Wichita State University: merit scholarships by ACT score
Wichita State University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 21 and reach $6,000 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
Wichita State pays the single highest award a student qualifies for across the merit and academic categories — they do not stack. Awards also depend on funding: after the December 1 priority deadline the page says consideration continues only until available funding is exhausted.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
$4,500 / year
About $18,000 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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The published Wichita State merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Wichita State University’s own pages for 2027-28 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Out-of-state students
Published as 'Freshmen Merit Scholarships — Out-of-State Students'. Taking a tuition discount moves a student onto the Kansas resident table at a lower award, so these figures assume no discount is applied.
$6,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.9+
$5,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.75–3.89
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.50–3.74
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.25–3.49
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.00–3.24
$5,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.9+
$5,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.75–3.89
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.50–3.74
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.25–3.49
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.00–3.24
$5,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.9+
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.75–3.89
Show the other 13 published rows
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.50–3.74
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.25–3.49
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.00–3.24
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.9+
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.75–3.89
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.50–3.74
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.25–3.49
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.00–3.24
$4,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.9+
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.75–3.89
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.50–3.74
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.25–3.49
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.00–3.24
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.9+ | $6,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.75–3.89 | $5,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.50–3.74 | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.25–3.49 | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.00–3.24 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.9+ | $5,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.75–3.89 | $5,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.50–3.74 | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.25–3.49 | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.00–3.24 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.9+ | $5,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.75–3.89 | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.50–3.74 | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.25–3.49 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.00–3.24 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.9+ | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.75–3.89 | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.50–3.74 | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.25–3.49 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.00–3.24 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.9+ | $4,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.75–3.89 | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.50–3.74 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.25–3.49 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.00–3.24 | $2,500 |
Source: Incoming Freshmen Scholarships FAQ — 2027-2028 Freshmen Scholarships · verified 2026-10-23
Kansas residents and tuition-discount students
Published as 'Freshmen Merit Scholarships — Kansas Residents & Students with Tuition Discount Programs'. An out-of-state student who takes any tuition discount, including the Midwest Student Exchange Program, is paid from this table rather than the out-of-state one.
$4,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.9+
$3,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.75–3.89
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.50–3.74
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.25–3.49
$2,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 30–36 · 3.00–3.24
$3,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.9+
$3,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.75–3.89
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.50–3.74
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.25–3.49
$2,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.00–3.24
$3,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.9+
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.75–3.89
Show the other 13 published rows
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.50–3.74
$2,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.25–3.49
$1,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 26–27 · 3.00–3.24
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.9+
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.75–3.89
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.50–3.74
$2,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.25–3.49
$1,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 24–25 · 3.00–3.24
$3,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.9+
$2,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.75–3.89
$2,000
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.50–3.74
$1,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.25–3.49
$1,500
Freshmen Merit Scholarship
ACT 21–23 · 3.00–3.24
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.9+ | $4,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.75–3.89 | $3,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.50–3.74 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.25–3.49 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 30–36 · 3.00–3.24 | $2,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.9+ | $3,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.75–3.89 | $3,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.50–3.74 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.25–3.49 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.00–3.24 | $2,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.9+ | $3,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.75–3.89 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.50–3.74 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.25–3.49 | $2,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 26–27 · 3.00–3.24 | $1,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.9+ | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.75–3.89 | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.50–3.74 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.25–3.49 | $2,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 24–25 · 3.00–3.24 | $1,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.9+ | $3,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.75–3.89 | $2,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.50–3.74 | $2,000 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.25–3.49 | $1,500 |
| Freshmen Merit Scholarship | ACT 21–23 · 3.00–3.24 | $1,500 |
Source: Incoming Freshmen Scholarships FAQ — 2027-2028 Freshmen Scholarships · verified 2026-10-23
University Academic Scholarship — GPA only, no score needed
Published under 'Eligibility (GPA ONLY: No test score required)'. Lower than the merit table, but it is a real award for a student with no score — most schools in this dataset offer nothing in that case. The out-of-state figures are shown; Kansas residents receive $2,000 / $1,500 / $1,000.
