Dallas Baptist University: merit scholarships by ACT score and class rank
Dallas Baptist University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 18 and reach $14,000 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, one point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a score and a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and exactly how many points the next one needs.
Read this first
DBU keys these five awards to an ACT score AND a class rank, not to a GPA — 'at least a 23 ACT … and ranks in the top 25% of their high school class'. The GPA figures DBU prints are averages of the typical recipient, not thresholds, so the GPA input does not narrow this grid; the rank requirement does, and this tool has no rank input, so check the rank line in each band before planning around a figure. Two more conditions matter. The award is for students LIVING ON CAMPUS, and keeping it requires also holding the Christian Service Scholarship, which carries a Christian Leadership course, six hours a month of volunteer ministry and a monthly Ministry Journal. The only year DBU states on these pages is 2024-25, so treat the amounts as last published rather than current.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
Presidential Scholar Award
$14,000 per year / year
About $56,000 over four years, if it renews.
There is no higher band to reach at this GPA — more points would not change the award here. They may still matter for admission, for honours programmes, or at other schools on the list.
Knowing where a score sits is the easy part. Moving it starts with knowing exactly which questions they're being missed, and why.
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Is DBU test-optional?
For admission, largely yes. DBU's own word for its policy is 'test-preferred' rather than test-optional: a score is not required for admission, review is holistic without one, and yet the same footnote twice recommends sending a score — once for evaluation and once simply to have on file before enrolling.
For money, no. Required for the merit money, even though it is not required for admission. The admissions checklist states the trade directly, and every one of the five academic awards publishes a minimum score. DBU publishes no test-optional merit route at any GPA or rank, so no band here carries a testOptionalGpa — a student who goes test-preferred without a score reaches none of these five rows. A family that reads “test-optional” and skips the ACT can be admitted and still walk away from every dollar on the grid below.
“DBU is “test-preferred,” meaning that the submission of standardized test scores is currently not required for admission. Applicants who have completed all other application requirements will be given consideration for admission through a holistic review.”
The published DBU merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Dallas Baptist University’s own pages for 2024-25 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
First-year students living on campus
There is no scholarship application: 'Incoming students are automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship by the information provided on the student's application for admission, high school transcripts, and test scores.' The five rows are mutually exclusive — 'You may only qualify for one academic scholarship, but DBU will offer you the highest dollar-value scholarship for which you are eligible' — and every one of them is restricted to full-time students living on campus. Additive money sits outside this grid: the $4,000 Christian Service Scholarship (which is also a condition of keeping the academic award) and the Church Matching Scholarship of up to $3,500 a year. Both are described in the notes.
$14,000 per year
Presidential Scholar Award
ACT 26–36 · At least a 26 ACT and a rank in the top 10% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1230 and 81; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.85", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row.
$12,000 per year
Dean's Honor Award
ACT 25–36 · At least a 25 ACT and a rank in the top 20% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1200 and 78; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.74", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row.
$10,000 per year
Dean's Award
ACT 23–36 · At least a 23 ACT and a rank in the top 25% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1130 and 74; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.54", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row.
$9,000 per year
Patriot Honor Award
ACT 22–36 · At least a 22 ACT and a rank in the top 50% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1100 and 72; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.41", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row.
$8,000 per year
Patriot Award
ACT 18–36 · At least a 18 ACT and a rank in the top 50% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 960 and 61; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.00", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row.
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholar Award | ACT 26–36 · At least a 26 ACT and a rank in the top 10% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1230 and 81; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.85", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row. | $14,000 per year |
| Dean's Honor Award | ACT 25–36 · At least a 25 ACT and a rank in the top 20% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1200 and 78; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.74", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row. | $12,000 per year |
| Dean's Award | ACT 23–36 · At least a 23 ACT and a rank in the top 25% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1130 and 74; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.54", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row. | $10,000 per year |
| Patriot Honor Award | ACT 22–36 · At least a 22 ACT and a rank in the top 50% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 1100 and 72; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.41", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row. | $9,000 per year |
| Patriot Award | ACT 18–36 · At least a 18 ACT and a rank in the top 50% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. The SAT and CLT alternatives are 960 and 61; only the ACT route is modelled here. DBU also describes the typical recipient as having "an average GPA of 3.00", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the GPA axis is not applied to this row. | $8,000 per year |
Source: Academic Scholarships — the five first-year awards and their requirements · verified 2026-10-23
Does DBU superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. The word 'superscore' appears nowhere on DBU's academic scholarship page, its first-time freshman scholarship index, its undergraduate scholarships page or its admissions checklist. Each row says only 'at least a 23 ACT/1130 SAT/74 CLT score', with nothing about whether that composite may be assembled across sittings. DBU does say it will accept an ACT, an SAT or a CLT and take the best route, so sending more than one TEST type is clearly useful; whether more than one SITTING of the same test can be combined is unanswered. Ask admissions.
