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Wichita State scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$29,970per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Wichita State is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 17 published awards, and 16 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
4 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. Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.5, ACT 26–27$4,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.5, ACT 26–27

    $4,000

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

    GPA
    3.5
    Open award details for Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.5, ACT 26–27

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot Freshmen Merit Kansas Residents table lists ACT 26-27/SAT 1230-1290 and GPA 3.5-3.74 as $4,000 per year ($16,000 four-year total).

  2. Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.5$1,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.5

    $1,500

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

    GPA
    3.5
    Open award details for Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.5

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists Kansas residents with GPA 3.5-3.89 at $1,500 per year ($6,000 four-year total).

  3. Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 30$6,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 30

    $6,000

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 30

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot Freshmen Merit Kansas Residents table lists ACT 30 or above/SAT 1360 or above and GPA 3.9 or above as $6,000 per year ($24,000 four-year total).

  4. Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27$5,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27

    $5,500

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot Freshmen Merit Kansas Residents table lists ACT 26-27/SAT 1230-1290 and GPA 3.9 or above as $5,500 per year ($22,000 four-year total).

  5. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23$1,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23

    $1,500

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

    GPA
    3
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 21-23/SAT 1060-1150 and GPA 3.0-3.24 is $1,500 per year ($6,000 four-year total).

  6. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.5, ACT 30$3,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.5, ACT 30

    $3,000

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

    GPA
    3.5
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.5, ACT 30

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 30+/SAT 1360+ and GPA 3.5-3.74 is $3,000 per year ($12,000 four-year total).

  7. Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.9$2,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.9

    $2,000

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.9

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists Kansas residents with GPA 3.9+ at $2,000 per year ($8,000 four-year total).

  8. Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.5$2,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.5

    $2,500

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

    GPA
    3.5
    Open award details for Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.5

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists out-of-state students with GPA 3.5-3.89 at $2,500 per year ($10,000 four-year total).

  9. Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.9$3,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.9

    $3,000

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.9

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists out-of-state students with GPA 3.9+ at $3,000 per year ($12,000 four-year total).

  10. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.775, ACT 30$3,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.775, ACT 30

    $3,500

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

    GPA
    3.75
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.775, ACT 30

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 30+/SAT 1360+ and GPA 3.75-3.89 is $3,500 per year ($14,000 four-year total).

  11. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27$3,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27

    $3,500

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 26–27

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 26-27/SAT 1230-1290 and GPA 3.9+ is $3,500 per year ($14,000 four-year total).

  12. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 28–29$3,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 28–29

    $3,500

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 28–29

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 28-29/SAT 1300-1350 and GPA 3.9+ is $3,500 per year ($14,000 four-year total).

  13. Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 30$4,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 30

    $4,000

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

    GPA
    3.9
    Open award details for Freshman Merit Out-of-State — GPA 3.9, ACT 30

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot includes the out-of-state Freshmen Merit amounts table; ACT 30+/SAT 1360+ and GPA 3.9+ is $4,000 per year ($16,000 four-year total), with automatic consideration by priority admission deadline stated above the chart.

  14. Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.0$1,000Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.0

    $1,000

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

    GPA
    3
    Open award details for Univ Academic KS — GPA 3.0

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists Kansas residents with GPA 3.0-3.49 at $1,000 per year ($4,000 four-year total).

  15. Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.0$1,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.0

    $1,500

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

    GPA
    3
    Open award details for Univ Academic Out-of-State — GPA 3.0

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Freshmen University Academic Scholarships table is GPA-only/no test score required and lists out-of-state students with GPA 3.0-3.49 at $1,500 per year ($6,000 four-year total).

  16. Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23$2,500Automatic
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23

    $2,500

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

    GPA
    3
    Open award details for Freshman Merit KS — GPA 3.0, ACT 21–23

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU snapshot Freshmen Merit Kansas Residents table lists ACT 21-23/SAT 1060-1150 and GPA 3.0-3.24 as $2,500 per year ($10,000 four-year total).

  17. College Merit Scholarship$500Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    College Merit Scholarship

    $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.

    Open award details for College Merit Scholarship

    Worth knowing

    Official WSU Honors College Merit Scholarship snapshot says incoming freshmen and transfers admitted to WSU and accepted into Cohen Honors College are eligible; award covers up to $1,000 over two years ($500/year) and only tuition/student fees.

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The fine print

Aid capHard $29,970 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Wichita State cannot push the package past $29,970. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Wichita State different

Wichita State runs a transparent automatic merit grid keyed to GPA and ACT for both Kansas residents and out-of-state students, layered with University Academic awards and an Honors College scholarship.

Merit tiers1716 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 Wichita State's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

In-state and out-of-state applicants who can read their award straight off the GPA/ACT grid, and honors candidates seeking the Honors College scholarship.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $29,970 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Wichita State, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$9,734
$30,001–$48,000$9,696
$48,001–$75,000$13,564
$75,001–$110,000$16,893
$110,001+$19,184
All income levels (average)$13,194

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$9,684
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$19,869
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$13,194

That works out to roughly a 39% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $21,780 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Wichita State is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
51%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
69%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$20,500 (~$217/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$51,532
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
44%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
41%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships only trigger an aid adjustment if total aid would exceed the cost of attendance (or the student's aid eligibility cap); below that ceiling, awards are not displaced.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): Federal and state regulations require the OFA to adjust or cancel your federal and/or state aid if additional resources or other financial assistance cause your awards to exceed the Cost of Attendance or financial need criteria, even if your aid has already disbursed. These resources may include, but are not limited to: tuition rate waivers/reductions; graduate assistantships; outside scholarships; and third-party payments, such as employers or vocational rehabilitation. Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: The Honors College Merit Scholarship may be combined with the Freshmen Merit Scholarship or the Transfer Merit Scholarship if the student qualifies for both. (per https://www.wichita.edu/administration/financial_aid/scholarships/merit/Honors_merit.php)

Source

Wichita State merit aid FAQ

  • What is the deadline for Deadline Honors Merit Priority?

    Honors College Merit Scholarship priority dates: November 1 for incoming freshmen; February 1 for transfer students.

  • What is the deadline for Deadline Official Scores July1?

    Scholarships will not pay without official graduation transcripts and official ACT/SAT test scores on file at Wichita State by July 1.

See sources and other schools

How Wichita State compares

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

    Wichita State 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.

Sources used on this page

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

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Wichita State merit aid

The next chapter

Where does Wichita State fit in your plan?

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