$3,000
University Academic Scholarship
No score needed
$2,500
University Academic Scholarship
No score needed
$1,500
University Academic Scholarship
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| University Academic Scholarship | — | $3,000 |
| University Academic Scholarship | — | $2,500 |
| University Academic Scholarship | — | $1,500 |
Source: Incoming Freshmen Scholarships FAQ — 2027-2028 Freshmen Scholarships · verified 2026-10-23
Does Wichita State superscore for scholarships?
No. Wichita State uses a single composite for these awards and says so explicitly. It also uses unweighted GPA, so a weighted transcript will not read the way a student expects.
“Merit and University Academic Scholarships do not use ACT Superscores.”
This matters more than it sounds. A student whose superscore crosses a band but whose best single sitting does not will be paid on the lower band. Look up your best single sitting in the grid above, then find what is costing you points on one test.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Wichita State scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Priority admission deadline for scholarship consideration | December 1, 2026 |
| Final reconsideration of improved scores and GPA | May 1, 2027 |
| Official transcripts and scores on file, or the award does not pay | July 1 |
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 Wichita State 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.
- Taking a tuition discount REDUCES the award. Wichita State pays an out-of-state student on a discount — including the Midwest Student Exchange Program, Shocker City, Shocker Select or Legacy Tuition — from the Kansas resident table instead.
- The merit and academic awards do not stack. A student receives whichever single award is worth the most.
- Both GPA and score are read unweighted, and the ACT and SAT are computed without the essay.
- After December 1 the page says consideration depends on remaining funding, so the deadline is a real cutoff rather than a formality.
- Several score bands pay the same amount at a given GPA — a 24 and a 26 are both $4,000 out-of-state at a 3.5. The band edges are where the money moves, not every point.
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 Wichita State University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Wichita State?
Automatic merit aid at Wichita State University starts at an ACT composite of 21, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches $6,000 a year at the top of the 3 grids it publishes. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so the only score that matters is the next threshold above where you are now.
Is Wichita State test-optional?
Wichita State's scholarship pages do not state whether a score is required for admission itself. The scholarship rules below are what the school publishes. For merit aid the answer is different: a score is required for the higher merit table — the floor is a 21 ACT alongside a 3.0 GPA. Without a score a student still qualifies for the University Academic Scholarship on GPA alone, at a lower amount. 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 Wichita State?
On Wichita State's published grid for 2027-28 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for Out-of-state students — Freshmen Merit Scholarship at $4,500 a year, about $18,000 over four years if it renews; Kansas residents and tuition-discount students — Freshmen Merit Scholarship at $3,000 a year, about $12,000 over four years if it renews; University Academic Scholarship — GPA only, no score needed — University Academic Scholarship at $2,500 a year, about $10,000 over four years if it renews.
How much is one more ACT point worth at Wichita State?
The most valuable single point on Wichita State's published grid is 27 to 28, at a 3.25 GPA: it moves the award by $1,000 a year, or $4,000 across a four-year degree on the Out-of-state students grid. 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 in-state or out-of-state change merit aid at Wichita State?
Yes. Wichita State publishes separate grids: Kansas residents and tuition-discount students run $1,500 to $4,000 a year, and Out-of-state students run $2,500 to $6,000 — a difference of $2,000 a year at the top. Check which grid applies to you before planning around a figure.
Does Wichita State superscore the ACT for scholarships?
No. Wichita State uses a single composite for these awards and says so explicitly. It also uses unweighted GPA, so a weighted transcript will not read the way a student expects. Merit and University Academic Scholarships do not use ACT Superscores.
When are Wichita State scholarship deadlines?
Priority admission deadline for scholarship consideration: December 1, 2026. Final reconsideration of improved scores and GPA: May 1, 2027. Official transcripts and scores on file, or the award does not pay: July 1. 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 Wichita State scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Wichita State 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.
Other schools to check
What to do next
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