Renewal Requirements
To renew institutional scholarships and grants for subsequent academic years, all scholars are required to have a minimum overall 2.75 grade point average (GPA) and earn at least of 30 credit hours during the academic year (fall, spring, and summer).
Please note that students whose first enrollment is the spring semester — or who have deferred their scholarship for one semester — may be reviewed against a 15 earned credit hour requirement for that academic year. Starting with the next academic year, they will return to the normal requirement of 30 earned credit hours per academic year.
The institutional scholarships and grants included are:
- Bucklew Scholarship
- Building Toward Success Scholarship
- Climb Higher Scholarship
- Distinguished Achievement Scholarship
- Foundation Scholarship
- G. Belmont Berry Scholarship
- Go First Scholarship
- Berry Honor Scholarship
- Innovators Scholarship
- International Scholarship
- International Science and Engineering Scholarship
- Leadership Scholarship
- WVU Connection Scholarship/Grant
- University Merit Scholarship
- Valedictorian Scholarship
- WVROX Scholarship
- WVU System Connection Grant
No longer offered to incoming students:
- College of B&E Dean’s Scholarships
- College of Media Dean’s Scholarship
- Davis Dean’s Scholarship
- Diversity Scholarship
- Engineering Excellence Scholarship
- Scholarship of Distinction
- Transfer Scholarship
- WVU Scholarship
Please see the other questions on this page about enrollment, earned hours, repeated coursework, and more.
Note: Some of the information below regarding earned hours, GPA, withdrawing from courses, etc. also applies to Promise Scholarship renewal for WV residents. Visit the Promise Scholarship Renewal website for general requirements and additional information. Renewal information for Promise Scholarship recipients who are also receiving the WVU Pledge Scholarship can be found on our WVU Pledge Scholarship webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I keep my institutional scholarship for future years?
- What is the required GPA for my institutional scholarships?
- How many credit hours do I need to take for my scholarship?
- What counts toward my earned credit hours?
- How does repeating courses impact my earned credit hours?
- Can withdrawing from classes impact my scholarship?
- What else can impact my scholarship eligibility?
- How long can I receive my scholarship if I continue to meet renewal requirements?
- Can I appeal if I lose my institutional scholarship eligibility?
- Can I defer my institutional scholarship?
- How does taking a leave of absence impact my institutional scholarship?
How do I keep my institutional scholarship for future years?
To renew institutional scholarships/grants for subsequent academic years, all scholars are required to have a minimum overall 2.75 grade point average (GPA) by the end of the summer semester and earn at least of 30 credit hours during the academic year (fall, spring, and summer).
Scholarships are reviewed at the end of each spring semester to determine eligibility for the upcoming year. Students who are falling below the standards at the end of the spring semester may use summer classes to make up deficiencies. Those students will be reviewed periodically throughout the summer to see if they are now meeting the renewal requirements. Students must be meeting the standards by the end of the summer semester to renew for the fall semester.
What is the required GPA for my institutional scholarships?
The GPA requirement is a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. An overall GPA includes grades and GPA hours for all WVU courses and accepted transfer courses.
For WV residents who are also receiving the WV Promise Scholarship, please be aware that to retain the Promise Scholarship, students must maintain at least a 2.75 overall GPA. Please visit the Promise Scholarship Renewal website for more information.
How many credit hours do I need to take for my scholarship?
For scholarships to disburse as payment for the semester, students must maintain full-time enrollment (a minimum of 12 credit hours for the semester for undergraduates) for their scholarships to disburse for the semester. If students are graduating at the end of the semester and are enrolled less than full-time, they can submit a Scholarship Exception Request Form for consideration for less than full-time disbursement. More information about Scholarship Exception Requests can be found on our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage. Requests are viewed on an individual basis, and approval is not guaranteed.
Important: Although 12 credit hours is full-time enrollment for disbursement, earning 24 credit hours for fall and spring will put you short of the 30 earned hours requirement for scholarship renewal. If you do not achieve the earned credits during fall and spring, you would need to take summer courses to meet earned hours requirement. If you do not want to take summer courses, you should organize your schedule so you earn at least 30 credit hours during fall and spring.
See "How does repeating courses impact my earned credit hours?" for information on how repeat coursework can impact renewal to ensure that you are keeping repeat coursework in mind when working toward your credit hours for renewal.
What counts toward my earned credit hours?
