Here is the thing most families get wrong about DePaul. There is no chart. At a lot of big public schools, you look up a grid, find your ACT score and your GPA, and read your scholarship off the page. DePaul does not work that way. Every admitted freshman outside the School of Music and The Theatre School is automatically considered for one of four academic scholarships, and the range runs from $14,000 to $33,000 a year. No separate application, no essay, no extra form. But no published cutoff either. DePaul reads the transcript, the rigor, the trend line, and the whole file, then decides where you land.
That sounds vague, and for a lot of parents it is nerve-wracking. It is also the reason DePaul is worth a serious look even if your student’s test scores are not spectacular. This is a school that has been test-optional since 2012, and it means it in a way most schools do not.
🏆 Full-ride package available (Ryan Family Scholarship, competitive)
Average Net Price
$29,141/year
Average paid.
Automatic Merit
$14,000–$33,000/yr (freshman academic)
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
27 opportunities
15 automatic · 8 competitive · 4 hidden gem
Typical Qualifiers
No published cutoff (holistic review)
Benchmarks for top-tier awards.
Testing Policy
Test-optional, including for merit
Superscores ACT/SAT.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Nov 15 • FAFSA: Jan 15
Full-Tuition / Full-Ride
Ryan Family Scholarship (competitive, interview required)
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Financial Aid Forms
FAFSA Only
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at DePaul (Read This First)
Test-optional actually means test-optional for money. This is the opposite of most merit-heavy schools. DePaul does ask every enrolled freshman for a score after they matriculate, but that is purely for internal research and it cannot change admission, financial aid, or scholarship status. Your student is not quietly penalized for holding scores back.
You may apply for only one donor scholarship. DePaul’s Scholarship Connect portal lets your student submit exactly one application from the donor-funded list. Picking the wrong one is a real, expensive mistake, and nobody at the school is going to stop you.
The big regional awards do not stack. Chicago Promise and Catholic Heritage each pay $20,000 a year, but neither can be combined with another DePaul scholarship except the Provost’s Achievement Award. If your student qualifies for both a regional award and a high academic tier, DePaul gives one, not both.
Renewal is counted in quarter hours, not semester hours. DePaul is on the quarter system. Scholarships renew for up to four consecutive years (12 quarters) and require full-time enrollment plus at least 36 quarter hours across Fall, Winter and Spring. Parents routinely misread that as 36 semester hours, which is a very different number.
Music and Theatre applicants are on a separate track. Students admitted to the School of Music or The Theatre School are not eligible for the four academic scholarships or for RaiseMe. They get talent-based awards instead, decided by audition, interview, or portfolio. Different deadlines too, and they cannot use Early Action.
The application itself changed. Starting with the Fall and Winter 2027 entering class, all incoming freshmen, including international students, apply through the Common Application. If you were told otherwise last year, that information is out of date.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes — DePaul University is test-optional.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 25-31; SAT: 1140-1330.
Average net price? About $29,141/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
No — private school; same rate for all.
💰 Cost of Attendance at DePaul University 2026-2027
📅 2027–2028 Planning Note: The costs below reflect the most recently published figures (2026–2027). Universities typically finalize the next year’s rates in the spring, and we’ll update this page once official 2027–2028 numbers are released.
Planning tip: At large public universities, tuition, fees, and housing usually increase modestly each year (often in the 2–5% range). For early budgeting, families may want to plan for roughly $1,000–$1,500 more in-state or $2,000–$3,000 more out-of-state in total direct costs once new rates are published.
Category (2026–2027)
In-State
Out-of-State
Tuition & Mandatory Fees (2 semesters)
$49,080
$49,080
Housing & Meals (typical)
$20,766
$20,766
Total (Direct Costs)
$69,846
$69,846
Average Federal Net Price: $29,141 — this is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships (no loans), based on the most recent federal data. Your specific cost could be significantly lower or higher depending on your financial aid eligibility and merit scholarships. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
Why the two columns match
DePaul is a private university, so there is no in-state or out-of-state distinction. A family in Naperville and a family in Nashville see the exact same published price. What actually moves the number is merit aid and need-based aid, not your zip code. That is genuinely good news for out-of-state families who get sticker shock from public flagship non-resident rates.
💡 The DePaul detail almost nobody notices: tuition is banded by admit year.
DePaul publishes a separate tuition rate for each entering class. In 2026-2027, a student who started in 2023 pays $46,794 while a brand new 2026 admit pays $48,180, in the same building, in the same classes. Your student’s rate still rises modestly each year, but they stay in their own cohort’s lane rather than jumping to whatever the newest sticker price is. For four-year budgeting, that is worth real money.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at DePaul University
What is actually in the tuition number?
For 2026-2027, a new freshman in Business, Communication, Computing and Digital Media, Education, Science and Health, or Liberal Arts pays $48,180 for the year at the 12 to 18 credit hour package rate, plus a $900 annual comprehensive fee. That is the $49,080 in the table. The package rate is the important part: between 12 and 18 credit hours you pay one flat price, so an ambitious student can carry a heavier load without paying more.
Is Music or Theatre more expensive?
Yes, and it is not a small gap. Undergraduate Music and Theatre tuition for a 2026 admit is $50,403 a year rather than $48,180. Those students are also excluded from the four academic scholarships and from RaiseMe, and receive talent-based awards instead. If your student is auditioning, budget from the talent award, not from the academic merit range on this page.
What is missing from the table above?
The table shows direct costs, the things DePaul actually bills you for. DePaul’s own 2026-2027 budget adds roughly $1,104 for books and course materials, $1,290 for transportation, $4,794 for miscellaneous personal expenses including health insurance, and about $81 in average loan fees. Add those and the full cost of attendance lands near $77,100. Those indirect numbers are estimates, and a student who commutes or skips the health plan will land well under them.
What if my student lives at home?
DePaul budgets $5,721 in living expenses for a dependent student living with parents instead of $20,766. That is a $15,000 a year swing, and for Chicago-area families it is the single biggest lever on this page. Both DePaul campuses sit on the CTA, so commuting is genuinely practical here in a way it is not at most schools.
Is the average net price really around $29,000?
That is the federal figure for what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, and more recent federal releases put it closer to $30,900. Either way the point holds: the typical DePaul family pays roughly forty percent less than the sticker price. About 97 percent of incoming freshmen receive some scholarship. Your family’s number could be meaningfully lower or higher, so run DePaul’s net price calculator before you draw any conclusions.
Does DePaul require the CSS Profile?
No. FAFSA only. That is one fewer form, one fewer fee, and one fewer deadline than many private universities of DePaul’s size, and it is a small but real advantage when your student is applying to eight or ten schools.
Do out-of-state students get any tuition break?
