Wheeling University: merit scholarships by ACT score
Wheeling University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 18. 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
Wheeling publishes exact criteria for all three awards and no amount for any of them — only that academic scholarships run between $8,000 and $16,000 a year. Which tier reaches which end of that range is not stated. The page also never says the awards are automatic, and although Wheeling is test-optional for admission, every one of these three awards requires a score.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
Bishop Mark E. Brennan Scholarship
Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range
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.
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Is Wheeling test-optional?
For admission, largely yes. A test-optional applicant is read on GPA, strength of curriculum and achievements — but none of the three named scholarships has a score-free route.
For money, no. Every award names a score as well as a GPA. The SAT substitutes for the ACT, but Wheeling publishes no route to any of these three awards without a test. A family that reads “test-optional” and skips the ACT can be admitted and still walk away from every dollar on the grid below.
“Wheeling University is pleased to offer a test-optional policy.”
The published Wheeling merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Wheeling University’s own pages for the current cycle. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Freshman academic scholarships
Each award needs both the GPA and a score; the SAT substitutes for the ACT at 1240, 1100 and 960. Renewable for four years.
Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range
Archbishop John J. Swint Scholarship
ACT 26–36 · 3.75+
Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range
Bishop Mark E. Brennan Scholarship
ACT 22–36 · 3.25+
Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range
Presidential Scholarship
ACT 18–36 · 2.75+
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop John J. Swint Scholarship | ACT 26–36 · 3.75+ | Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range |
| Bishop Mark E. Brennan Scholarship | ACT 22–36 · 3.25+ | Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range |
| Presidential Scholarship | ACT 18–36 · 2.75+ | Part of Wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range |
Source: Institutional scholarships and grants · verified 2026-10-24
Does Wheeling superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. With three hard thresholds at 26, 22 and 18, a student near one should ask whether the better composite is read.
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 Wheeling’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.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from Wheeling 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.
- A composite of 18 with a 2.75 reaches a named, four-year renewable award — the lowest published ACT threshold among this dataset's West Virginia private colleges.
- Wheeling publishes no amount for any individual award, only the $8,000 to $16,000 annual range for all of them.
- Each award requires the GPA and a score together, not either one.
- The SAT alternatives are 1240, 1100 and 960.
- Wheeling is test-optional for admission but publishes no score-free route to these awards.
- These scholarships cannot be combined with other merit-based scholarships.
- The page never uses the word automatic, and no scholarship deadline is published.
- The Sara Tracy Scholarship turns on judgment about a student's potential, so it is not a band here.
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 Wheeling University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Wheeling?
Automatic merit aid at Wheeling University starts at an ACT composite of 18, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches part of wheeling's published $8,000 to $16,000 annual range 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 Wheeling test-optional?
A test-optional applicant is read on GPA, strength of curriculum and achievements — but none of the three named scholarships has a score-free route. For merit aid the answer is different: every award names a score as well as a GPA. The SAT substitutes for the ACT, but Wheeling publishes no route to any of these three awards without a test. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
Does Wheeling superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. With three hard thresholds at 26, 22 and 18, a student near one should ask whether the better composite is read.
Is this Wheeling scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Wheeling University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-24. 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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What to do next
You know what a score is worth at Wheeling. The question is whether you can move it.
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