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Walla Walla scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$52,704per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Walla Walla is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 4 published awards, and one is based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
3 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. Achievement Scholarship (GPA / ACT / SAT grids)$9,000-$15,000AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Achievement Scholarship (GPA / ACT / SAT grids)

    $9,000-$15,000

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

    GPA
    3.0-3.24: $9,000; 3.25-3.49: $10,000; 3.50-3.74: $11,000; 3.75-3.89: $13,000; 3.9-4.0: $15,000
    SAT
    1150-1180: $9,000; 1190-1210: $10,000; 1220-1350: $11,000; 1360-1430: $13,000; 1440+: $15,000
    ACT
    23: $9,000; 24: $10,000; 25-28: $11,000; 29-30: $13,000; 31+: $15,000
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Achievement Scholarship (GPA / ACT / SAT grids)

    Who qualifies

    Only ONE of the GPA/ACT/SAT scholarships, whichever has the highest cumulative dollar value over four years; high school GPA must be validated by the student's school; GED scores do not qualify

    How to keep it

    Fully renewable for three additional years as long as the student meets SAP requirements at WWU.

    Worth knowing

    Program designed for first-time freshmen enrolling after January 1, 2025, with provisions applying over four years of eligibility. Transfers with <36 credits may qualify by GPA only.

  2. National Merit Scholars Award$1,000-Full tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Merit Scholars Award

    $1,000-Full tuition

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Scholars Award

    Who qualifies

    Placement in the National Merit Scholarship competition: Finalist = full tuition (President's Scholarship); Semifinalist = $1,500 (WWU Merit Award); Commended Student = $1,000 (WWU Merit Award)

    How to keep it

    Finalist (President's Scholarship): 100% tuition for two years and 50% tuition for two additional years if the student maintains a 3.80 cumulative GPA at WWU. Semifinalist/Commended awards fully renewable for three additional years with a 3.80 cumulative GPA.

    Worth knowing

    IMPORTANT: the Finalist full-tuition award STEPS DOWN to 50% tuition in years 3-4. Finalists are eligible for leadership scholarships but NOT other academic scholarships, including the Out-of-Area Grant. Semifinalists/Commended students remain eligible for the GPA or ACT/SAT scholarship and Achievement Bonus. Transfers not eligible.

  3. Spirit of Excellence ScholarshipAmount not publishedNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Spirit of Excellence Scholarship

    Amount not published

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

    GPA
    4.0+ with ACT 33 / SAT-R 1450; 3.9-3.99 with ACT 34 / SAT-R 1490; 3.8-3.89 with ACT 35 / SAT-R 1530; 3.7-3.79 with ACT 36 / SAT-R 1570 (minimum GPA plus EITHER the minimum ACT OR SAT for that band)
    SAT
    1450-1570 depending on GPA band
    ACT
    33-36 depending on GPA band
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Spirit of Excellence Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Must be admitted to WWU to apply; must live in WWU housing; must submit FAFSA (need not show need); application period for Fall 2026 starts has CLOSED

    How to keep it

    Renewable each year if Satisfactory Academic Progress is maintained, up to 3 additional years or 12 quarters.

    Worth knowing

    Described as 'Up to full tuition (when combined with other scholarships) for those who qualify' — it tops up other awards to full tuition rather than paying full tuition alone. Students whose Educational Subsidy already covers 100% of tuition may receive an additional $1,000 instead.

  4. Out-of-Area Grant$2,500Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Out-of-Area Grant

    $2,500

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

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Out-of-Area Grant

    Who qualifies

    Residential address outside Washington or Oregon (for dependent aid applicants, the parent's state on the FAFSA controls)

    How to keep it

    Continues for an additional 3 years as long as the out-of-area residency requirement is maintained.

    Worth knowing

    Students with 36+ quarter credits who attend any other college (except summer) forfeit the balance. Recipients cannot receive the Washington College Grant/Washington State Need Grant. National Merit Finalists are not eligible.

Lights up against Walla Walla'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 ruleNational Merit Scholars Award: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Finalist (President's Scholarship): 100% tuition for two years and 50% tuition for two additional years if the student maintains a 3.80 cumulative GPA at WWU. Semifinalist/Commended awards fully renewable for three additional years with a 3.80 cumulative GPA. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsNo published displacement order

Walla Walla's policy doesn't specify whether outside scholarships hit loans, grants, or only the COA ceiling. Get a written aid-office answer before chasing private awards.

What makes Walla Walla different

WWU (Seventh-day Adventist) publishes a fully transparent Achievement Scholarship grid — $9,000-$15,000/yr by GPA, ACT, or SAT, whichever pays most over four years — plus a $2,500 Out-of-Area Grant, National Merit full tuition, and unusual earn-and-match awards for camp and colporteur work.

Merit tiers41 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 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 Walla Walla'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. 'A student can be awarded only one of the following GPA or ACT/SAT scholarships, whichever has the highest cumulative dollar value over four years' — one grid award only.

  2. It is '100% tuition for two years and 50% tuition for two additional years' — a built-in 50% step-down in years 3-4 — and requires a 3.80 cumulative WWU GPA. Finalists are also barred from other academic scholarships, including the $2,500 Out-of-Area Grant.