With nothing published, plan for the stricter reading: look up your best single sitting in the grid above, work out your superscore as well, and ask DBU’s financial aid office which one they read before you count on the higher band.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
DBU scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Academic scholarships — no published date; decided from the admission application, transcripts and test scores | Determined during the admission application review |
| Church Matching Scholarship — Fall 2026 gift must reach the Financial Aid office | May 15, 2027 |
| Church Matching Scholarship — Spring 2027 gift | May 15, 2027 |
| Church Matching Scholarship — Summer 2027 gift | July 31, 2027 |
| FAFSA — federal deadline DBU cites, though it urges filing as early as possible for limited-funding programs | Typically June 30 following the end of the applicable academic year |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from Dallas Baptist University’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- Academic Scholarships — the five first-year awards and their requirementsverified 2026-10-23
- First-Time Freshman Scholarships indexverified 2026-10-23
- Undergraduate admissions checklist, and the test-preferred policyverified 2026-10-23
- Christian Service Scholarship (CSS)verified 2026-10-23
- Church Matching Scholarshipverified 2026-10-23
- Commuter Academic Scholarships (transfer students)verified 2026-10-23
- Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) — a State of Texas programverified 2026-10-23
- Undergraduate Scholarships — the shared terms, including the entry yearverified 2026-10-23
- The GPA numbers on DBU's table are NOT thresholds. Each row reads 'the typical student has an average GPA of 3.54' — a description of past recipients. The score ('at least a 23 ACT') and the rank ('ranks in the top 25%') are the published requirements. That is why this entry uses the class-rank grid basis and leaves the GPA axis unused: modelling 3.54 as a floor would reject students DBU would have funded, and modelling it as a promise would be worse.
- THE CLASS RANK TIGHTENS AS THE SCORE RISES, AND THIS TOOL CANNOT SEE RANK. Top 50% at an 18 and a 22, top 25% at a 23, top 20% at a 25, top 10% at a 26. A student with a 26 from a school where they sit in the top third clears the score for the $14,000 award but not the rank, and would land on the $10,000 Dean's Award instead. Read the rank line in the band before planning around the figure.
- KEEPING THE ACADEMIC MONEY MEANS KEEPING THE MINISTRY COMMITMENT. The academic scholarship's renewal terms require the student to be 'receiving and meeting the terms of the Christian Service Scholarship', and the CSS is not a passive award: enroll in and complete DBU's Christian Leadership course in the first year, declare an area of ministry in the first weeks of every semester, serve at least six hours a month in a volunteer ministry, and submit a Ministry Journal every month for review by the Service Learning Center. The CSS itself is worth $4,000 a year and is awarded automatically from the admission application, so it is additive money — but it is also a condition, which is a combination no other school in this dataset publishes.
- THE TUITION EQUALIZATION GRANT (TEG) IS STATE OF TEXAS MONEY, NOT DBU MONEY. This is the single most confused line item for Texas private-college families, because TEG exists only for Texas residents at Texas private colleges and arrives in a DBU award letter alongside DBU's own awards. DBU states what it is: 'The total Texas Equalization Grant (TEG) is a State of Texas grant program for Texas residents attending private, nonprofit colleges or universities in Texas.' It is need-based and rationed — 'Priority consideration is given to students with the greatest tuition differential and demonstrated financial need at the beginning of the academic year', the total allocation to DBU is set annually by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and changes each year, and 'By state rule, a student's TEG award cannot exceed the lesser of their financial need, tuition differential, or the program's annual maximum.' The published maximum is $6,405, for students with a Student Aid Index of $4,270 or less. None of it is in the grid above.
- The CHURCH MATCH is additive and the rules are narrower than they look: DBU matches up to $3,500 a year, but only gifts from an individual Christian church of which the student is 'an active member or student member'. Denominational bodies are explicitly excluded — 'Gifts from denominations (e.g. Baptist General Convention of Texas, United Methodist Conference, etc.) or para-church organizations … are not included in this matching gift program.' NCAA rules block it for Division I athletes already on an athletic scholarship.
