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The merit-aid verdict at Walla Walla
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.
Rules that bite at Walla Walla
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Walla Walla's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalNational 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.
displacementNo 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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Walla Walla
'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.
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.
'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.'
'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.
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.
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.
'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.
Who this school is 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.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $52,704 for 2026-2027. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
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 income
Average 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%
Institutional merit aid tiers
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.
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
Renewal terms
Fully renewable for three additional years as long as the student meets SAP requirements at WWU.
Notes
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.
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)
Renewal terms
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.
Notes
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.
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
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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
Renewal terms
Renewable each year if Satisfactory Academic Progress is maintained, up to 3 additional years or 12 quarters.
Notes
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.
Residential address outside Washington or Oregon (for dependent aid applicants, the parent's state on the FAFSA controls)
Renewal terms
Continues for an additional 3 years as long as the out-of-area residency requirement is maintained.
Notes
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.
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.
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.
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.
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.
How Walla Walla compares across our verified dataset
135 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use unclear or unpublished displacement.
Walla Walla is in a recognizable cluster (135 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
135 of 750 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.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Walla Walla is one of them. The cohort minority (82 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.
