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Ouachita Baptist University · Arkansas

Ouachita Baptist scholarships and merit aid

Ouachita awards every admitted freshman an automatic GPA-based merit scholarship on a published four-tier grid worth $48,000-$80,000 over four years (no application beyond admission), with the top $80,000 President's Scholarship also requiring a 26 ACT.

Verified Jun 20263 months ago

The short answer

Is Ouachita Baptist worth a closer look?

Ouachita Baptist awards automatic merit on admission. Ouachita Baptist does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Merit tiers126 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 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.

$80,000 4-year value ($20,000/year)

President's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Potential eligibility based upon ACT and GPA combination (see OBU scholarship calculator)
ACT
Minimum ACT score of 26 required
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-time freshman; determined by high school GPA through the 7th semester. An ACT score is required for the President's Scholarship only.

How to keep it

A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year. Awarded up to a maximum of eight semesters (residential component of the first degree).

Notes

This is the only tier that requires a test score. Eligibility is an ACT-and-GPA combination, so a 26 ACT alone does not guarantee the President's level — run the official scholarship calculator. OBU accepts ACT scores through the February test date. Amounts on the page carry a 'Fall 2025' label; the dollar grid has been identical across recent cohorts but a separate Fall 2026 grid was not separately published at retrieval (see Section C).

Source

$68,000 4-year value ($17,000/year)

Founder's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
High school GPA of 3.85-4.0
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-time freshman; determined by high school GPA through the 7th semester. No ACT required for this tier.

How to keep it

A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year. Awarded up to a maximum of eight semesters.

Notes

Automatic on GPA alone — no test score or separate application beyond admission.

Source

$60,000 4-year value ($15,000/year)

Dean's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
High school GPA of 3.55-3.849
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-time freshman; determined by high school GPA through the 7th semester. No ACT required for this tier.

How to keep it

A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year. Awarded up to a maximum of eight semesters.

Notes

Automatic on GPA alone — no test score or separate application beyond admission.

Source

$48,000 4-year value ($12,000/year)

Collegiate Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
High school GPA of 3.00-3.549
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-time freshman; determined by high school GPA through the 7th semester. No ACT required for this tier.

How to keep it

A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year. Awarded up to a maximum of eight semesters.

Notes

Automatic on GPA alone — no test score or separate application beyond admission.

Source

$20,000 4-year value ($5,000/year)

Opportunity Award

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
High school GPA of 2.00-2.999
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-time freshman; determined by high school GPA through the 7th semester. No ACT required for this tier.

How to keep it

A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year. Awarded up to a maximum of eight semesters.

Notes

Lowest automatic tier; ensures even C-average admits receive a renewable merit award.

Source

$5,000-$12,500 per year

Transfer Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Transfer GPA tiers: above 3.5 = $12,500/yr; 3.0-3.49 = $10,000/yr; 2.5-2.99 = $7,500/yr; 2.0-2.49 = $5,000/yr
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming transfer student; based on transfer GPA.

How to keep it

2.0 cumulative GPA required to maintain; available up to eight semesters, less prior full-time semesters attended at another institution.

Notes

For transfer (not first-time freshman) applicants; awarded on transfer GPA. Semesters of eligibility are reduced by prior full-time semesters elsewhere.

Source

Minimum of three $1,000 awards per…Minimum of three $1,000 awards per year

National Merit Ouachita Baptist University Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

National Merit Finalists who select Ouachita as first-choice school with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by March 1; cannot be chosen for another NMSC or corporate-sponsor award.

How to keep it

Renewal terms not stated on the page.

Notes

OBU is a college sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Deadline-sensitive: Ouachita must be your NMSC first choice by March 1. (Note: a third-party page claims National Merit Finalists get full-tuition coverage at OBU — that is NOT stated on the official page, which lists a minimum of three $1,000 awards; do not assume full tuition.)