There is no reciprocity program or non-resident waiver, because there is no non-resident rate to waive. DePaul competes for out-of-state families entirely through merit and need-based aid. Notably, the State Scholar Plus scholarship is open to qualified students from all fifty states, and DePaul has said openly that the program exists to make its price competitive with what a top Illinois public university would cost.
November 15: Early Action deadline. This is the one that matters. Priority scholarship consideration, plus priority advising and course registration. Decisions come back by December 15.
December 1: School of Music applications close. Also the deadline for Acting and Stage Management in The Theatre School.
February 1: Regular Notification deadline, and the deadline for every donor-funded scholarship in Scholarship Connect. Also the deadline for all other Theatre majors and for the Art Scholarship portfolio.
April 15: Final Honors Program application deadline, after admission.
Parent rule of thumb: treat November 15 as your real deadline. Almost everything good at DePaul flows from applying Early Action, and nothing is gained by waiting.
Automatic Merit Scholarships at DePaul University
Every admitted freshman outside Music and Theatre is automatically considered for one of four academic scholarships. There is no separate application and no essay. The range is $14,000 to $33,000 a year, and DePaul does not publish GPA or test cutoffs for any of the four tiers. Placement is a holistic judgment made at the moment of admission, based mostly on the strength of the transcript and the rigor of the coursework.
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic
Presidential Scholarship (Tier 1)
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Scholarship amount is included in the admission offer. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$26,000–$33,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This is the flagship merit tier and cannot be layered with other DePaul freshman academic scholarship tiers. However, it can be combined with the Provost's Achievement Award and need-based aid within cost-of-attendance limits — so your strongest students can still see meaningful additional support on top of this award.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul's freshman academic scholarship range runs from $14,000 to $33,000 per year for 2026–2027. The Presidential Scholarship sits at the top of that band and is awarded holistically — no fixed GPA or test cutoffs are published. Renewable for up to four consecutive years (12 quarters) provided the student remains full-time and completes at least 36 quarter hours across fall, winter, and spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
The highest-achieving freshman admits in DePaul's applicant pool — students whose transcripts show the strongest GPAs, the most rigorous course loads (Honors, AP, or IB), and compelling leadership and involvement records. There are no published test or GPA cutoffs; this is a holistic decision made at time of admission.
Automatic
Dean's Scholarship (Tier 2)
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Award is communicated in the admission packet. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$21,000–$25,999/yr
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
The Dean's Scholarship is one of DePaul's four core freshman academic tiers and cannot be combined with other freshman academic scholarship levels. It can, however, stack with the Provost's Achievement Award and any need-based grants the student qualifies for.
💡
Strategic Detail
Part of DePaul's unified freshman scholarship structure spanning $14,000–$33,000 per year for 2026–2027. The Dean's Scholarship covers the upper-middle band of that range and is awarded automatically at admission. Renewable for up to four years (12 quarters) with full-time enrollment and completion of at least 36 quarter hours each fall/winter/spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
High-achieving applicants with strong — but not top-of-pool — academic records. Think students with rigorous course loads and meaningful extracurricular engagement whose overall profile places them just below the Presidential tier.
Automatic
DePaul Scholars' Award (Tier 3)
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Award appears in the initial admission and financial aid notification. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$17,000–$20,999/yr
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Serves as the principal merit award for many middle-band admits. Not stackable with other DePaul freshman academic scholarship tiers, but fully compatible with the Provost's Achievement Award and any need-based grants.
💡
Strategic Detail
Part of DePaul's 2026–2027 freshman scholarship range of $14,000–$33,000 per year. DePaul does not publish explicit cutoffs for each named tier. Official name on the scholarships page is 'DePaul Scholars' Award.' Renewable for up to four years (12 quarters) with full-time enrollment and at least 36 quarter hours completed each fall/winter/spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Solid freshman admits with above-average but not highest-tier GPAs and standard college-prep curricula. This award reaches a broad swath of DePaul's admitted class.
Automatic
St. Vincent DePaul Scholarship (Tier 4)
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Award level is provided with the admission decision. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$14,000–$16,999/yr
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This is the entry-level tier of DePaul's four freshman academic scholarship levels and cannot be combined with higher DePaul freshman merit tiers. It can stack with the Provost's Achievement Award and need-based aid, which means a student with financial need can still build a meaningful overall package.
💡
Strategic Detail
Official name confirmed as 'St. Vincent DePaul Scholarship' on the live scholarships page. Occupies the lower band of DePaul's $14,000–$33,000 freshman scholarship range for 2026–2027. Renewable for up to four years (12 quarters) with full-time enrollment and at least 36 quarter hours each fall/winter/spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted students who meet DePaul's academic standards and show solid preparation, but whose credentials are less competitive than those earning the upper three tiers. This award still represents $14,000–$17,000 per year — real, renewable money.
Automatic
State Scholar Plus Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Award communicated in the admission and financial aid package. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$25,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.8+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
DePaul positions this scholarship as making their private-school price tag as competitive as the top public institution in Illinois. Stacking rules follow standard DePaul freshman merit policy — cannot be combined with other academic scholarship tiers but may layer with the Provost's Achievement Award and need-based aid.
💡
Strategic Detail
Confirmed active for 2026-2027: DePaul's Scholarship Connect portal lists State Scholar Plus among the undergraduate academic scholarships covered by its Academic Year 2026/2027 scholarship reinstatement appeal. Worth knowing that the award is not featured on DePaul's public scholarships page, so families should ask about it by name. Merit packages run up to $100,000 over four years at $25,000 per year. Renewable for four consecutive years (12 quarters) with full-time enrollment and at least 36 quarter hours completed across Fall, Winter and Spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Top 10% graduates with a 3.75+ unweighted GPA who apply by Nov 15. This is DePaul's answer to families comparing private vs. flagship-public costs — the package (up to $100,000 over four years) is designed to close that gap meaningfully.
Automatic
Chicago Promise Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Scholarship appears in the admission and financial aid package. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$20,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.7+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Pays $20,000 per year for four years — $80,000 total. Cannot be combined with other DePaul scholarships except the Provost's Achievement Award. Eligible students can also receive need-based financial aid on top of this, up to the cost of attendance. Students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement may be considered for a larger overall merit award.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul's Chicago Promise Scholarship provides $20,000 per year for CPS graduates with a 3.7+ weighted GPA enrolling as full-time freshmen. Renewable for four years based on satisfactory academic progress. Students with exceptional academic achievement may receive a larger overall award. Cannot stack with other DePaul scholarships except the Provost's Achievement Award.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: CPS graduates with a weighted GPA of 3.7 or higher who enroll full-time as DePaul freshmen. This is an automatic award — if your student checks both boxes, the money is theirs without any additional hoops.
