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Oklahoma City University scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$57,120per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Oklahoma City University is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 8 published awards, and 6 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jun 2026
7 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. OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Presidential Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)$13,000/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Presidential Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    $13,000/yr

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

    GPA
    3.8+ (OCU-recalculated on a standard 4.0 scale)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Presidential Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    Who qualifies

    Incoming first-year student in Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing; submit application, application essay, official HS transcript, counselor recommendation form and $55 application fee by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms) with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester is required.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded automatically based on the OCU-recalculated high-school GPA — the application doubles as the scholarship application. After the March 1 deadline, scholarship amounts are not guaranteed. OCU recalculates GPA (Pre-AP/Pre-IB/Honors on a 4.5 scale, AP/IB/Concurrent on a 5.0 scale) for both admission and scholarship purposes, so a self-reported GPA can land in a different tier than expected.

  2. OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — University Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)$10,500/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — University Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    $10,500/yr

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

    GPA
    3.4-3.79 (OCU-recalculated on a standard 4.0 scale)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — University Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    Who qualifies

    Incoming first-year student in Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing; submit all required documents by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms) with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester is required.

    Worth knowing

    Automatic on GPA; no separate scholarship application required.

  3. OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Achievement Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)$8,000/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Achievement Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    $8,000/yr

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

    GPA
    3.0-3.39 (OCU-recalculated on a standard 4.0 scale)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for OCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Achievement Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing)

    Who qualifies

    Incoming first-year student in Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing; submit all required documents by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms) with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester is required.

    Worth knowing

    Automatic on GPA; this is the floor award for an Arts & Sciences/Business/Nursing first-year with a recalculated GPA of 3.0-3.39.

  4. Performing Arts Academic Merit Awards (Dance & Entertainment, Music or Theatre)$3,000-$6,000/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Performing Arts Academic Merit Awards (Dance & Entertainment, Music or Theatre)

    $3,000-$6,000/yr

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

    GPA
    Performing Arts Presidential 3.8+ = $6,000/yr; Performing Arts University 3.4-3.79 = $5,000/yr; Performing Arts Achievement 3.0-3.39 = $3,000/yr
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Performing Arts Academic Merit Awards (Dance & Entertainment, Music or Theatre)

    Who qualifies

    Incoming first-year student admitted to a performing-arts program; submit all required documents by March 1

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms) with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester is required.

    Worth knowing

    Performing-arts students get a smaller academic award than the academic-college grid because it is designed to STACK on top of the much larger audition-based talent scholarship. Per the page, the academic award 'can be stacked with the Talent Scholarship awarded by the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, Wanda L. Bass School of Music, or the School of Theatre,' and the combined talent + academic award can reach 'up to the cost of full tuition.'

  5. Clara Luper Scholarship (with President's Leadership Class)Up to the full cost of tuition, room and boardNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Clara Luper Scholarship (with President's Leadership Class)

    Up to the full cost of tuition, room and board

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

    GPA
    At least 3.0
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Clara Luper Scholarship (with President's Leadership Class)

    Who qualifies

    Full-time, first-time student matriculating directly from high school; must demonstrate financial need (FAFSA required by Dec. 15); preference to Oklahoma students; complete all application steps by the Dec. 15 competitive scholarship deadline

    How to keep it

    Annual award for four academic years / eight consecutive semesters (not to exceed 128 undergraduate credit hours); scholars must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and fully participate in the program.

    Worth knowing

    COMPETITIVE and need-aware (not automatic). After all federal and state grants are applied, the award covers remaining tuition up to the 12-16 credit-hour block, a university-designated standard room, and Meal Plan B or D. It does NOT cover university/class fees, books, credits over the block, or Cokesbury Apartments. Includes membership in the President's Leadership Class. Cannot be stacked with the OKCPS scholarships.