Source

$5,000 per year

Missionary Dependent Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

U.S. citizens who are dependent students of full-time cross-cultural evangelical missionaries serving outside the U.S. and Canada; letter verifying service by the sending organization required.

How to keep it

Renewable over four years.

Notes

Explicitly stackable: 'can be stacked with merit based aid from the university.' Awarded at the discretion of the university, which may limit the number of discounts in any given year.

Source

$2,000 per year

Minister's Child and Spouse Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Dependent children and spouses of active, retired or deceased full-time ministers in Southern Baptist churches and current associational missionaries; also dependents of SBC North American Mission Board-endorsed chaplains and certain Arkansas Baptist State Convention employees.

How to keep it

2.0 cumulative GPA to maintain.

Notes

Faith/affiliation-based award for ministry families.

Source

$1,000 per year

Legacy Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Students who have at least one parent who attended Ouachita.

How to keep it

2.0 cumulative GPA to maintain.

Notes

Legacy/alumni-family award; small but easy to overlook.

Source

Up to $3,000 per year (each)

Talent / Performing Arts Scholarships (Art & Design, Band, Theatre Arts)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Audition, portfolio, and/or interview with the relevant program director. Art & Design (Art Education, Graphic Design, Studio Art) judged on portfolio + brief essay (deadline second Friday of November); Band on performance audition; Theatre Arts on audition, portfolio and interview.

How to keep it

Awarded for a maximum of eight semesters; Band requires a 2.0 cumulative GPA to maintain.

Notes

Three separate talent awards each capped at $3,000/yr. Music Scholarship (School of Performing Arts) and Athletic Scholarship are listed separately. Requires action beyond admission (audition/portfolio); not automatic.

Source

Up to tuition…Up to tuition, fees, housing and food per year

Athletic Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Offered to each of Ouachita's NCAA athletic teams; contact individual coaches via the Athletic Department.

How to keep it

Terms set by individual coaches; awarded for a maximum of eight semesters.

Notes

Explicitly 'stackable with Ouachita merit scholarship.' Recruited-athlete award, not automatic.

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 Ouachita Baptist's published information.

  • Renewal ruleTransfer Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    2.0 cumulative GPA required to maintain; available up to eight semesters, less prior full-time semesters attended at another institution. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • Aid capHard $54,942 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at Ouachita Baptist cannot push the package past $54,942. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What families often miss

  1. The President's Scholarship is the only tier that requires a test score, but the page says eligibility is 'based upon ACT and GPA combination' — a 26 is the minimum to be considered, not a guarantee. Run the official OBU scholarship calculator to see your actual level.

  2. The merit grid (President's, Founder's, Dean's, Collegiate, Opportunity) is automatic — 'Ouachita's application for admission is required for consideration.' Talent (music, art, band, theatre), athletic, and several named/faith awards DO require auditions, portfolios, or separate forms.

  3. Awards are 'awarded to incoming first-time freshmen based on their high school GPA through the seventh semester of study,' calculated by the OBU Registrar at the time of admission. A strong final senior semester does not raise your locked-in tier.

  4. Ouachita's total federal cost-of-attendance budget for 2026-27 is $54,942 — it adds a $1,100 book estimate, $2,156 transportation allowance, and $3,626 personal-expenses allowance on top of direct charges. Merit awards apply against the direct charges, not these indirect allowances.

  5. To be considered for the National Merit OBU Scholarship, Finalists must name Ouachita as their first-choice school with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by March 1. The official page lists a minimum of three $1,000 awards per year — do not assume full tuition based on third-party sites.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

B-and-up students who want a large, predictable, automatic merit award at a small Christ-centered Arkansas liberal-arts university; Baptist/ministry families and music, art, theatre and athletic recruits can stack additional named or talent awards on top.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $54,942 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Ouachita Baptist, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$15,207
$30,001–$48,000$15,954
$48,001–$75,000$18,007
$75,001–$110,000$19,151
$110,001+$26,281
All income levels (average)$22,409

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$34,500
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$22,409

That works out to roughly a 53% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $47,321 (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
61%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
83%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$21,050 (~$223/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$51,673
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
23%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
72%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

University scholarships may be combined up to a cap equal to total tuition, fees, housing and food for the year. Several named awards explicitly stack with merit aid (Missionary Dependent 'can be stacked with merit based aid'; Athletic and Spirit Squad 'stackable with Ouachita aid, not to exceed tuition'; Pruet School of Christian Studies awards 'can be stacked with their merit aid from Ouachita'). No separate official statement describes how third-party OUTSIDE scholarships displace institutional aid.

