Oklahoma Baptist Merit Aid

1. Assuming the full-tuition University Scholar award is automatic on a 29 ACT.+

   Meeting the 3.5 GPA + 29 ACT/1330 SAT/89 CLT cutoff only lets you APPLY. It is a competition: you must submit a recommendation, resume, and a 500-1,000 word essay, then compete at Scholars Day (Feb 6, 2026). The automatic tiers top out at Founder's Academic ($20,000/year).

2. Stacking a full-tuition award on top of the automatic academic tier.+

   Full-tuition scholarship recipients are NOT eligible for additional OBU aid, including athletic aid. The full-tuition awards replace, not supplement, the stat-based academic award.

3. Thinking athletic aid combines freely with merit scholarships.+

   Athletes who receive OBU athletic aid are ineligible for other OBU scholarships aside from their academic scholarship, and some awards exclude athletes outright.

4. Missing the December 31 / Scholars Day window for full tuition.+

   The University Scholar application is due December 31 of the senior year and the competition (OBU 2026 Scholars Day) is February 6, 2026; miss either and you fall back to the automatic academic tier.

5. Budgeting only to the $48,060 direct-cost subtotal.+

   The 2026-27 subtotal ($34,600 tuition + $4,230 fees + $9,230 housing & food = $48,060) excludes indirect costs: books & supplies ($1,000), transportation ($2,140), personal expenses ($2,350), and loan fee ($70), which bring the full cost of attendance to about $53,620.

6. Assuming a low high-school GPA means no merit money.+

   Even at 'GPA: 3.24 or below / ACT: 18 or below,' OBU's Academic Grant guarantees $15,000/year ($60,000 over four years) automatically — there is a guaranteed freshman floor.

Faith-based students who want a guaranteed, automatic, stat-driven merit floor at a Baptist liberal-arts university; high-stat applicants (3.5 GPA + 29 ACT) can compete for full tuition, and Western-Oklahoma or Choctaw-Nation students have dedicated full-tuition paths.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $53,620 for 2026-2027. Source

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.

OBU's automatic academic tier is the student's base award and may combine with most other aid, but the full-tuition scholarships (University Scholar, Allen, Martin) are exclusive: recipients are NOT eligible for additional OBU aid, including athletic aid. Some scholarships do not apply for athletes, full-tuition recipients, or employee-education-benefit students, and athletes who receive OBU athletic aid are ineligible for other OBU scholarships aside from their academic scholarship. No published rule was found describing how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships displace institutional aid.

Internal stacking is bounded by exclusivity rules: full-tuition recipients cannot receive additional OBU aid, and athletic-aid recipients may keep only their academic scholarship. The freshman page states 'Some scholarships may not be applicable for student athletes, full-tuition scholarship recipients, or students currently receiving the employee education benefit.' No statement was found on how outside/third-party scholarships affect OBU institutional aid.

Source

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

• Is OBU's academic scholarship automatic?

  Yes. The four academic tiers (Academic Grant $15,000, President's $16,000, Trustee's $17,000, Founder's $20,000 per year) are awarded automatically on your GPA, ACT, SAT, or CLT — no separate application beyond admission. The full-tuition awards (University Scholar, Allen, Martin) are competitive and require an application.

• What do I need to keep my scholarship?

  Academic scholarships and grants are renewable provided you maintain a 2.0 College GPA.

• Can I combine the full-tuition scholarship with other OBU aid?

  No. Full-tuition scholarship recipients are not eligible for additional OBU aid, including athletic aid. The automatic academic tiers are your base award if you do not win a full-tuition scholarship.

• What is the deadline for the full-tuition University Scholar award?

  The application is due December 31 of your senior year, and the competition (OBU 2026 Scholars Day) is held February 6, 2026. The recommended FAFSA deadline is February 1, 2026.

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