Navigating West Virginia Scholarships: A Guide to Eligibility and Opportunities
For students in West Virginia, numerous scholarship opportunities exist to make education more accessible and affordable. Understanding the eligibility requirements and application processes for these scholarships is crucial for maximizing your chances of receiving financial aid. This article provides an overview of various scholarships available in West Virginia, outlining their eligibility criteria and application procedures.
West Virginia Higher Education Grant
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant is a need-based financial aid program. It is designed to ensure that West Virginia students with financial need have the opportunity to pursue a college education.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a West Virginia Higher Education Grant, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States.
- Be a West Virginia resident for at least 12 months prior to the date of application.
- Be a high school graduate or have earned a General Education Development (GED) diploma.
- Demonstrate an established level of financial need.
- Demonstrate academic promise.
- Enroll at a participating institution as a full-time undergraduate student.
- Not have previously earned a bachelor's degree.
Award Amounts and Renewal
Award amounts are based on demonstrated financial need and may be used in conjunction with other forms of state, federal, and institutional financial aid. Awards may vary from year to year and are contingent upon annual funding by the WV State legislature.
The grant may be renewed until the student’s course of study is completed but may not exceed an additional three academic years beyond the initial award. Renewal consideration will be based on meeting satisfactory academic progress, filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and demonstrating financial need.
Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide
Application Process
To apply, students must file the FAFSA as soon as possible and no later than April 15th of the year for which they plan to enroll in school.
West Virginia Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student Grant (HEAPS)
The WV HEAPS grant encourages West Virginia students to continue their education on a part-time level. For students enrolled part time at APUS, the award is based upon the average per credit hour tuition and required fees charged. Total aid, including a HEAPS award, may not exceed the recipient’s total cost of attendance.
Recipients are selected each year by institutions based on the student’s eligibility and the availability of funds. Awards will be made on a first come, first served basis. Students will be made aware of their award through the school.
The WV HEAPS grant award can be renewed until the program of study is completed but cannot exceed an additional nine years beyond the first year of the award. Renewal consideration will be based on meeting satisfactory academic progress, filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), demonstrating financial need, and completing an institutional application.
Awards are contingent upon annual funding of the program by the West Virginia State Legislature.
Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a West Virginia resident for at least 12 months prior to applying
- Be a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States
- Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at StudentAid.gov/FAFSA
- Have a high school diploma, TASC (formerly GED) or high school equivalent
- Demonstrate financial need as verified through submission of the FAFSA
- Not be in default on a higher education loan
- Not be incarcerated in a correctional facility
- Be in compliance with all Standards of Academic Progress
To apply, and for priority consideration, students must file the FAFSA for the award year during which they plan to enroll.
The Hope Scholarship Program
The Hope Scholarship Program provides funds for eligible students to pursue educational opportunities outside of the traditional public school system.
Eligibility Requirements
Enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school in West Virginia for at least 45 consecutive calendar days during the current instructional term at the time of application.
General Information
The Hope Scholarship amount will vary annually depending on the amount of state aid funding per pupil provided to county boards of education for public school students. The scholarship amount is $5,267.38 for the 2025-2026 school year.
New applications for the Hope Scholarship Program can be submitted from March 1 to June 15 annually to be eligible for 100% of scholarship funds.
Read also: Scholarship Guide
If your child decides to return to public school, he or she can no longer participate in the Hope Scholarship Program. Any remaining funds in your child’s Hope Scholarship account within the Hope Scholarship online portal will be returned to the state.
If your child is no longer a resident of West Virginia, he or she can no longer participate in the Hope Scholarship Program because they no longer meet the statutory eligibility requirements.
Yes, your child may participate in the Hope Scholarship Program. However, participation in the Program releases the public school system of the County from its obligation to provide the student with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
A child cannot remain enrolled full-time in a public elementary or secondary school program and receive the Hope Scholarship at the same time. If a child is accepted into the Hope Scholarship Program, they can no longer be enrolled full-time in West Virginia public school.
If a student is currently enrolled in a private school or was enrolled full time in a private school the previous academic year, the student is not eligible to apply as a new applicant for the Hope Scholarship Program. However, the student could become eligible by enrolling full time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days at the time of application.
If a student is currently being home schooled, the student is not eligible to apply as a new applicant for the Hope Scholarship Program. However, the student could become eligible by enrolling full time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days at the time of application.
Because the participation rate of the combined number of students in the Hope Scholarship Program and students eligible who applied to participate in the Hope Scholarship program as of July 1, 2024, was less than five percent of net public school enrollment adjusted for state aid purposes for the previous school year, effective July 1, 2026, all West Virginia students will be eligible to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program.