Automatic
Catholic Heritage Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Scholarship appears in the admission and financial aid package. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$20,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
🏫 3.7+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Pays $20,000 per year for four years — $80,000 total. Cannot be combined with other DePaul scholarships except the Provost's Achievement Award. Eligible students can also qualify for need-based aid on top of this award. Students with exceptional academic achievement may receive a larger overall merit package.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul's Catholic Heritage Scholarship provides $20,000 per year for Illinois Catholic high school graduates with a 3.7+ GPA enrolling as full-time freshmen. Renewable for four years based on satisfactory academic progress. Cannot stack with other DePaul scholarships except the Provost's Achievement Award; need-based aid is still available on top.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Graduates of any Catholic high school in Illinois with a 3.7+ GPA who enroll full-time as DePaul freshmen. If your student went to an Illinois Catholic high school and has the GPA, this award is automatic — no essay, no interview, no extra steps.
Automaticnational merit
Provost's Achievement Award (National Merit Semifinalist)
📅 Deadline: March 1 (recommended latest date for National Merit and admission coordination) · 📢 Results: Award is included in the financial aid offer once National Merit Semifinalist status is confirmed. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This is one of the few DePaul awards that genuinely stacks — it adds $3,000 per year on top of any DePaul freshman academic scholarship (including Presidential, Dean's, DePaul Scholars', or St. Vincent DePaul) and on top of regional awards like Chicago Promise or Catholic Heritage. Over four years, that's an additional $12,000 without any extra effort.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul's Provost's Achievement Award provides an additional $3,000 per year for up to four years (12 quarters) for National Merit Semifinalists, stacking directly on top of the student's main academic scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Any National Merit Semifinalist who enrolls at DePaul and meets standard academic renewal criteria. This is a status-based award — no additional competition required.
App Required
RaiseMe Micro-Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Award amount is included in the financial aid package upon enrollment. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
RaiseMe awards are designed to stack with DePaul's institutional merit scholarships and need-based aid within cost-of-attendance limits. This makes it one of the more parent-friendly programs — students can start earning money for DePaul as freshmen in high school.
📄
How to Apply
Create a free RaiseMe account at raise.me/join/depaul and follow DePaul. Starting as early as 9th grade, log your achievements — grades, extracurriculars, leadership positions, and more — to accumulate micro-scholarship dollars. Keep your portfolio updated and update it before the Nov 15 Early Action deadline. Your accumulated award will roll into your DePaul financial aid package when you enroll.
Selection criteria: Earnings accumulate based on logged achievements in RaiseMe — grades, extracurricular activities, leadership, and other milestones recognized by the platform.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul partners with RaiseMe to offer micro-scholarships of up to $10,000 per year ($40,000 total) based on ongoing high school achievements beginning in 9th grade. Students in the School of Music and Theatre School programs are excluded. The award becomes part of the student's DePaul financial aid package upon enrollment.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Any prospective student who sets up a RaiseMe portfolio and consistently logs achievements throughout high school. The earlier a student starts, the more they can accumulate — up to $10,000 per year. Students applying to the School of Music or Theatre School are not eligible.
Automatic
International Freshman Academic Scholarship (Global DePaul Scholarship)
📅 Deadline: Nov 15 · 📢 Results: Scholarship amount appears in the admission letter. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$12,000–$32,000/yr
✘ Not stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers a portion of tuition for international students. May be combined with some additional international or departmental aid but generally not with other primary DePaul academic scholarships.
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul's Global DePaul Scholarship for international freshmen ranges from approximately $12,000 to $32,000 per year for 2026–2027. Renewable for up to four years for students who remain full-time and complete at least 36 quarter hours across fall, winter, and spring.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
International freshmen with strong secondary-school academic records and rigorous coursework. Larger awards go to students with the highest GPAs and strongest overall academic profiles — the range is wide, so the strength of the transcript really matters here.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
DePaul Transfer Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Award communicated in the admission and financial aid package. ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$14,000–$23,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be combined with the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship and the Chicago STAR Scholarship, depending on eligibility. Not available to students admitted to the School of Music, The Theatre School, or the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
💡
Strategic Detail
The DePaul Transfer Scholarship ranges from $14,000 to $23,000 per year and is awarded automatically at admission based on college academic achievement. Renewable for up to three consecutive years (9 quarters) with full-time enrollment and at least 36 quarter hours each fall/winter/spring. Not available to School of Music, Theatre School, or SCPS admits.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Transfer students with strong college academic records applying for fall, winter, or spring enrollment. The award range is wide — $14,000 to $23,000 per year — so the strength of the college transcript directly determines where in the range a student lands.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
DePaul Admission Partnership Program (DAPP) Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Award communicated in the admission and financial aid package upon transfer. ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$20,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be combined with the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship and the Chicago STAR Scholarship, depending on eligibility. Not available to students in the School of Music, Theatre School, or SCPS programs.
💡
Strategic Detail
DAPP participants who meet the program's eligibility requirements at the time of transfer qualify for up to $20,000 per year. Students must join DAPP before completing 24 semester hours, maintain continuous enrollment, and meet with a Transfer Admission Counselor each semester. Renewable for up to three consecutive years (9 quarters). Not available to Theatre School, School of Music, or SCPS applicants.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Community college students who officially enroll in DAPP early, stay engaged with their transfer counselor every semester, and arrive at DePaul with strong academic qualifications. The program is designed for students who want a clear, supported pathway from community college to a DePaul bachelor's degree — and the scholarship rewards that commitment.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
Chicago STAR Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Award included in the transfer financial aid package. ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be stacked with the DePaul Transfer Scholarship, the DAPP Scholarship, and the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship. This is a great add-on for CPS graduates who took the City Colleges STAR pathway to DePaul.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Chicago STAR Scholarship awards $2,000 per year to CPS graduates who participated in the City Colleges of Chicago STAR Scholar program and completed at least 15 semester (22 quarter) hours before transferring to DePaul. Stackable with Transfer, DAPP, and PTK scholarships. Renewable for up to three consecutive years (9 quarters).
🕵
Who Actually Wins
CPS graduates who enrolled in the City Colleges of Chicago STAR Scholar program, completed at least 15 semester hours, and are now transferring to DePaul. The $2,000 per year is automatic for qualifying students — no extra competition required.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Only
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Award included in the transfer financial aid package. ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Designed as a supplement — can be stacked with the DePaul Transfer Scholarship, the DAPP Scholarship, and the Chicago STAR Scholarship, making it a genuine add-on for qualifying transfer students who are PTK members.
💡
Strategic Detail
The PTK Scholarship awards $1,000 per year to transfer students who are active members of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 15 semester (22 quarter) hours completed at admission. Stackable with Transfer, DAPP, and Chicago STAR scholarships. Renewable for up to three consecutive years (9 quarters).
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Transfer students who are active PTK members with a 3.0+ cumulative college GPA and at least 15 semester hours completed. PTK membership is the gate — if your student is already a member and hits the GPA, this $1,000/year add-on is essentially automatic.