- The deadlines on the church-match page look wrong at first glance and are reproduced as published: the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 gift deadlines are BOTH given as May 15, 2027, with Summer 2027 at July 31, 2027. So a fall gift may be submitted long after the fall term is over. Confirm with the Financial Aid office before relying on it.
- THE COMMUTER LADDER IS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS, NOT COMMUTING FRESHMEN. It is a separate page, worth $5,000 to $9,000, and 'Open To: Full-time, undergraduate Transfer students who are not living on campus.' Its rows are keyed to nothing but a GPA average — 'Typical recipients have an average GPA of 2.50 to 2.99' — with no score and no rank. DBU publishes no academic award at all for a first-year student who lives at home, which is a gap worth asking about rather than assuming.
- The amount locks at entry and can only fall: 'A student may not receive an academic scholarship of higher value than their original award from their first year as a student.' There is no published mechanism for raising it with a later ACT, which makes the timing of the score that goes on the application the whole game.
- THE ENTRY YEAR IS STALE AND DBU SAYS SO. The only year statement on these pages is 'The above scholarships apply to first-time freshmen or transfer students who begin attendance in the 2024-2025 academic year.' The academic scholarship page itself carries no year. The figures are shown as last published rather than current, and should be confirmed for the student's own entry year.
- Separately-applied awards exist and are deliberately excluded from the grid: the Christian Leadership Scholarship requires two recommendation forms (one from a pastor, one from a teacher) plus an interview, and the Honors Program, National Merit, Music, Awana, Acteen, Minister's Dependent, Ministerial and BGCT, First Responders, STOA and Partner Schools awards each carry their own criteria. The BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas) and ministerial awards are denominational, and none of them can be read off an ACT score.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with Dallas Baptist University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at DBU?
Automatic merit aid at Dallas Baptist University starts at an ACT composite of 18, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches $14,000 a year at the top. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so the only score that matters is the next threshold above where you are now.
Is DBU test-optional?
DBU's own word for its policy is 'test-preferred' rather than test-optional: a score is not required for admission, review is holistic without one, and yet the same footnote twice recommends sending a score — once for evaluation and once simply to have on file before enrolling. For merit aid the answer is different: required for the merit money, even though it is not required for admission. The admissions checklist states the trade directly, and every one of the five academic awards publishes a minimum score. DBU publishes no test-optional merit route at any GPA or rank, so no band here carries a testOptionalGpa — a student who goes test-preferred without a score reaches none of these five rows. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is a 30 on the ACT worth at DBU?
On DBU's published grid for 2024-25 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for Presidential Scholar Award at $14,000 a year, about $56,000 over four years if it renews.
How much is one more ACT point worth at DBU?
The most valuable single point on DBU's published grid is 24 to 25, at a GPA of at least a 25 act and a rank in the top 20% of the high school class — both are published as requirements. the sat and clt alternatives are 1200 and 78; only the act route is modelled here. dbu also describes the typical recipient as having "an average gpa of 3.74", which is a profile of past winners rather than a threshold, so the gpa axis is not applied to this row.: it moves the award by $2,000 a year, or $8,000 across a four-year degree. The same point is worth less at other GPAs, and most points move nothing at all — the grid steps rather than slopes, which is why the only score worth aiming at is the next threshold.
Does DBU superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. The word 'superscore' appears nowhere on DBU's academic scholarship page, its first-time freshman scholarship index, its undergraduate scholarships page or its admissions checklist. Each row says only 'at least a 23 ACT/1130 SAT/74 CLT score', with nothing about whether that composite may be assembled across sittings. DBU does say it will accept an ACT, an SAT or a CLT and take the best route, so sending more than one TEST type is clearly useful; whether more than one SITTING of the same test can be combined is unanswered. Ask admissions.
When are DBU scholarship deadlines?
Academic scholarships — no published date; decided from the admission application, transcripts and test scores: Determined during the admission application review. Church Matching Scholarship — Fall 2026 gift must reach the Financial Aid office: May 15, 2027. Church Matching Scholarship — Spring 2027 gift: May 15, 2027. Church Matching Scholarship — Summer 2027 gift: July 31, 2027. FAFSA — federal deadline DBU cites, though it urges filing as early as possible for limited-funding programs: Typically June 30 following the end of the applicable academic year. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this DBU scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Dallas Baptist University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-23. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
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