The institutional-aid page states: 'University scholarships may be combined (according to eligibility requirements) up to a maximum of the total tuition, fees, housing and food charges for the year.' That is a hard institutional cap (a COA-style ceiling on stacked OBU aid). Whether an outside private scholarship reduces OBU institutional aid once that cap or full direct cost is reached is not stated on any official page reviewed.

Source

Other Ouachita Baptist scholarships worth checking

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

AmountUp to $500 matched per year ($250 per semester)EligibilityOriginal scholarship must come from any Southern Baptist church, with the Ouachita church match grant form included.

Ouachita matches a church scholarship dollar-for-dollar up to $500/yr — free money many Baptist students leave on the table.

Source

AmountTypically $500-$2,000 per yearEligibilityIncoming freshmen and transfers; awarded primarily on financial need, with ministry potential considered. Apply by emailing Dr. Jeremy Greer.

NEED-based (with ministry potential) but explicitly 'can be stacked with their merit aid from Ouachita.' Not pure merit.

Source

Amount$1,000 for first yearEligibility2.75/4.0 high school GPA; nominated by a Ouachita graduate or alumnus/alumna; recipients participate in leadership activities.

Requires alumni nomination; first-year only as stated.

Source

Amount$1,000 per yearEligibilityOutstanding participant in the TRIO program; applications in the Trio Programs office; 2.0 cumulative GPA to maintain.

For TRIO program participants.

Source

Amount$400 to $600 (one year only)EligibilityWinners and runners-up of the tournament sponsored by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention; convention must notify the Office of Financial Aid.

One-time award.

Source

AmountUp to tuition, fees, housing and food (combined with federal aid)EligibilityDependents of the Arkansas Baptist Children's Home; letter of support from the director required.

Need/affiliation-based wraparound award; 2.0 cumulative GPA to maintain.

Source

Ouachita Baptist merit aid FAQ

  • Do I have to apply separately for Ouachita's merit scholarships?

    No. The President's, Founder's, Dean's, Collegiate and Opportunity awards are automatic — 'Ouachita's application for admission is required for consideration.' Only talent (music, art, band, theatre), athletic, and certain named/faith-based awards require auditions, portfolios or separate forms.

  • What GPA do I need for each Ouachita merit tier?

    Founder's needs a 3.85-4.0 HS GPA ($68,000), Dean's 3.55-3.849 ($60,000), Collegiate 3.00-3.549 ($48,000), and the Opportunity Award 2.00-2.999 ($20,000). The President's Scholarship ($80,000) also requires a minimum 26 ACT and is based on an ACT-and-GPA combination. GPA is measured through your 7th high-school semester.

  • Do I need to keep a certain GPA to renew?

    Yes. 'A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to maintain scholarship eligibility each year,' and awards run up to a maximum of eight semesters (the residential component of your first degree).

  • Can I stack Ouachita scholarships?

    Yes, within a cap. 'University scholarships may be combined ... up to a maximum of the total tuition, fees, housing and food charges for the year.' Several awards explicitly stack with merit aid (e.g., Missionary Dependent, Athletic, Spirit Squad, and Pruet School of Christian Studies awards). How third-party outside scholarships interact with institutional aid is not stated on the official pages — ask the aid office.

See sources and other schools

How Ouachita Baptist compares

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

    Ouachita Baptist 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.

    Ouachita Baptist 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.

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

Compare with similar schools

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