Automatic⚠ Graduate Only
Double Demon Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Applied automatically upon admission to an eligible graduate program. ✓ Renews
Varies
✘ Not stackable
🎓 Graduate
✚
Stacking & Combining
Cannot be combined with other DePaul scholarships, waivers, or awards. University employees have separate tuition benefits and are not eligible. If a student qualifies for both this and another award, they receive whichever is most advantageous.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Double Demon Scholarship provides a 25% tuition discount for DePaul alumni pursuing eligible graduate programs (degree, non-degree, or select certificates). Cannot be stacked with other DePaul scholarships or employee tuition benefits. Does not apply to CPE, IPD, doctoral programs, or select programs in Music, Theatre, Law, and others. No separate application needed — automatically applied at admission.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Any DePaul undergraduate alumnus or alumna admitted into an eligible master's, non-degree, or select certificate program. If your student loved DePaul for undergrad and is considering graduate school, this 25% tuition discount is a compelling reason to come back.
Data last verified Jun 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
🔎 Three DePaul awards you have to ask for by name
DePaul’s internal scholarship documents for the 2026-2027 year list several named undergraduate awards that never appear on the public scholarships page, and for which the university publishes no dollar amount or eligibility criteria anywhere we could find:
Vincentian Award. A named academic scholarship, separate from the Vincentian Service Scholars program described further down this page.
Cristo Rey Commitment Award. DePaul is a confirmed Cristo Rey Network university partner. If your student attends a Cristo Rey school, this one is worth a direct phone call. There are also two separate Cristo Rey donor awards in Scholarship Connect, including a CIBC scholarship for a business major.
Heritage Scholarship (transfer). Listed alongside the Transfer, DAPP, Phi Theta Kappa and Chicago STAR awards, but absent from the public transfer scholarship page.
Parent translation: these are real, DePaul administers them, and your student’s file may already qualify. Email admission@depaul.edu or call (312) 362-8300 and ask about each by name. Do not assume a counselor will bring them up.
Note: Students receive one academic scholarship tier, not several. The four tiers do not stack with each other, and neither Chicago Promise nor Catholic Heritage can be combined with another DePaul scholarship. The single genuine exception is the Provost’s Achievement Award, which adds $3,000 a year on top of whatever else your student earned. Need-based aid can still layer on top of any of these.
Automatic Merit FAQs (DePaul University)
What GPA does my student need for the Presidential Scholarship?
DePaul does not publish one, and that is deliberate rather than evasive. The four tiers are assigned holistically at admission based on grades, course rigor, academic trend, and the overall file. Practically speaking, the strongest transcripts in the pool land at the top. What we can tell you is that everyone admitted gets something, so the floor is $14,000 a year, not zero.
Will submitting test scores get my student more money?
Not by itself. DePaul has been test-optional since 2012 and applies it to scholarships, not just admission. The school does collect a score from every enrolling freshman after they matriculate, but it uses that data only for internal research and it explicitly cannot change admission, aid, or scholarship status. If a score genuinely strengthens the file, submit it. If it does not, holding it back costs nothing.
Does DePaul superscore?
Yes, for both the ACT and the SAT, for students who choose to submit. That is the opposite of several large merit-driven public universities, where only a single test sitting counts.
Is the $20,000 Chicago Promise or Catholic Heritage award stackable?
No, and this catches families off guard. Neither can be combined with another DePaul scholarship except the Provost’s Achievement Award. A CPS graduate with a 3.7 weighted GPA gets $20,000, or their academic tier, whichever DePaul determines is larger. DePaul does note that students with exceptional academic records may receive a larger overall award.
What is the Provost’s Achievement Award and why does it matter so much?
It is $3,000 a year for National Merit Semifinalists, renewable four years, and it is the one DePaul award that reliably stacks on top of everything else. That is $12,000 over four years for status your student already earned. No application. If your student is a Semifinalist, make sure DePaul knows.
What is RaiseMe and is it worth the trouble?
DePaul partners with RaiseMe so students can start banking micro-scholarship dollars as early as ninth grade by logging grades, activities, and leadership roles. It is worth up to $10,000 a year, or $40,000 total, and it folds into the aid package at enrollment. The catch is that it rewards students who start early and stay consistent. If your student is already a senior, the ceiling is much lower. Music and Theatre applicants are not eligible.
My student is transferring. What changes?
Quite a lot, and mostly in your favor. The DePaul Transfer Scholarship runs $14,000 to $23,000 a year based on the college transcript. Unlike the freshman awards, the transfer awards genuinely stack: a Phi Theta Kappa member adds $1,000, a City Colleges STAR Scholar adds $2,000, and DAPP participants can qualify for up to $20,000. The one thing to do early is join DAPP before finishing 24 semester hours at your community college. Transfer scholarships renew for three years rather than four.
Are these renewable?
Yes. Up to four consecutive years, which at DePaul means 12 quarters. Your student must be enrolled full-time each quarter and complete at least 36 quarter hours across Fall, Winter and Spring. If something goes wrong, DePaul does run a formal scholarship reinstatement appeal process through Scholarship Connect, so a bad quarter is not automatically the end of the award.
Read this before your student touches the application.
DePaul’s donor-funded scholarships all live in one portal, Scholarship Connect, and the rule there is blunt: you may apply for only one of them. Not one at a time. One, period. Your student has to look at the whole list, honestly assess which one they are actually competitive for, and commit. Applying for the wrong one is not a do-over situation, and the difference between the awards runs from $5,000 a year to a full ride.
This is where DePaul quietly gets interesting. The automatic scholarships are generous but capped around $33,000. The donor-funded awards are where the genuinely large packages live, and unlike the academic tiers, DePaul states plainly that these can stack on top of your student’s merit scholarship and grants.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at DePaul?
Aid Type
Stacks with Academic Merit?
DePaul Parent Translation
The four academic tiers
N/A
Your student gets exactly one, assigned at admission. There is no combining Presidential with Dean’s.
Chicago Promise / Catholic Heritage
No, replaces
$20,000 a year, but it stands alone. DePaul awards this or the academic tier, not both.
Provost’s Achievement Award
Yes, always
The reliable one. $3,000 a year on top of anything else, for National Merit Semifinalists.
Donor-funded scholarships
Yes, per DePaul
DePaul states these can be combined with academic merit and grants, up to the cost-of-attendance ceiling. But only one donor award per student.
Need-based grants
Yes
Layers on top of merit. File the FAFSA even if you assume you will not qualify, because several donor awards require it as a screening step.
ROTC
Yes, coordinated
DePaul packages institutional aid around ROTC funding so the total does not exceed cost of attendance.