  3. 'Entering freshmen who do not attend WWU all three quarters of their freshman year forfeit a portion of their scholarships,' and Out-of-Area Grant recipients with 36+ credits who attend another college (except summer) 'forfeit the balance of their grant.'

  4. 'Students receiving this grant cannot receive the Washington College Grant/Washington State Need Grant' — and residency is judged by the FAFSA parent's state for dependent students.

  5. It is 'up to full tuition (when combined with other scholarships)' — a top-up — and 'the application period for students starting Fall 2026 has closed.' It also requires living in WWU housing and submitting the FAFSA.

  6. Both the Finalist full-tuition award and the Semifinalist/Commended awards require maintaining a 3.80 cumulative GPA at WWU — far higher than the SAP standard that renews the Achievement Scholarship.

  7. 'Students are advised to inform Student Financial Services of scholarship eligibility and be prepared to document eligibility as required' — the Achievement award requires the high school to submit GPA evidence, and Leadership Awards require evidence of office held.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Students with a 3.0+ GPA (or 23+ ACT / 1150+ SAT) get guaranteed grid money; out-of-state students add $2,500; National Merit Finalists and very-high-stat applicants can reach full tuition.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $52,704 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Walla Walla, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$18,675
$30,001–$48,000$20,079
$48,001–$75,000$20,776
$75,001–$110,000$24,081
$110,001+$28,760
All income levels (average)$23,329

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$34,227
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$23,329

That works out to roughly a 49% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $45,903 (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
60%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
85%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$26,842 (~$285/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$61,885
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
31%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
46%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

The school does not publish a specific outside-scholarship displacement policy; confirm treatment with the aid office before counting on stacking.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): Report private sources of student financial aid to the Financial Aid Office and submit a copy of your outside scholarship award letter to the Financial Aid Office.

Source

Other Walla Walla scholarships worth checking

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

Amount$500-$1,500 (max $1,500 total; limit two 'office subject to approval' awards)EligibilityEntering freshmen who held selected leadership roles junior/senior year (e.g., SA President $1,500; Senior Class President $1,350; Yearbook/Newspaper Editor $1,350; RA $825; Team Captain $500); evidence of office required; transfers not eligible

Students may qualify for more than one award up to a total of $1,500.

Source

AmountUp to $2,000 per yearEligibilityAll undergraduates; WWU matches 75% of gross earnings from work as an overnight camp staff member; renewable

Source

Amount$2,000 per yearEligibilityAll undergraduates; WWU matches 75% of gross earnings from colporteur (literature evangelism) work

Source

Amount$1,000-$1,500 per yearEligibilityHonors Program students; requires successful completion of specific courses and a 3.0 cumulative GPA at WWU; freshmen/sophomores $1,000, juniors/seniors $1,500

Funds applied to student accounts at the start of spring quarter.

Source

AmountVariableEligibilityFamilies reporting less than $60,000 adjusted gross income; renewable

Income-gated; amount not published.

Source

Walla Walla merit aid FAQ

  • Is the Achievement Scholarship automatic?

    It is awarded from published GPA/ACT/SAT grids with no separate application described — but the high school must submit evidence of GPA to Marketing and Enrollment Services to validate the award, and GED scores do not qualify.

  • What GPA keeps my scholarships?

    The Achievement Scholarship renews for three additional years if you meet SAP requirements. National Merit awards require a 3.80 cumulative WWU GPA. The Honors scholarship requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Spirit of Excellence renews with SAP, up to 3 additional years or 12 quarters.

  • What does WWU cost for 2026-27?

    Published 2026-27 total cost of attendance is $52,704 (tuition $35,460, general fee $1,458, residence hall rent $5,658, meal plan $5,238, plus books, personal, and transportation estimates). Full-time tuition is $11,820 per quarter for 12-16 hours.

  • Is there a scholarship deadline?

    No deadline is published for the Achievement, Leadership, or Out-of-Area awards on the freshman scholarships page. The Spirit of Excellence application for Fall 2026 starts has already closed (Fall 2027 info 'to come soon'). Honors and camp/colporteur awards have their own application processes.

  • I'm transferring with a few credits — do I qualify?

    Students transferring in fewer than 36 quarter credits may be eligible for freshman scholarships: the Achievement Scholarship by GPA only (high school GPA if under 12 credits, college GPA if 12+), and the Out-of-Area Grant. Transfers are not eligible for Leadership or National Merit awards.

See sources and other schools

How Walla Walla compares

  • 133 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.

    Walla Walla is in a recognizable cluster (133 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 133 of 749 verified schools publish no clear displacement order.

    Walla Walla is one of them. The right move is the aid-office email script below, not a guess.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Walla Walla 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.

Sources used on this page

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

Compare with similar schools

  • Gonzaga merit aid. Washington private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • PLU merit aid. Washington private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Seattle Pacific merit aid. Washington private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
  • Seattle U merit aid. Washington private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.

Keep exploring Walla Walla merit aid

The next chapter

Where does Walla Walla fit in your plan?

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