Once a student graduates from a high school program, he or she is not eligible for the Hope Scholarship.
An appeal for ineligibility may be submitted directly in the online Hope Scholarship portal within 45 days of being found ineligible for the Program.
Once you have received the notice finding your child eligible for the Hope Scholarship, you may withdraw your child from public school. However, it is important to note that your Hope Scholarship exemption from compulsory attendance does not go into effect until the start of the 2025-2026 school year. If you withdraw from public school for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year, your child must fall under another exemption from the State’s compulsory attendance requirements, such as traditional homeschool or private school, for the rest of the 2024-25 year.
Your student’s application will remain in the status of “Eligible” in the Hope Scholarship online portal until the Hope Scholarship Board staff have confirmed your student’s statutorily required Notice of Intent is on file with the county board of education. Checks for compliance with the Notice of Intent requirement will be performed monthly and student application statuses will be updated to Approved in batches throughout the summer, starting in July.
County boards of education do not have access to the Hope Scholarship online portal and are unable to see a student’s current application status.
The fact that your child attended a private Pre-K program does not impact Hope Scholarship eligibility.
Your child is not eligible for the Hope Scholarship until a county board of education has determined that your child qualifies for early entrance under the county’s early kindergarten entrance process. Please wait until you have documentation from the public school indicating that your child has been deemed eligible for early kindergarten entrance before submitting a Hope Scholarship application. When submitting your application, please include the early entrance documentation when uploading the other required application documentation. The early entrance documentation will be needed to override the standard eligibility determination based on your child’s date of birth being after the July 1st cutoff for kindergarten.
No, your child is not currently eligible for the Hope Scholarship Program.
If you do not know your child’s WVEIS ID# or know that your child does not yet have one, please complete the WVEIS ID# Request Form to obtain your student’s WVEIS ID# from the county board of education.
At the point your child was moved back to a Pre-K program, your child was no longer statutorily eligible for the Hope Scholarship Program for the current school year. Any Hope Scholarship funds spent for services rendered after that date must be returned to the State.
No, transitional kindergarten is considered a Pre-K program and Hope Scholarship funds cannot be spent on Pre-K. Hope Scholarship funds are only eligible to be spent on qualifying expenses for grades Kindergarten through Twelve.
Yes, pursuant to an interpretation by the West Virginia Attorney General, your child may also pursue nonpublic and/or homeschool educational options at the same time they are enrolled full-time in a West Virginia public education program. This practice is commonly referred to as dual enrollment.
No, we are unable to pause counting the 45-days when the current instructional term ends.
Yes, during the public enrollment period, students cannot have unexcused absences that exceed the threshold to be considered chronically absent, which is ten percent of the calendar days enrolled in the public school. This 90% attendance rate must be maintained during the entire period that the student is enrolled in public school - the original 45-days to meet the minimum requirement and the period of time while the student’s Hope Scholarship application is being processed.
Students who become eligible for the Hope Scholarship under the 45-day rule should apply in the online portal after they have completed all 45 days in public school. Parents should not submit the application until they are confident the 45 days have been completed, as early submission will result in a denial of the application since the student won’t yet have met the eligibility criteria for the Hope Scholarship Program.
To withdraw from the public charter school to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program, you must submit a copy of the Notice of Intent form to the public charter school in addition to the county superintendent of your county of residence.
If you wish to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program, you will only need to submit a Notice of Intent to participate in Hope Scholarship to your local county superintendent.
Existing Hope Scholarship students wishing to continue participation in the program for the 2025-2026 year will be able to complete the continued participation confirmation process from January 3, 2025 to June 15, 2025. Applications for new students will open on March 1, 2025.
WVU Scholarships
West Virginia University (WVU) offers a variety of scholarships to students based on academic merit, leadership, and other criteria.
Merit Scholarships
WVU automatically reviews your admissions application for merit scholarships. Most merit scholarships don’t require a separate application. First-time freshmen must be admitted by August 1 to be considered for merit scholarships. After you’re admitted, you may submit an updated GPA or test score through August 1.
Climb Higher Scholarship
The Climb Higher Scholarship levels are based on high school GPA alone. The highest level also considers ACT or SAT scores.