Full RideApp Required
James T. and Michelle A. Ryan Family Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (semi-finalist selection) · 📢 Results: Semi-finalists selected upon admission and contacted for interview; awards communicated after the interview process. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Ride
donor-funded full support scholarship for high-potential students with financial need
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This scholarship is designed to cover tuition, room and board, and program support on top of federal, state, and institutional aid — making it one of DePaul's most comprehensive awards. It explicitly stacks with need-based aid to close remaining cost gaps.
📄
How to Apply
After admission as an incoming freshman, apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com). Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Ryan Family Scholarship. Semi-finalists will be selected upon admission and contacted for a scholarship interview. Recipients must reside on campus. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of academic potential, financial need, and community commitment; interview required for semi-finalists.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
The Ryan Family Scholarship covers tuition, room and board, and program support on top of federal, state, and institutional aid for high-potential students with financial need. Priority consideration goes to Chicago Jesuit Academy graduates. Recipients must reside on campus, maintain good academic standing, and demonstrate satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Renewable for four years.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
High-potential incoming DePaul students with demonstrated financial need, with priority consideration given to graduates of the Chicago Jesuit Academy middle school. The interview process is central — students who can articulate their potential, resilience, and commitment to their community tend to earn this award.
App Required
Mazza Foundation Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (semi-finalist selection) · 📢 Results: Semi-finalists selected upon admission and contacted for interview. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$15,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.7+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be combined with other DePaul institutional aid and need-based grants within cost-of-attendance limits. Recipients participate in the S.T.A.R.S. (Students Together Are Reaching Success) peer mentee program and events coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
📄
How to Apply
After admission as an incoming freshman, apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com). Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Mazza Foundation Scholarship. Semi-finalists will be selected upon admission and contacted for a scholarship interview. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of academic performance, leadership, social justice commitment, and financial need; semi-finalists participate in a scholarship interview.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
The Mazza Foundation Scholarship provides $15,000 per year for incoming freshmen from Big Shoulders High Schools or current Mazza Scholars. Requires a cumulative GPA of 2.7+, demonstrated financial need via FAFSA, leadership, and a commitment to social justice. Recipients participate in S.T.A.R.S. mentee programming. Renewable for four consecutive years.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming freshmen from Big Shoulders High Schools or current Mazza Scholars with a 2.7+ GPA, demonstrated financial need, and strong leadership and social justice credentials. The interview is a real factor — candidates who can speak authentically about their community involvement and aspirations stand out.
App Required
Monsignor Egan Hope Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$13,500/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be combined with other DePaul institutional aid and need-based grants within cost-of-attendance limits. Recipients commit to ongoing social activism, community leadership, community service projects, and advising/mentoring sessions through the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
📄
How to Apply
After admission as an incoming freshman, apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com) by Feb 1. Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Egan Hope Scholarship. You must prove Chicago city residency and provide documentation of your social activism and community service record. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Selection based on residency, high school graduation in Chicago, and exceptional record of social activism and community leadership.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
The Egan Hope Scholarship honors Monsignor John Egan's legacy of social activism and community service. Provides $13,500 per year for city of Chicago residents who graduated from a Chicago high school and have an exceptional record of social activism, leadership, and community service. Renewable for four consecutive years.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
City of Chicago residents who graduated from a Chicago high school and have an exceptional, documented record of social activism, community leadership, and service. This award honors the legacy of Monsignor John Egan — students whose lives already reflect that kind of purposeful community engagement are the ones who win it.
App Required
Arthur J. Schmitt Leaders Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$12,000/yr
✔ Stackable
👥 ~4 winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
DePaul states that donor-funded scholarships can be combined with a student's academic merit scholarship and grants, subject to the cost-of-attendance ceiling. So a Schmitt Scholar can hold this award on top of their freshman academic tier, not instead of it. Remember that students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
📄
How to Apply
After being admitted as an incoming freshman, complete the Arthur J. Schmitt Leaders Scholarship application in DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com) by Feb 1. Log in with your Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application first, then locate the Schmitt scholarship. Include required leadership-focused essay responses. Note: you may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Holistic review emphasizing positional leadership roles, academic excellence, and commitment to positive social change in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and Arthur J. Schmitt.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
The Schmitt Leaders Scholarship awards $12,000 per year to a small cohort of incoming freshmen selected for exceptional positional leadership and academic achievement. Scholars participate in structured leadership formation experiences in the Vincentian tradition. Apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect by Feb 1; note that students may apply for only one donor scholarship.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming freshmen who have held genuine positional leadership roles — team captains, student council officers, community organizers — and who can articulate a vision for positive social change rooted in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and Arthur J. Schmitt. Academic excellence matters, but leadership narrative is the real differentiator here.
App Required
ComEd Scholars Program Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$12,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
This award may be combined with other DePaul scholarships and grants, subject to overall stacking rules and the cost-of-attendance ceiling — making it one of the more stackable donor awards in DePaul's portfolio for eligible students.
📄
How to Apply
Participate in the ComEd Scholars program at DePaul College Prep High School, apply and be admitted to DePaul, enroll in an eligible STEM major, and complete the ComEd Scholars scholarship application in DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com) by Feb 1. Log in with Campus Connect credentials and complete the General Application first.
Selection criteria: Selection emphasizes participation in the ComEd Scholars program, academic readiness for STEM, and alignment with program goals to expand STEM access.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
The ComEd Scholars Program Scholarship provides $12,000 per year for qualifying DePaul College Prep graduates pursuing STEM majors at DePaul. Participation in the ComEd Scholars pipeline program at DePaul College Prep is required. Apply through Scholarship Connect by Feb 1.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Graduates of DePaul College Prep High School who participated in the ComEd Scholars pipeline, chose an eligible STEM major at DePaul, and present strong academics, demonstrated STEM aptitude, and a commitment to expanding STEM access in the community.
App Required
Rita and John Canning Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (semi-finalist selection) · 📢 Results: Semi-finalists selected upon admission and contacted for interview. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.7+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
May be combined with other DePaul institutional aid and need-based grants within cost-of-attendance limits. Recipients participate in the S.T.A.R.S. (Students Together Are Reaching Success) peer mentee program and events coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
📄
How to Apply
After admission as an incoming freshman, apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com). Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Canning Scholarship. Semi-finalists will be selected upon admission and contacted for a scholarship interview. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of academic performance, leadership, social justice commitment, and financial need; semi-finalists participate in a scholarship interview.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
The Canning Scholarship provides $10,000 per year for incoming freshmen from Big Shoulders High Schools or current Big Shoulders Fund Scholars. Requires a 2.7+ cumulative GPA, demonstrated financial need via FAFSA, leadership, and a commitment to social justice. Semi-finalists are contacted for an interview. Recipients participate in S.T.A.R.S. mentee programming. Renewable for four consecutive years.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming freshmen from Big Shoulders High Schools or current Big Shoulders Fund Scholars with a 2.7+ GPA, demonstrated financial need, strong leadership, and a commitment to social justice. As with the Mazza scholarship, the interview is central — authentic community stories land well.
