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

No. Dayton says explicitly that 'you will automatically be considered for a merit scholarship as part of the admission process.' All four tiers — Chaminade, Deans', President's, and Trustees' — are awarded inside the admission decision based on GPA, test scores (if submitted), and academic rigor.

What GPA or ACT/SAT score do I need for the Trustees' Merit Scholarship?

Dayton does not publish stat cutoffs. The merit page lists the four tiers and their dollar ranges, but only says that awards are 'based on a variety of criteria including GPA, test scores (if submitted) and academic rigor.' The decision is holistic, not formulaic.

Is the merit scholarship locked for four years?

Yes — both at the award level and at the tuition level. Dayton's merit scholarships are 'renewable for all four years, or eight semesters,' as long as you 'meet academic requirements each year,' and the net tuition produced by your award is guaranteed not to increase. Housing, food, and fees are not part of that guarantee.

Dayton· Renewal Rules

Keeping Dayton’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified May 20268 days ago· CA-1

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 4 of 4
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 4
Renewal risk profile: low

Renewal risk profile

Dayton's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.

Father Chaminade Scholarship: See notes
Deans' Merit Scholarship: See notes
President's Merit Scholarship: See notes
Trustees' Merit Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Father Chaminade Scholarship
$17,000–$19,000 per year
To keep it: Renewable for all four years (eight semesters) as long as academic requirements are met each year.
Source: https://udayton.edu/tuition-aid/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit.php
Deans' Merit Scholarship
$21,000–$23,000 per year
To keep it: Renewable for eight semesters as long as academic requirements are met each year.
Source: https://udayton.edu/tuition-aid/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit.php
President's Merit Scholarship
$26,000–$29,000 per year
To keep it: Renewable for eight semesters as long as academic requirements are met each year.
Source: https://udayton.edu/tuition-aid/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit.php
Trustees' Merit Scholarship
$31,000–$33,000 per year
To keep it: Renewable for eight semesters as long as academic requirements are met each year. At the top end this covers roughly 64% of 2025-26 tuition.
Source: https://udayton.edu/tuition-aid/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit.php

How families lose this aid

Thinking the $33,000 Trustees' Merit Scholarship is automatic at a specific GPA or test-score cutoff.
Dayton publishes the four-tier dollar ranges but does not publish a stat-banded ladder. The tier you receive is decided holistically inside the admission review against GPA, test scores (if submitted), and academic rigor. Do not assume 'X test score = Trustees' tier' — there is no published threshold.
Confusing Dayton's 'net tuition guarantee' with the merit scholarship itself.
The merit scholarship is the dollar amount of the award. The net-tuition guarantee is a separate four-year promise that whatever discounted tuition you are offered at admission will not increase across your eight semesters. Housing, meals, and fees are not locked — only tuition is.

Renewal questions families ask

Do I have to apply separately for Dayton's merit scholarships?: No. Dayton says explicitly that 'you will automatically be considered for a merit scholarship as part of the admission process.' All four tiers — Chaminade, Deans', President's, and Trustees' — are awarded inside the admission decision based on GPA, test scores (if submitted), and academic rigor.
What GPA or ACT/SAT score do I need for the Trustees' Merit Scholarship?: Dayton does not publish stat cutoffs. The merit page lists the four tiers and their dollar ranges, but only says that awards are 'based on a variety of criteria including GPA, test scores (if submitted) and academic rigor.' The decision is holistic, not formulaic.
Is the merit scholarship locked for four years?: Yes — both at the award level and at the tuition level. Dayton's merit scholarships are 'renewable for all four years, or eight semesters,' as long as you 'meet academic requirements each year,' and the net tuition produced by your award is guaranteed not to increase. Housing, food, and fees are not part of that guarantee.

How Dayton compares across our verified dataset

133 of 150 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Dayton is one of them. The cohort minority (17 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 renewal claim is checked against Dayton’s own published materials.