- Level 1 (3.8+ GPA and ACT ≥30 or SAT ≥1360): \$5,000 (In-State), \$17,000 (Out-of-State)
- Level 2 (3.8+ GPA): \$3,500 (In-State), \$14,000 (Out-of-State)
- Level 3 (3.5-3.79 GPA): \$2,500 (In-State), \$11,000 (Out-of-State)
- Level 4 (3.0-3.49 GPA): \$1,500 (In-State), \$8,000 (Out-of-State)
WVU rounds high school GPAs to the second decimal point (e.g., 4.195 is rounded up to 4.2 while 4.19 stays at 4.19).
Other WVU Scholarships
- Leadership Scholarships: Requires a separate application. Offered to students who’ve achieved the highest levels of honor or leadership within certain nationally acclaimed organizations (4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.).
- Departmental or College Scholarships: May require a separate application. Many WVU academic units offer scholarships to students in certain majors.
External Scholarships
You should also investigate other scholarship sources to help fund your education.
Other West Virginia Scholarship Programs
- West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship: A merit-based, renewable scholarship for students in West Virginia who achieve certain academic requirements. Requirements: Maintain a 2.75 GPA the first year and a 3.0 GPA in subsequent years, complete and earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in each 12-month period for a student who receives a two-semester award in an academic year. If a student receives a single-semester award, the student must complete and earn a minimum of 15 credit hours in an academic year.
- Choose West Virginia Practice Program: A tuition waiver program for medical students who are nonresidents. It encourages students to attend one of the schools listed above and to maintain a good academic and professional standing. Amount: Tuition waiver for the differential between in-state and out of state tuition (approx.
- West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program: Provides scholarships for students enrolled in an accredited West Virginia nursing program. Students will receive scholarship awards in exchange for completing a service obligation in the state.
- West Virginia Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship Program: Encourages students with exceptional academic achievements to pursue STEM-related careers.
- Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program: Provides funding to future teachers and requires students to communicate regularly with an assigned teacher mentor.
- James T. and Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation Scholarship: Helps fund up to 97% of tuition.
- KASF Scholarship for Descendants of American Korean War Veterans: Created to honor and recognize 1.6 million American Veterans who served in the Korean War during the Korean War era.
- ASM Global Stars Scholarship Program: Reflects the commitment to providing diverse and under-resourced communities with educational and career development opportunities through scholarship awards and prospective internships. Requirements: Must be a high school senior or current undergraduate, female or minority, demonstrate financial need, minimum GPA of 2.5, enrolled in full time undergraduate or vocational study, pursuing a degree in: Business/International Business, Hospitality/Entertainment/Sports Management, Culinary Arts, Communications/Public Relations/Digital Media, Information Technology, or Graphic Design
- West Virginia Invests Grant: Covers select certificate and associate degree programs at a two- or four-year institution in West Virginia. Students can rest easy knowing the full cost of basic tuition and fees are taken care of with the West Virginia Invests Grant.
- The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation: Provides more than 100 statewide scholarships, just a portion of the 500+ funds they administer.
WVU Tech Scholarships
WVU Tech offers a variety of scholarships to current, qualifying students. Some are automatically awarded. Students need to complete only one application once. Here are some of them:
- Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences Scholarship. For undergraduate students enrolled in the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences at WVU Tech. Recipients will demonstrate academic promise and financial need.
- Leonard R. Fong in Nursing. For students majoring in Nursing.
- Sterl F. Carrigan Memorial Scholarship. For full-time students majoring in Business Management or Sport Management majors. GPA of 2.0.
- Civil Engineering Alumni Scholarship. For West Virginia residents majoring in Civil Engineering. GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate financial need to receive this award.
- H.M. and S.T. Skaggs Scholarship. For West Virginia residents majoring in Civil Engineering.
- Dr. S.A. and Oma A. Ford Scholarship. For students majoring in Chemical Engineering and demonstrate good academic standing to receive this award.
- James F. and Anna Mae Martin Scholarship. For students majoring in Mathematics.
- Leonard R. and Nellie M. Meredith Scholarship. For students majoring in Engineering in the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences.
- Russell F. and Virginia P. Morris Scholarship. For rising seniors majoring in Chemical Engineering.
- J.A.B. and Helen Wood Poffenbarger Scholarship. For students majoring in Nursing.
- Dr. Dana R. and Ethel R. Eckel Scholarship. ACT score of 18 or higher.
- E.E. Jones & Jessie R. McDonnell Scholarship. For students who are enrolled full-time. majoring in Engineering, Computer Science or Nursing.
- Otis K. and Marjorie A. Rice Scholarship. For West Virginia residents. GPA of 3.0.
- Dale C. and Juanita Skaggs Scholarship. For students enrolled in an engineering program.
tags: #scholarships #West #Virginia #eligibility #requirements