  6. National Scholars Award (National Merit / National Hispanic / National Achievement Finalists)$1,000/yrNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Scholars Award (National Merit / National Hispanic / National Achievement Finalists)

    $1,000/yr

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

    GPA
    3.0 to renew
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Scholars Award (National Merit / National Hispanic / National Achievement Finalists)

    Who qualifies

    Named a National Merit Finalist, National Hispanic Finalist, or National Achievement Finalist; submit the official finalist letter to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions; complete the FAFSA

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four years by maintaining a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

    Worth knowing

    A modest $1,000/yr recognition award on top of the academic merit grid — notably small for a National Merit Finalist award compared with many peer institutions. Requires the FAFSA and submission of the finalist letter; not granted automatically from the application alone.

  7. OKCPS Scholarship (Oklahoma City Public Schools graduates, starting Fall 2026)$3,000-$5,000/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    OKCPS Scholarship (Oklahoma City Public Schools graduates, starting Fall 2026)

    $3,000-$5,000/yr

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

    GPA
    3.8+ = $5,000/yr; 3.4-3.79 = $4,000/yr; 3.0-3.39 = $3,000/yr (high-school GPA)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for OKCPS Scholarship (Oklahoma City Public Schools graduates, starting Fall 2026)

    Who qualifies

    Must be a first-year OCU student who attended an Oklahoma City Public School District school, majoring in Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing; shares the OCU Academic Merit deadline (March 1), required documents and GPA rules

    How to keep it

    Renewable with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Awarded for up to four years (Arts & Sciences or Business) or up to two years (Nursing).

    Worth knowing

    RESTRICTED to OKCPS graduates and effective for the fall 2026 semester. Automatically awarded on HS GPA and stacks on top of the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship, but may NOT be stacked with certain scholarships including the Clara Luper and American Indian scholarships.

  8. OKCPS Academic Success Scholarship (OKCPS graduates, years 2-4)$3,000-$5,000/yrAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    OKCPS Academic Success Scholarship (OKCPS graduates, years 2-4)

    $3,000-$5,000/yr

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

    GPA
    First-year OCU GPA 3.8+ = $5,000/yr; 3.4-3.79 = $4,000/yr; 3.0-3.39 = $3,000/yr
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for OKCPS Academic Success Scholarship (OKCPS graduates, years 2-4)

    Who qualifies

    OKCPS graduates who maintain or improve their grades at OCU; stackable with the OKCPS Scholarship

    How to keep it

    Renewable with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA; applied in the second, third and fourth years (Arts & Sciences/Business) or second year (Nursing), based on first-year OCU GPA.

    Worth knowing

    A second OKCPS-only award that rewards first-year OCU performance and stacks with the OKCPS Scholarship. Like the OKCPS Scholarship, it stacks on the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship but not with the Clara Luper or American Indian scholarships.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleOCU Academic Merit Scholarship — Presidential Academic Award (Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms) with a required minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA. Full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester is required. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $57,120 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Oklahoma City University cannot push the package past $57,120. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Oklahoma City University different

OCU gives every first-year applicant with a 3.0+ recalculated high-school GPA an automatic, four-year-renewable academic merit award — $8,000-$13,000/yr in Arts & Sciences, Business or Nursing, or $3,000-$6,000/yr in the performing arts where it stacks on top of an audition-based talent scholarship up to full tuition.

Merit tiers86 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 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 Oklahoma City 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. OCU recalculates every high-school GPA on a standard 4.0 scale (Pre-AP/Pre-IB/Honors weighted 4.5; AP/IB/Concurrent weighted 5.0). Your award is set on OCU's recalculated number, not your transcript GPA, so you can land in a higher or lower tier than expected.

  2. The OCU Academic Merit Scholarship requires the application, essay, official transcript, counselor recommendation and $55 fee by March 1. The page is explicit: 'After the deadline, scholarship amounts are not guaranteed.'

  3. Competitive scholarships (Clara Luper, American Indian, National Scholars, OCULeads, Speech and Debate) have an EARLIER Dec. 15 deadline and need extra documents (resume, two recommendation letters, and for Clara Luper a FAFSA showing financial need).

  4. Dance, music and theatre students get a smaller academic award on purpose because the large dollars come from a separate audition-based talent scholarship; the two stack up to the cost of full tuition.

