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Diversity Scholarship

The 2024-2025 Diversity Scholarship application is now open! Students will not receive a determination on this application until March 2024. Students should complete their 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to avoid delays in their scholarship application. Visit our Completing the FAFSA webpage for additional information. The deadline to apply for the Diversity Scholarship for the current 2023-2024 academic year has passed.


West Virginia University strives to advocate for an inclusive, diverse, and accepting community. In addition to our current scholarship programs, we are pleased to offer incoming first-time freshmen for all WVU campuses the opportunity to apply for our Diversity Scholarship. This program is designed to award exceptional and talented students who have been traditionally underrepresented on college campuses, and who are culturally, ethnically, or racially diverse. Eligible students include:

  • Students of color – students who identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native American or Other Pacific Islander, Hispanic and/or Latinx, and/or multiple of the aforementioned racial identities
  • Low-income students – students whose Student Aid Index (SAI) is less than their Cost of Attendance
  • First-generation students – students whose parent(s) or guardian(s) have not completed a four-year degree. For more information, please visit the Student Success website.
  • Nontraditional students – students over the age of 23 and/or students who graduated from high school five or more years ago. For more information, please visit the WVU Admissions website.


Program Requirements and Application

Funding for this scholarship is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Students should take action to meet the requirements as early as possible. For information about other scholarship programs, please visit our Scholarships webpage.

For consideration, students must:

  1. Have a minimum high school GPA of 3.00.
  2. Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  3. Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to WVU. The priority deadline is April 1 for the upcoming academic year.
  4. Be admitted to one of WVU's campuses as a first-time freshman by June 1 at 4:45 pm Eastern for the upcoming academic year. Starting with incoming first-time freshmen for the fall 2022 semester, students may receive this scholarship while attending WVU at Beckley, Keyser, or Morgantown.
    1. Please note 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.
  5. Meet the eligible student criteria.
  6. Submit the WVU Diversity Scholarship Application by June 1 for the upcoming academic year.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee every two weeks beginning in early March. Applications submitted in January and February will not be reviewed until early March. The selection committee will review submissions on a bi-monthly basis until June 1 or until funding has been awarded (whichever comes first).

Students missing any of the above-listed deadlines will not be reviewed. Students also must be enrolled full-time to receive this scholarship. See the Additional Information section for further criteria.

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Scholarship Values: Residents of West Virginia

Scholarship values differ depending on the campus and will be adjusted accordingly as students change campuses within the WVU system.

The following amounts are per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor’s degree – whichever comes first.

  • Morgantown: $1,500
  • Beckley: $1,350
  • Keyser (bachelor's degree): $1,000

The following amounts are per year for up to two undergraduate years or completion of an associate degree – whichever comes first.

  • Keyser (associate degree): $800

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Scholarship Values: Non-Residents of West Virginia

Scholarship values differ depending on the campus and will be adjusted accordingly as students change campuses within the WVU system. Non-resident students receiving this scholarship who change to in-state tuition rates through programs such as Ohio Tuition Reciprocity or National Guard assessment (or who change to in-state tuition rates through any other program) will be eligible for the residents of West Virginia scholarship values.

The following amounts are per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor’s degree – whichever comes first.

  • Morgantown: $2,500
  • Beckley: $1,900
  • Keyser (bachelor's degree): $1,300 or $1,200 if the student qualifies for the Metro rate

The following amounts are per year for up to two undergraduate years or completion of an associate degree – whichever comes first.

  • Keyser (associate degree): $1,150 or $1,000 if the student qualifies for the Metro rate

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Renewal Requirements

As long as students continue to meet the renewal requirements, the Diversity Scholarship can be received 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 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.

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must:

  • Maintain a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75
  • Earn at least 30 credit hours each academic year

See our Renewal Requirements webpage for additional important information such as how repeated coursework can impact renewal.

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Additional Information

  • Applications are reviewed by a selection committee on a bimonthly basis. Diversity scholarships are limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If the funding has been awarded, please note that not all students meeting the eligible student criteria will be offered the scholarship. For information about other scholarship programs, please visit our Scholarships webpage.
  • Students will be notified of the status or result of their application through their MIX email (via their WVU Portal) within two weeks of their submission after the committee has had time to review. Applications will begin being reviewed in March.
  • Incoming students starting fall of 2021 and beyond who are pursuing an online program are not eligible for this or other institutional scholarships. Students who are incoming freshmen for the fall 2021 semester and beyond and are enrolled in an on-campus program who then enroll in an online program will lose their institutional scholarship. Please note that in order for a program to be considered an online program, it must be administered entirely online. Registering for an online course will not impact your institutional scholarships.
  • Diversity scholarships may not be used for summer school.
  • Diversity scholarships usually may be used in addition to other WVU-offered scholarships.
  • Students who are not residents of West Virginia who have their tuition adjusted to pay in-state rates by changing to resident status or receiving in-state tuition rates through certain programs may have their Diversity Scholarship adjusted accordingly.

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