WVU Guarantee
WVU Guarantee is open to undergraduate students across the WVU System who are West Virginia residents, have a family AGI of $65,000 or less and annually complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Current WVU Guarantee information and values pertain to eligible students beginning for the fall 2025 semester. Students for fall 2026 and beyond may have different criteria or values.
Page Navigation
- How to Apply & Deadlines
- Eligibility
- Enrollment Requirements
- Value (includes calculation examples)
- Renewal Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can this offer be adjusted?
- Is the adjusted gross income (AGI) a factor in renewal?
- If a student loses the funding due to not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), can they appeal to get it back?
- How can students submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
- Are costs for Winter Intersession, Maymester, or summer semesters covered?
- What if my FAFSA does not accurately reflect my financial need or my circumstances have changed?
- If a student qualifies for WV Invests at PSC, which program would be offered first?
- Are there any post-graduation residency requirements?
- Are Resident Assistance (RA) waiver or Army Room Funds used to calculate the value of the WVU Guarantee?
How to Apply & Deadlines
Incoming and current undergraduate students for the fall 2025 semester who meet the eligibility criteria by August 1, 2025 will be reviewed automatically based on their WVU admission and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information.
Eligibility
Students who meet all of the following criteria by the deadline will be automatically considered. Students must:
- Be admitted as a WV resident
- Non-resident students who change to in-state tuition rates (resident-equivalent) through programs such as Ohio Tuition Reciprocity or National Guard assessment, or who change to in-state tuition rates through any other program, are not eligible.
- Be admitted as a degree-seeking undergraduate (associate or bachelor's degree)
student for the fall 2025 semester
- Have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree
- Be admitted to the Morgantown, Beckley, or Keyser campus (please note WVU Online students are not eligible)
- Have submitted a valid 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
and have a household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $65,000 or less as reported
on the
tax year required for the FAFSA
- Dependent student eligibility will be based on the AGI of parent contributors required on the FAFSA. The student’s AGI will not be utilized
- Independent student eligibility will be based on the AGI of the student and other contributor (spousal)
- Have remaining applicable covered costs not covered by other scholarships and grants
Enrollment Requirements
The WVU Guarantee requires that recipients be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours for undergraduate students) in degree-pursuant coursework each semester. If a student is in their last semester before graduating and enrolled part-time, funding may be prorated for less than full-time degree pursuant hours.
Value
This is a last-dollar-in program, meaning the dollar amount will be determined by how much the student owes for University Tuition, University Fees, and College Tuition charges after scholarships and grants such as the Federal Pell Grant , the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, the WV Promise Scholarship, and other institutional scholarships pay toward their University Tuition, University Fees, and College Tuition for the fall and spring semesters.
Billable costs that are program-specific and/or are charged in addition to standard University fees are not covered. This would include charges such as meal plans, residence halls, lab fees, music lesson fees, Online Learning Student Support fees, New Student Orientation fee, First Day Complete course materials program, textbooks, materials and instruments, computer costs, and student health insurance. However, other aid may be available to assist with these expenses. Submitting your FAFSA will ensure you are considered for other financial aid such as grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study, and federal loans.
Value Calculation Examples
Example One: Student with only grants
| Example Semester Charges: (Actual tuition and fees rates can be found at WVU Tuition website) | |
|---|---|
| University Tuition | $4,500 |
| University Fees | $700 |
| College Tuition | $300 |
| Tuition & Fees Due: | $5,500 |
| Example Gift Aid by Semester: | |
|---|---|
| Pell Grant | $3,697 |
| Total Gift Aid by Semester: | $3,697 |
|
Example Value of WVU Guarantee:
($5,500 due minus $3,697 total gift aid) |
$1,803 |
This student could be potentially eligible to receive $1,803 per semester, dependent upon meeting all other eligibility requirements.