App Required
Gerald & Jennifer Beeson Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (semi-finalist selection) · 📢 Results: Semi-finalists selected by Feb 1 and contacted for interview; final awards communicated later in the cycle. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.7+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Designed to supplement DePaul's academic scholarships; may stack with other institutional and external aid within cost-of-attendance limits. Recipients must commit to social activism, community leadership, and community service projects through the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
📄
How to Apply
After admission as a traditional incoming freshman, apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com). Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Beeson Scholarship. Application window is typically November through February with semi-finalists selected by Feb 1. Semi-finalists will be contacted for a scholarship interview. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of academic performance, leadership, social justice commitment, and financial need; semi-finalists participate in a scholarship interview.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
The Beeson Scholarship provides $10,000 per year for incoming freshmen from Chicago-area Catholic high schools. Requires a cumulative GPA of 2.7+, demonstrated leadership, commitment to social justice, and financial need. Semi-finalists selected by Feb 1 are contacted for an interview. Recipients participate in advising, mentoring, community service, and events through the Office of Multicultural Student Success.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
High-potential incoming freshmen from Chicago-area Catholic high schools who pair solid academics (2.7+ GPA) with strong demonstrated leadership, social justice commitment, and financial need. The interview is a real differentiator — students who can articulate their community impact and vision tend to stand out.
App Required
Greer Foundation Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 (typical Scholarship Connect deadline for incoming freshmen) ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
As a donor-funded award, this scholarship can be combined with other DePaul institutional aid and need-based grants within cost-of-attendance limits. It is a strong complement to a student's main academic merit award.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect (depaul.academicworks.com) after admission. Log in with Campus Connect credentials, complete the General Application, then locate the Greer Foundation Scholarship. Note: students may apply for only one donor scholarship through Scholarship Connect.
Selection criteria: Selection based on academic achievement in STEM and representation; specific rubric not published.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Greer Foundation Scholarship provides $5,000 per year to academically high-achieving students pursuing STEM-related majors, with a preference for underrepresented students. Applied for through DePaul Scholarship Connect. Renewable for four consecutive years (12 quarters) with full-time enrollment and good academic standing.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Academically high-achieving undergraduates pursuing STEM-related majors, with preference given to students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. This is a great opportunity for students who are strong academically and reflect the diversity that STEM fields need more of.
Data last verified Jun 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
🧠 Parent Strategy: choose your one donor award on fit, not on dollar amount
Look at the list above and notice how many of these awards are gated on something your student either is or is not. Big Shoulders graduate. Chicago Catholic high school. City of Chicago resident. DePaul College Prep with ComEd Scholars participation. Cristo Rey. These are not competitions your student can talk their way into.
So the real strategy is narrow: find every award your student is structurally eligible for, and if there is more than one, pick the largest of those. Chasing the Ryan Family Scholarship because it is a full ride, when your student has none of the priority background, wastes the single application you get.
❓ Competitive Scholarship FAQs
When is the deadline?
February 1 for the donor-funded awards, submitted through Scholarship Connect at depaul.academicworks.com. Several of them also select semi-finalists by that date and then contact those students for an interview. Your student has to be admitted first, so applying Early Action by November 15 gives them the most breathing room.
Which award is the largest?
The James T. and Michelle A. Ryan Family Scholarship. DePaul describes it as covering tuition, room and board, and program support on top of federal, state and institutional aid, which functionally makes it a full ride. Priority consideration goes to graduates of the Chicago Jesuit Academy middle school, recipients must live on campus, and semi-finalists interview. It is the single most valuable award on this page and also the most narrowly targeted.
How competitive is the Schmitt Leaders Scholarship?
Four students per incoming class. That is the number DePaul publishes on the application itself. It pays $12,000 a year and it is explicitly about positional leadership, meaning actual roles held rather than general involvement. Team captain, student council officer, founder of something. Scholars also commit to a leadership formation program, including a specific Discover Chicago course in their first quarter.
Do interviews really matter?
For the Ryan Family, Mazza, Canning and Beeson awards, yes. All four select semi-finalists and then interview. These are not academic-credential competitions. Every one of them weighs leadership, social justice commitment and financial need alongside grades, and several set the GPA floor at 2.7. A student with a modest transcript and a real story has a genuine shot here in a way they would not at a stats-driven flagship.
Can my student apply for a donor award and still get the academic scholarship?
Yes. The academic tier is awarded automatically at admission with no application. The donor award is a separate process, and DePaul says the two can be combined. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder are useful for pulling the leadership and service narrative together before your student writes.
Is DePaul a Stamps or QuestBridge partner?
No to both.
🧠 Parent Strategy: DePaul’s money does not stop at freshman year
Here is the mistake that costs DePaul families the most over four years. Once the admission letter arrives and the scholarship is set, most students stop looking. But DePaul’s individual colleges run their own scholarship application windows every single year inside
Scholarship Connect, and they open and close at different times with no university-wide announcement.
Have your student complete the General Application in Scholarship Connect. It has to be redone each academic year after July 15.
Check the college-specific window for their major. The College of Communication, for example, runs a window from late August into late September. Other colleges run theirs at completely different times.
File the FAFSA every year. A surprising number of these departmental awards screen on demonstrated need even when they are not labeled need-based.
Save confirmations after every submission.
Parent translation: the freshman award is the floor, not the ceiling. Families who work Scholarship Connect every year routinely add a few thousand dollars annually that their classmates never see.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These are the awards that do not show up in the admission packet. Some are need-based, some are cohort programs, some are military. Most of them stack with merit, and several are open to students who are already enrolled.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
DePaul Grant
📅 Deadline: As early as possible after FAFSA opens (funding is limited) · 📢 Results: Included in the initial or updated financial aid offer. ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000–$20,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Can be combined with federal, state, and institutional scholarships; recalculated annually based on updated FAFSA data and continued eligibility.
💡
Strategic Detail
Grant amounts vary widely and depend on cost of attendance, EFC, and other aid received; not a merit scholarship but a core component of many students’ aid packages.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Undergraduates who demonstrate financial need according to DePaul’s and federal need-analysis formulas.
Full TuitionApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Army ROTC Scholarships
📅 Deadline: High school national boards typically run Oct–Jan; campus-based scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis. ✓ Renews (2 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
Army ROTC tuition or room-and-board scholarship with book allowance and stipend
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Scholarships may cover full tuition and fees or provide up to about $20,000 per year toward room and board, plus approximately $1,200 per year for books and a monthly stipend; DePaul coordinates ROTC funding with institutional aid so total support does not exceed cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for the national four-year Army ROTC scholarship as a high school senior or for campus-based 2–3 year scholarships after enrolling; list DePaul or the associated host battalion, meet Army academic, medical, and fitness requirements, and sign an ROTC contract.