It's important to understand that taking courses doesn't mean you actually earn credit hours in those courses. Some factors to consider:
- If you withdraw from a course before completing it — usually receiving a 'W' for the course — or receive an 'F' or 'I' for the course (or another grade that does not count as earned credit hours), those courses will not count as earned credit hours for your renewal requirements.
- Repeating courses during the same academic year can also impact your earned credit hours. See "How does repeating courses impact my earned credit hours?" for more information.
- Credits earned prior to the first semester receiving the scholarship do not count toward the earned credit hour requirement but do count toward the overall GPA. Dual enrollment courses taken during high school and credit through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program are two examples of credit that would not be used toward meeting the 30 earned credit hour requirement.
How does repeating courses impact my earned credit hours?
Repeating courses during the same academic year can impact your earned credit hours for renewal. Courses that are repeatable can be counted twice towards meeting the 30 earned credit hours requirement. Review WVU's policy on repeat coursework, and contact your academic advisor with any questions if you are taking or plan to take any repeat coursework during the same academic year to ensure you can still meet the earned credit hour requirement for your scholarship.
Can withdrawing from classes impact my scholarship?
Yes! It may impact your current and future eligibility for the scholarship.
- If you withdraw from any courses for the semester after the add/drop period has passed for the course, you will receive a 'W' for the courses. A 'W' does not count as earned credit hours toward your 30-credit hour requirement for renewal. Make sure you keep this in mind if withdrawing because you may need to add additional courses to achieve your 30 earned hours. You may consider adding courses for spring (if you receive the 'W' for fall), adding mid-semester courses, or taking summer courses.
- If you withdraw from all of your courses for the semester, your aid may be reduced. Aid is paid out with the expectation that you will finish the classes. See our Withdrawing from Courses webpage for the impact on your institutional scholarships/grants if you withdraw from all courses during the semester or unofficially withdraw (such as stopping attendance).
What else can impact my scholarship eligibility?
In addition to not meeting overall GPA and earned hours requirements, withdrawing from classes, and repeating coursework, there are some other circumstances in which your scholarship may change or be canceled.
Changing Campuses
Starting with incoming, first-time students for the fall 2020 semester, the following scholarships are all portable between WVU campuses (Morgantown, Beckley, and Keyser). This means that if you have them on one of our campuses and transfer to another, the scholarship goes with you. The amounts will adjust based on the campus.
- Climb Higher Scholarship
- Go First Scholarship
- Distinguished Achievement Scholarship
- Diversity Scholarship
- International Scholarship
- Leadership Scholarship (no adjustment on the amount)
- Scholarship of Distinction
- Transfer Scholarship
However, all other institutional scholarships/grants cannot be used if you change to another WVU campus. Please be aware that incoming students majoring in online programs of study are not eligible for institutional scholarships. Students beginning in on-campus majors will lose their institutional scholarship eligibility if they switch to an online program of study at any point.
Changing Majors
Certain college scholarships for incoming students may be impacted if you change your program of study.
2023-2024 Information
- The Davis Dean's, College of B&E Dean's, and College of Media Dean's Scholarships are portable between those three colleges only. So, if you change from a program in Davis to a program in the College of Media, you would still be able to receive your Dean's Scholarship.
- For the Engineering Excellence Scholarship, if you change to a major outside of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the scholarship still be canceled.
2024-2025 Information
- For the Innovators Scholarship, if you change to a major outside of the Statler College, Davis College, Chambers College, or the Reed College the scholarship will be canceled.
Changes in Assessment or Residency
If you are receiving a scholarship as a non-resident of West Virginia, your scholarship may be impacted in any circumstance where you are being assessed a reduced tuition rate. This may be through a program such as Ohio Reciprocity or through WVU programs that do not assess full non-resident tuition and fees.
If you receive reduced tuition rates and have the following institutional scholarships/grants:
- Climb Higher Scholarship recipients will see their scholarship canceled.
- Innovators Scholarship recipients will see their scholarship canceled.
- Scholarship of Distinction Level 1 recipients will see their scholarship replaced with a Distinguished Achievement Scholarship of a lower value, due to your reduced educational costs. All other levels of the Scholarship of Distinction will see their scholarship canceled.
- Transfer Scholarship Level 1 recipients will have the amount of their scholarship lowered due to reduced educational costs. All other levels of the scholarship will see their scholarship canceled.