Example Two: Student with only scholarships
| Example Semester Charges: (Actual tuition and fees rates can be found at WVU Tuition website) | |
|---|---|
| University Tuition | $4,500 |
| University Fees | $700 |
| College Tuition | $300 |
| Tuition & Fees Due: | $5,500 |
| Example Gift Aid by Semester: | |
|---|---|
| Promise Scholarship | $2,750 |
| Climb Higher Scholarship | $1,750 |
| Total Gift Aid by Semester: | $4,500 |
|
Example Value of WVU Guarantee:
($5,500 due minus $4,500 total gift aid) |
$1,000 |
This student could be potentially eligible to receive $1,000 per semester, dependent upon meeting all other eligibility requirements.
Example Three: Student with grants and scholarships
| Example Semester Charges: (Actual tuition and fees rates can be found at WVU Tuition website) | |
|---|---|
| University Tuition | $4,500 |
| University Fees | $700 |
| College Tuition | $300 |
| Tuition & Fees Due: | $5,500 |
| Example Gift Aid by Semester: | |
|---|---|
| Promise Scholarship | $2,750 |
| WV Higher Education Grant | $1,650 |
| Pell Grant | $3,697 |
| Total Gift Aid by Semester: | $8,097 |
|
Example Value of WVU Guarantee:
($5,500 due minus $8,097 total gift aid) |
$0 |
This student does not have remaining University Tuition, College Tuition, or University Fee costs not covered by other scholarships and grants to receive the WVU Guarantee. The $2,597 overage may be utilized to cover other costs not covered by the WVU Guarantee such a residence hall and meal plan charges.
Renewal Criteria
Students receiving the WVU Guarantee must meet the following criteria to continue to be eligible for the WVU Guarantee for the 2026-2027 aid year:
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid
- Submit a valid FAFSA by August 1 for the applicable aid year
- Have eligible costs remaining not covered by other aid, as defined by last-dollar-in criteria
- Maintain enrollment requirements
- Be admitted as a WV resident
- Be admitted as a degree-seeking undergraduate student
- Have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree
- Be admitted to the Morgantown, Beckley, or Keyser campus (please note WVU Online students are not eligible)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can the offer be adjusted?
Yes. The WVU Guarantee is a last-dollar-in program, meaning the dollar amount for each student will be determined by how much the student owes for specific billable charges after scholarship and grant programs.
The WVU Guarantee may be adjusted or canceled if:
- Additional financial assistance is received resulting in $0 of University tuition, college tuition, University and fees due after total gift aid
- The initial qualifying AGI reported on the FAFSA is corrected through verification due to federal selection or conflicting information
- The renewal criteria are not met
Review the Can my financial aid offer change? section for other factors that can impact cost and/or aid eligibility.
Is the adjusted gross income (AGI) a factor in renewal?
No. Once a student qualifies, they will remain eligible as long as they meet renewal criteria each academic year.
If a student loses the funding due to not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), can they appeal to get it back?
Yes. Students may complete an SAP appeal for consideration. Please note that other renewal criteria must also be maintained.
How can students submit their FAFSA?
The FAFSA can be completed online via the Federal Student Aid website. To be eligible for the WVU Guarantee, students must complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA by August 1, 2025. Visit our Preparing for the FAFSA webpage to get started.
To renew or be considered for the WVU Guarantee for the 2026-2027 academic year, WVU Guarantee recipients should submit a valid 2026-2027 FAFSA by August 1, 2026.
Are costs for Winter Intersession, Maymester, or summer semesters covered?
No. Only applicable costs for the fall and spring semesters may be covered.
What if my FAFSA does not accurately reflect my financial need or my circumstances have changed?
Sometimes the information students provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no longer accurately reflects their or their family's financial situation. There are certain circumstances where financial aid professionals at the University can review and update the student's FAFSA.
For more information, visit our SAI Calculation Appeal webpage.
If a student qualifies for WV Invests at PSC, which program would be offered first?
Due to WV Invests program requirements, WVU Guarantee funding would be offered before WV Invests.
Are there any post-graduation residency requirements?
No. There are no post-graduation requirements.
Are Resident Assistant (RA) waiver or Army Room Funds used to calculate the value of the WVU Guarantee?
No. RA waivers and Army Room Funds are for specific charges not covered by the WVU Guarantee, so they are not used to calculate the value of the WVU Guarantee.