Selection criteria: National/campus boards assess academics, leadership, potential for officership, and physical fitness.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul participates in a cross-town Army ROTC program, and its site outlines tuition, room-and-board, book, and stipend benefits for scholarship cadets.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who commit to commissioning as Army officers, meet academic and fitness standards, and are selected by national or campus-based ROTC boards.
Full TuitionApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Air Force ROTC Scholarships
📅 Deadline: National AFROTC scholarship deadlines typically fall between December and February; in-college awards are offered on a rolling basis. ✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
AFROTC tuition scholarship with room-and-board options, book allowance, and stipend
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Type 1 scholarships cover full tuition and fees; Type 2 cover up to about $18,000 per year toward tuition, plus book allowance and monthly stipend; DePaul packages institutional aid around AFROTC awards within cost-of-attendance rules.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for national Air Force ROTC High School Scholarship Program (Types 1, 2, or 7) through AFROTC, listing DePaul via its cross-town detachment; or pursue in-college AFROTC scholarships by enrolling in the detachment and meeting academic and fitness criteria.
Selection criteria: AFROTC boards rank candidates based on academics, leadership, and fitness; DePaul manages financial packaging.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
DePaul participates in an AFROTC cross-town arrangement, so students attend military science courses at the host university while earning their DePaul degree.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: High-caliber AFROTC cadets with strong academics, leadership traits, and physical fitness, often in STEM majors.
Scholarship awards typically fall between $5,000 and $10,000 per year, renewable with continued leadership, service, and academic progress; may stack with other DePaul scholarships within tuition limits.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect as an incoming freshman, submitting essays and documentation of community leadership and service; complete the FAFSA if financial need is part of the selection criteria.
Selection criteria: Emphasis on leadership, community engagement, and financial need.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Named for former DePaul and NBA player Bobby Simmons, this scholarship supports students who show the promise to be ‘rising stars’ in their communities; exact amount and criteria are confirmed in the annual Scholarship Connect posting.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-year students from Chicago-area communities with notable leadership, community involvement, and financial need, reflecting the donor’s focus on uplifting local youth.
App Required⚠ Sophomore Only
Vincentian Service Scholars
📅 Deadline: Feb 15 (Scholarship Connect) ✓ Renews (3 yrs)
$6,000–$8,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.7+ GPA🎓 SophomoreOpen to current DePaul students who will have sophomore standing in the coming year. Requires a minimum 2.7 GPA and documented financial need through the FAFSA or FAFSA equivalent. Open to all majors.
✚
Stacking & Combining
Typically $6,000 to $8,000 per year and stackable with a student's existing DePaul academic scholarship, subject to overall aid limits. Renewable for up to three consecutive years as long as the student stays in good academic standing and keeps participating in the Vincentian Service program.
📄
How to Apply
This is not a freshman award. Students apply during their first year at DePaul, for funding that begins sophomore year. Apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect at depaul.academicworks.com by February 15, complete the General Application first, and submit essays on service and social justice plus any requested recommendations. Applicants must also complete a service engagement experience through the Division of Mission and Ministry, which can be finished after the application is submitted but before the start of Spring Quarter.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of service history, commitment to social justice, leadership potential, and mission fit.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
Vincentian Service Scholars is a sophomore-entry cohort program, not a freshman award. Scholars join a structured cohort focused on service, spirituality, and Vincentian leadership. Funding levels and cohort size vary by year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Current DePaul first-year students with a real record of community service and social justice engagement who also demonstrate financial need. Because it is awarded after a student is already on campus, the students who win it are usually the ones who got involved with Mission and Ministry during freshman year rather than waiting.
App Required
Ralph P. Pechanio Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Feb 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Provides approximately $5,000 per year and can be renewed for up to four years, stacking with academic scholarships and grants within DePaul’s overall aid and tuition policies.
📄
How to Apply
Apply through DePaul Scholarship Connect as a first-generation male student, providing information about academic record, financial need, and personal background; file the FAFSA to document need.
Selection criteria: Focus on first-generation status, financial need, and academic potential.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
The Pechanio Scholarship is one of several endowed awards administered by Student Affairs and Financial Aid to support first-generation and underrepresented students.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
First-generation male students at DePaul with financial need and strong academic promise.
Data last verified Nov 26, 2025.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Do not sleep on the DePaul Grant.
It is not glamorous and it has no name attached to it, but institutional need-based grant money at DePaul runs from about $1,000 up to $20,000 a year and it is recalculated annually from your updated FAFSA. Roughly seventy percent of first-year students receive need-based aid. The only thing standing between many families and this money is filing the FAFSA early, because institutional funds are limited and awarded as applications come in.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
Can these stack with my student’s academic scholarship?
Generally yes, and that is the whole point of this section. The DePaul Grant, the ROTC awards, and the endowed and cohort scholarships are all designed to layer on top of merit rather than replace it, subject to DePaul’s overall cost-of-attendance ceiling. Always read the award letter, since that is the document that governs.
Why is Vincentian Service Scholars listed here instead of with the freshman awards?
Because it is not a freshman award, and this trips up a lot of families. Students apply during their first year at DePaul for funding that begins sophomore year, with a February 15 deadline in Scholarship Connect, a 2.7 GPA minimum, documented financial need, and a service engagement requirement completed through the Division of Mission and Ministry. It renews for up to three years. If your student cares about service and social justice, the move is to get involved with Mission and Ministry in the fall of freshman year, not to wait until the application opens.
How does ROTC work at DePaul?
DePaul runs cross-town arrangements for both Army and Air Force ROTC, meaning your student earns a DePaul degree while taking military science courses at a host detachment. Army scholarships can cover full tuition and fees, or up to about $20,000 a year toward room and board if the student prefers, plus roughly $1,200 a year for books and a monthly stipend. Air Force Type 1 covers full tuition and fees, Type 2 covers up to about $18,000. National high school boards run roughly October through February, while campus-based awards are more rolling. DePaul coordinates institutional aid around the ROTC money so the total does not exceed cost of attendance.
If there is no deadline listed, when should we check?
Scholarship Connect is the answer for almost everything in this section. February 1 is the anchor date for incoming freshmen, February 15 shows up for several endowed and cohort awards, and continuing-student college windows are scattered across the academic year. Check the portal at the start of each quarter.
Can current DePaul students get these?
Yes, and that is what makes this category worth revisiting. The DePaul Grant, Vincentian Service Scholars, the endowed awards and in-college ROTC scholarships are all available to students already on campus. The General Application in Scholarship Connect is the gate for most of them, and it has to be refiled each year.
Two things to get straight before you read further.