- Excellence and Dean's scholarship recipients will see their scholarship value replaced with amount offered to WV residents.
- WVU System Connection Grants will have their amount reduced to $1500 per academic year.
- WVU Connection Scholarships may be reduced or canceled depending on the original intent of the award.
Changes in Degree Level
For students pursuing a bachelor's degree, institutional scholarship/grant eligibility ends if the student moves on to a graduate-level program.
Values will be adjusted accordingly if students change between associate or bachelor's degree programs. Changing between associate degree programs can also impact how long you may receive the scholarship. Students admitted into a bachelor's degree program may receive this scholarship up to a total of 8 semesters, or until completion of a first bachelor's degree — whichever comes first. Students admitted into an associate degree program may receive this scholarship up to a total of 4 semesters, or until completion of a first associate degree — whichever comes first. If an associate degree student is admitted into a bachelor's degree program, they may then receive any remaining semesters up to a total of eight semesters, or until completion of a first bachelor's degree — whichever comes first.
How long can I receive my scholarship if I continue to meet renewal requirements?
As long as students continue to meet the renewal requirements, most institutional scholarships and grants are for a maximum of eight undergraduate semesters, or completion of a bachelor’s degree — whichever comes first. Scholarships may not be used during graduate school or to pursue a second bachelor’s degree. For some scholarships, other criteria may exist. For example, your college scholarship (from your program of study) may require you to remain in a certain major or in a major within the college.
For students enrolled in an associate degree program at the Keyser campus, scholarships are for a maximum of four undergraduate semesters or completion of an associate degree — whichever comes first. Once admitted into a bachelor’s degree program, they may receive any remaining semesters up to a total of eight or until completion of a bachelor’s degree — whichever comes first.
In most instances, institutional scholarships are not restricted to payment of tuition and fees, but may be used to cover other educational expenses such as housing and food costs, books and supplies, etc.
Can I appeal if I lose my institutional scholarship eligibility?
Academic standards exist for scholarships in the form of their renewal requirements. Students are notified at the end of the spring semester if renewal requirements have not been met, and summer school may be used to attempt to make up earned hours and/or to improve an overall GPA to meet the standards.
Students failing to meet renewal requirements will not have their scholarship renewed and will lose future eligibility. Students not meeting renewal requirements may appeal if they can document extenuating circumstances (such as a family, medical, or personal event which adversely affected their academic performance) by submitting the Scholarship Exception Request Form. More information about Scholarship Exception Requests can be found on our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage. Requests are viewed on an individual basis, and approval is not guaranteed. If approved, please note that semesters in which a student did not receive the scholarship due to not meeting the renewal requirements will still be counted against the maximum number of semesters for the scholarship.
Can I defer my institutional scholarship?
Students may be considered for the deferral of their scholarship for a one-year period for reasons other than attendance at another post-secondary institution. Reasons for deferral may include situations such as military service or a medical issue. Students may submit the Scholarship Exception Request Form for deferral consideration. More information about Scholarship Exception Requests can be found on our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage. Requests must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which the scholarship would begin. Students granted this type of deferral must reapply for admission and financial aid after the deferral period has ended. Students will retain their full award with no penalty if they enroll after the one-year period.
Students who attend another post-secondary institution, except for a WVU-approved study abroad experience, forfeit their institutional scholarships. If admitted later as a returning student at WVU, they may submit the Scholarship Exception Request.
Students participating in a WVU-approved study abroad experience may request to utilize their scholarships if they:
- Complete the Request for Transient Student Financial Aid — available on our Forms webpage
- Supply the WVU Transient Credit Application (which must be completed by the student's academic advisor)
The use of the scholarships must be credit-worthy. If approved, students will receive the same amount as if they were attending WVU. Students must continue to meet all eligibility and renewal requirements.
How does taking a leave of absence impact my institutional scholarship?
Students taking an official, approved leave of absence from the University must also request to defer their scholarship, with appropriate supporting documentation for review. Leaves of absence may be granted from the program for medical reasons and the student provides a written statement from a physician.
For other leave of absence requests, students may submit for consideration the Scholarship Exception Request Form. More information about Scholarship Exception Requests can be found on our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage.
Students must notify the WVU Hub of their intent to enroll at least six weeks prior to returning to WVU. A student on leave of absence may typically have their eligibility extended by one academic year.