  5. OCU charges block tuition of $30,698 plus $5,250 in general fees and roughly $13,714 housing and food for a first-year on campus — a total billable cost of $49,662, and $57,120 including discretionary costs (books, health insurance, transportation). University/class fees, books, and credits over the 12-16 block are not covered by any university scholarship, including Clara Luper.

  6. Any combination of OCU scholarships cannot exceed the block-price tuition, and the OKCPS scholarships cannot be combined with the Clara Luper or American Indian scholarships.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Solid-to-strong students (recalculated GPA 3.0 and up) who want a predictable, published, automatic merit award at a mid-sized United Methodist university — and especially dance, music or theatre applicants who can stack an academic award on top of a performing-arts talent scholarship up to the cost of full tuition.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $57,120 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Oklahoma City University, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$15,187
$30,001–$48,000$18,079
$48,001–$75,000$20,511
$75,001–$110,000$26,803
$110,001+$29,358
All income levels (average)$22,857

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$35,648
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$22,857

That works out to roughly a 52% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $47,247 (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
65%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
84%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$20,835 (~$221/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$54,655
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
26%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
44%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

OCU scholarships stack but are capped at the block-price tuition (12-16 credit hours). Performing-arts academic awards explicitly stack with audition talent scholarships up to the cost of full tuition. The OKCPS scholarships stack on the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship but NOT with the Clara Luper or American Indian scholarships. No published rule was found describing how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships displace OCU institutional aid; the Outside Scholarships page is only a curated resource list.

Multiple OCU awards combine, but 'any combination of Oklahoma City University scholarships cannot exceed the block price tuition of 12-16 hours' (stated on the Transfer Scholarships page and consistent with the Clara Luper award's block-tuition coverage). Performing-arts talent awards 'may be stacked with one of the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship listed below up to the cost of full tuition.' OKCPS scholarships 'may be stacked on top of the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship, but may not be stacked with certain scholarships, including the Clara Luper and American Indian scholarships.' Outside-scholarship displacement behavior is not published on official OCU pages.

Source

Other Oklahoma City University scholarships worth checking

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

AmountVaries (not published on the competitive-scholarships landing page)EligibilityCompetitive first-year award; complete all application steps by the Dec. 15 competitive scholarship deadline.

Cannot be stacked with the OKCPS scholarships. Award amount not stated on official pages reviewed; confirm with the aid office.

Source

AmountListed by OCU as a major-related/competitive award; amount not confirmed on the official pages openedEligibilityStudents majoring in Esports Management.

Surfaced on OCU competitive/transfer pages; the first-year dollar amount was not verified on an official page in this pass.

Source

AmountVariesEligibilityMembers affiliated with the United Methodist Church (OCU is a United Methodist institution).

Listed as a competitive scholarship; amount and terms not verified on an official page in this pass.

Source

Oklahoma City University merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline at OCU?

    March 1 for the automatic OCU Academic Merit Scholarship (all required documents must be in by then or amounts are not guaranteed). Competitive scholarships such as the Clara Luper Scholarship have an earlier Dec. 15 deadline.

  • Is the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship automatic?

    Yes. It is awarded automatically based on your OCU-recalculated high-school GPA — your application to OCU doubles as your scholarship application. Arts & Sciences/Business/Nursing students get $8,000-$13,000/yr; performing-arts students get $3,000-$6,000/yr.

  • Can I combine OCU scholarships?

    Yes, but with caps. Performing-arts talent awards stack with the academic award up to full tuition; OKCPS scholarships stack on the OCU Academic Merit Scholarship but not with the Clara Luper or American Indian scholarships; and any combination of OCU scholarships cannot exceed the block-price tuition.

  • How do I keep my scholarship each year?

    Awards are renewable up to seven consecutive semesters (excluding summer) with a minimum cumulative 3.0 unweighted GPA and full-time enrollment of 12 or more hours per semester. The Clara Luper Scholarship also requires full participation in the President's Leadership Class.

See sources and other schools

How Oklahoma City University compares

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

    Oklahoma City 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.

    Oklahoma City 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.

    Oklahoma City 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 Oklahoma City University’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Oklahoma City University merit aid

The next chapter

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