $7,500 per year / $30,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.5-3.74
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for BLUE — Striving

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; GPA-only (no test score required).

    How to keep it

    Tier 2 renewal: maintain full-time status each semester and a 2.0 GPA; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    BLUE (GPA-only) tier.

  7. BLUE — Forward$2,500 per semester / $5,000 per year / $20,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    BLUE — Forward

    $2,500 per semester / $5,000 per year / $20,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    3.0-3.49
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for BLUE — Forward

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; GPA-only (no test score required).

    How to keep it

    Tier 2 renewal: maintain full-time status each semester and a 2.0 GPA; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    BLUE (GPA-only) tier.

  8. BLUE — Challenge$1,250 per semester / $2,500 per year / $10,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    BLUE — Challenge

    $1,250 per semester / $2,500 per year / $10,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    2.5-2.99
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for BLUE — Challenge

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; GPA-only (no test score required).

    How to keep it

    Tier 2 renewal: maintain full-time status each semester and a 2.0 GPA; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    BLUE (GPA-only) tier.

  9. BLUE — Recruitment$750 per semester / $1,500 per year / $6,000 total over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    BLUE — Recruitment

    $750 per semester / $1,500 per year / $6,000 total over 4 years

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

    GPA
    2.0-2.49
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for BLUE — Recruitment

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshman; GED-equivalent path GED 450+/600+ depending on series.

    How to keep it

    Tier 2 renewal: maintain full-time status each semester and a 2.0 GPA; maximum four consecutive academic years.

    Worth knowing

    Lowest published merit tier; entry-level award for a 2.0-2.49 GPA.

  10. Presidential Scholarship — Valedictorian$7,500 over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Presidential Scholarship — Valedictorian

    $7,500 over 4 years

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship — Valedictorian

    Who qualifies

    High school Valedictorian.

    How to keep it

    Stated as a 4-year award; specific per-year renewal GPA not published for this award (general Tier renewal criteria likely apply).

    Worth knowing

    Awarded to the high school Valedictorian. Modest add-on relative to the GPA/test grid.

  11. Presidential Scholarship — Salutatorian$5,500 over 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Presidential Scholarship — Salutatorian

    $5,500 over 4 years

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship — Salutatorian

    Who qualifies

    High school Salutatorian.

    How to keep it

    Stated as a 4-year award; specific per-year renewal GPA not published for this award.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded to the high school Salutatorian.

  12. National Merit Finalist ScholarshipTuition & Room for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    National Merit Finalist Scholarship

    Tuition & Room for 4 years

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Finalist Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Finalist designation.

    How to keep it

    Stated as covering four years; renewal subject to Tier 1 / National Merit criteria (2.5/2.75/3.0 GPA by year, full-time status).

    Worth knowing

    The largest published award — covers full tuition plus residence hall (room) for four years. No flat dollar figure is published; value tracks tuition + room (2025-26 tuition package $11,472/sem; room varies by hall).

  13. National Merit Semi-Finalist ScholarshipTuition for 4 yearsAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship

    Tuition for 4 years

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Semi-Finalist designation.

    How to keep it

    Stated as covering four years; renewal subject to Tier 1 / National Merit criteria (2.5/2.75/3.0 GPA by year, full-time status).

    Worth knowing

    Covers full tuition (room not included) for four years. No flat dollar figure published; value tracks tuition (2025-26 tuition package $11,472/sem).

Lights up against Oakwood University'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 ruleGOLD — Platinum: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Tier 1 renewal: renewed for a second year with a 2.5 GPA, a third year with a 2.75 GPA, and a fourth year with a 3.0 GPA; must maintain full-time status each semester. Limited to a maximum of four consecutive academic years. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $34,768 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Oakwood University cannot push the package past $34,768. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Oakwood University different

Oakwood's automatic GOLD/BLUE freshman grid pays a flat 4-year merit award by GPA and test score — from $6,000 total (2.0 GPA) up to $65,000 total ($16,250/yr) for the Platinum tier (3.9+ GPA, 26+ ACT) — and stacks below outside aid under a tuition/room/board cap.

Merit tiers1313 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Published academic criteria

Start with the thresholds.

These awards are recorded as automatic on academic criteria. Match the published grades and scores, then check residency, entering year and every additional condition.

  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 Oakwood University's decision sheet

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

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. GOLD tiers (Platinum, Premier 2, Prestige 2, Achievement 2) require BOTH the GPA and the ACT/SAT score shown (e.g., Platinum needs 3.9+ GPA AND 26+ ACT / 1260+ SAT). Without the test score, a strong-GPA applicant falls to the BLUE (GPA-only) grid, which pays less at the same GPA (e.g., 3.9 GPA with no qualifying test = BLUE Soaring $9,500/yr, not GOLD Platinum $16,250/yr).

  2. The $1,000 Early Bird Scholarship is only granted if the $200 Intent to Enroll / Dorm Activity Fee is paid by May 1. Pay later and the $1,000 is gone.

  3. Oakwood applies external scholarships, grants and subsidies BEFORE its own scholarships, and institutional aid cannot exceed total cost for tuition, room and board. A large outside award can therefore reduce or displace the Oakwood merit scholarship rather than stack with it — and academic awards never generate a refund.