First, DePaul runs an Honors Program, not an Honors College. The distinction matters because at a lot of schools “Honors College” is where the biggest scholarships live. Second, and more importantly for your budget: DePaul Honors does not carry its own scholarship money. There is no Honors award, no Honors stipend, no separate funding pool. Admission to Honors is an academic decision, not a financial one.
That is not a knock on the program. It is genuinely good, and for the right student it changes the whole experience. The
DePaul Honors Program
replaces the standard general education curriculum with an Honors liberal studies curriculum taught in small seminars by faculty who chose to teach in it. The pitch DePaul makes is the personalized feel of a small liberal arts college attached to the resources of a large urban university, and that is a fair description of what it delivers. It also requires facility in a second language and independent research, which is a real commitment.
Apply after admission, not with it. Your student must be accepted to DePaul before they can apply to Honors.
Apply fast. DePaul encourages applying within two weeks of the acceptance letter. Space is limited and this is the part families miss.
Final deadline: April 15 for all students, including Music and Theatre.
Transfer students: November 1 for Winter Quarter admits, June 1 for Autumn Quarter admits.
The invitation you might already have. Some students are invited to apply to Honors in their admission packet. If that letter arrives, treat it as a two-week clock, not a compliment to file away.
Honors-adjacent programs worth knowing
Pathways Honors (pre-health)
Run by the College of Science and Health for students on a pre-health track, and it operates separately from the University Honors Program.
Entry is usually by invitation included in the acceptance packet. Academically motivated CSH admits are considered automatically.
Strong candidates typically show a cumulative high school GPA around 3.8 or higher, an ACT near 27 or an SAT near 1250 if scores are submitted.
Transfer students can enter through a midpoint application that generally opens in May, though transfers are not eligible for the accelerated 3+ options.
Honors Program FAQs (DePaul University)
Does Honors come with a scholarship?
No. This is the single most important thing on this page and the most common misunderstanding. Your student’s DePaul scholarship is determined by their admission file, entirely independently of Honors. Getting into Honors will not increase it, and skipping Honors will not reduce it.
Then why bother?
Small seminar classes, faculty who opted in, a defined scholarly community, required independent research, and a second-language requirement that opens doors for graduate school and fellowships. For a student who wants to be pushed and who plans on graduate or professional school, it is worth doing. For a student who is already stretched, it is a genuine added workload and it is fine to say no.
Is Honors admission automatic for high stats?
No. Your student must submit a separate application after being accepted to DePaul, and space in the program is limited. Applying early in the window matters more than most families realize.
Can Music and Theatre students apply?
Yes, with the same April 15 final deadline.
Can transfer students join?
Yes, through the Transfer Honors Program, which DePaul says provides the same benefits. Deadlines run November 1 for Winter admits and June 1 for Autumn admits, and DePaul encourages applying within two weeks of admission because space is limited.
What happens if my student withdraws from Honors later?
There is a curricular wrinkle worth knowing. Because Honors replaces the standard liberal studies sequence, a student who leaves Honors after completing certain Honors courses may need to backfill a standard writing requirement. Not a crisis, but worth a conversation with an advisor rather than a surprise in junior year.
DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the country and the largest private university in the Midwest, and it has spent 128 years being unapologetically practical about what a degree is for. This is not a school that sells prestige. It sells access to Chicago, and it does that better than almost anyone, because both campuses sit inside the city rather than an hour outside it. Lincoln Park for most undergraduate life, the Loop for business and law, connected by the CTA.
Nationally Known Program: The Theatre School is the one most families do not realize DePaul has. Founded in 1925, it is among the oldest conservatory theatre programs in the country, it trains actors, designers, technicians and stage managers in a genuine conservatory model, and its alumni show up constantly in film and television. It also runs on its own rules: separate application, audition or interview, December 1 for Acting and Stage Management and February 1 for everything else, no Early Action, and a completely different scholarship track based on talent rather than transcript.
Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media: the sleeper strength here. Game design, animation, film and television, and computing all live under one roof, in a city with a real production industry. Animation and Film and Television applicants submit additional creative materials with the application, so plan for that.
Driehaus College of Business: one of the oldest business schools in the country, sitting in the Loop, with an accountancy program that has fed Chicago’s firms for generations. The location is not decoration. It is why the internship pipeline works.
School of Music: a conservatory with its own audition process, its own December 1 deadline, and its own award structure. Like Theatre, admits here are outside the academic scholarship system entirely.
College of Law and public service: DePaul Law has a long track record placing graduates across Chicago, and the university’s Vincentian mission shows up in a genuinely deep set of community engagement, service and social justice programs. This is not a brochure line at DePaul. Several of the largest scholarships on this page require a documented service record.
Communications and health sciences: both draw large numbers of undergraduates with clear career pipelines, and the College of Science and Health runs the Pathways Honors track for pre-health students described in the previous section.
Where this intersects with money.
If your student is aiming at Music or Theatre, throw out the merit range on this page and start over with the talent award. Different tuition rate, different deadline, different scholarship, no Early Action. Every other major at DePaul runs through the academic scholarship system described above.
🔗 Official DePaul University Links
Every link below was checked against DePaul’s live site while this page was written. Use these for final deadlines, award terms, and official figures, because scholarship details do change between cycles and the university’s own pages are the only authority that counts.
DePaul rewards a different kind of student than the merit-grid schools do. If your kid is a test-taker with a 34 and a 4.0, there are places that will simply hand them more money. But if your kid has a strong transcript, a real record of showing up for their community, and a test score that does not quite match the rest of the file, DePaul is one of the few large private universities that will actually read the whole application and pay accordingly. Test-optional here means test-optional for the money too, and that is rarer than it should be.
The floor is generous. Every admitted freshman outside Music and Theatre gets at least $14,000 a year, and the average family pays roughly forty percent under sticker. The ceiling takes work: one shot at one donor scholarship, chosen carefully on eligibility rather than on the biggest dollar sign, plus a Scholarship Connect habit that most families abandon after freshman year.
Three things to actually do. Apply by November 15, because Early Action drives everything downstream. Look hard at whether the geography-based awards apply to your family, since Chicago Promise, Catholic Heritage and the Big Shoulders awards can be worth $80,000 and your zip code either qualifies or it does not. And if your student is heading toward Theatre or Music, start that conversation now on a separate track, because almost nothing on this page applies to them.
Was this helpful? Share it with another parent who’s comparing college costs!
Your kid did everything right. That does not mean the money follows.
Most families build a college list first and think about scholarships second, which is backwards. This free four-part series shows you where the money actually comes from, and how to build a list around it.
After the series, about once a month, sometimes twice during application season. No drip funnels, no affiliate pitches, and we never sell your information. Unsubscribe anytime.
Leo Dimilo
Leo writes CollegeReadyParent to help families figure out what college actually costs and where the money really is, in plain English and without the sales pitch. He reads the fine print so you do not have to. More about Leo →
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