  4. The 2025-26 tuition package is $11,472/semester for a non-resident student; the on-campus direct-cost total (tuition & fees + food & housing) is $17,384/year, but the published Total Estimated Annual Cost of Attendance is $34,768 once indirect/living expenses are included. Required U.S.-citizen health insurance ($1,300/yr) is additional unless waived.

  5. The 'My Road to Graduation' award (up to $3,000/yr) explicitly may NOT be combined with any other OU scholarships, so it is an either/or choice against the GOLD/BLUE merit award — not an add-on.

  6. Tier 1 (GOLD / National Merit) awards require a rising renewal GPA — 2.5 by year two, 2.75 by year three, 3.0 by year four — plus full-time status; Tier 2 (BLUE) requires a 2.0 GPA. Awards never extend beyond four consecutive years (three for the engineering dual-degree program).

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Seventh-day Adventist and other students seeking a small private HBCU with a fully automatic, published GPA-and-test merit grid; strongest for high-stat applicants (3.9+/26+ ACT for Platinum) and for National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists, who can earn tuition (and room) for four years.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $34,768 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Oakwood University, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$23,999
$30,001–$48,000$22,444
$48,001–$75,000$24,501
$75,001–$110,000$28,074
$110,001+$27,219
All income levels (average)$25,669

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$22,512
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$25,669

That works out to roughly a 36% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $40,176 (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
45%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
71%
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)
$42,488
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
42%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
77%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside aid is applied FIRST and Oakwood merit fills behind it under a hard cap: institutional scholarships (including denominational tuition assistance) cannot exceed the total cost for tuition, room and board, and recipients cannot be over-awarded or receive refunds from academic awards. In practice a large outside scholarship can reduce or displace the Oakwood merit award rather than add on top of it.

The published Scholarship Guidelines state that state/federal grants and other external scholarships, grants and subsidies are awarded before Oakwood University scholarships, and that Oakwood's scholarships cannot exceed total cost for tuition, room and board. The Office of Financial Aid separately requires all outside scholarships and agency aid to be reported so they can be coordinated with federal and state aid. No published rule says outside awards reduce loans first; the cap is stated against tuition/room/board (a COA-style cap), so the practical effect is displacement of institutional merit once the cap is reached.

Source

Other Oakwood University scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$1,000EligibilityPay the Intent to Enroll / Dorm Activity Fee of $200 by May 1.

Deadline-driven: the $1,000 is forfeited if the $200 fee is paid after May 1.

Source

AmountUp to $3,000 annually ($1,500 per semester)EligibilityFirst-time freshman who completes at least 15 earned Oakwood University hours each semester and maintains a 2.0 GPA; up to nine semesters.

May NOT be combined with any other OU scholarships — so it does not stack with the GOLD/BLUE merit grid.

Source

AmountOakwood matches up to 30% of tuition and matriculation feesEligibilityStudents receiving 70% subsidies from church-related employers; reside on campus, at least 12 credit hours, 2.0+ GPA (via OU CARES), EFC $0-$39,500.

Combined with the 70% employer subsidy this can reach 100% free tuition and matriculation fees. Need/employer-linked, not pure merit.

Source

Amount$1-for-$1 match up to $2,600 (total potential $5,200)EligibilityParticipate in Literature Evangelism Training Center (LETC) Campaigns at least three times weekly for 12 weeks.

Earn-and-match work program tied to literature-evangelism participation; contact (256) 726-7018. Not GPA/test based.

Source

Oakwood University merit aid FAQ

  • Are Oakwood's merit scholarships automatic?

    Yes. The GOLD (test-based) and BLUE (GPA-only) freshman grids are awarded automatically based on your GPA and, for GOLD, your ACT/SAT score, as published in the New Student Scholarships grid. Athletic awards are separate (contact the Athletic Department, 256.726.8385).

  • What GPA and test score do I need for the top award?

    The top published grid tier, GOLD Platinum ($16,250/year, $65,000 over four years), requires a 3.9+ GPA and a 26+ ACT (or 1260+ SAT). National Merit Finalists get an even larger award — tuition and room for four years.

  • Do outside scholarships stack on top of my Oakwood award?

    Not necessarily. Oakwood applies state/federal grants and other external scholarships before its own scholarships, and institutional aid cannot exceed the total cost for tuition, room and board. A large outside award can reduce or displace your Oakwood merit scholarship. Report all outside aid to the Office of Financial Aid (256.726.7210, finaid@oakwood.edu).

  • How do I keep my scholarship each year?

    Tier 1 (GOLD / National Merit) awards renew with a 2.5 GPA in year two, 2.75 in year three, and 3.0 in year four, plus full-time status. Tier 2 (BLUE) awards renew with a 2.0 GPA. All academic scholarships are capped at four consecutive years (three for the engineering dual-degree program).

  • Is there a deadline that affects my aid?

    Yes — pay the $200 Intent to Enroll / Dorm Activity Fee by May 1 to receive the $1,000 Early Bird Scholarship. Scholarship documentation must also be submitted by the financial-aid office's specified deadline dates.

See sources and other schools

How Oakwood University compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Oakwood University is in a recognizable cluster (235 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.

    Oakwood University 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.

  • 132 of 749 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    Oakwood University is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Oakwood University’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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