Promise Scholarship
The Promise Scholarship is sponsored by the state of West Virginia for West Virginia resident students. It currently pays up to $5,500 per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.
Please review the CFWV Promise Scholarship webpage for current scholarship criteria. Additional details can be found on our Promise FAQs webpage.
To be considered for Promise, first-time freshmen are required to complete the Promise Scholarship application AND submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) via the Federal Student Aid FAFSA website by March 1 for the upcoming academic year. The 2024-2025 deadline has been extended to September 1 due to the delayed FAFSA launch.
Why Should You Use Your Promise to Attend WVU?
Simply put, no other college or university in the state can offer you everything that we can. The Promise Scholarship is a reward for your hard work and academic achievement, and at WVU you can continue to reward yourself by getting the most for your investment. In fact, close to 40% of all Promise recipients choose to attend WVU. Additionally, WVU’s renewal rate for the scholarship from freshman to sophomore level is approximately 84%, while the upper class level renewal rate is 90%. Both of these are above the statewide renewal rates overall for Promise recipients.
WVU offers the ability to make your dreams come true. We offer a vast array of areas of study at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional levels. You can study traditional fields like journalism, engineering, and business or participate in one-of-a-kind majors like biometric systems and forensic identification. Our faculty members are known internationally for their groundbreaking research (earning $150 million in annual grants last year), yet they always have time to answer your questions.
Our tradition of academic excellence has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars so far – you could be the next! Because of the value of our degrees and highly successful alumni, our job placement rate is 100% in many majors.
We know that true education is about more than what goes on in the classroom, so our student-centered focus helps you learn more about yourself and others. WVU’s first year courses, faculty members, and resident assistants guide students through the first year. WVUp All Night provides free food and fun activities every weekend. Our modern Student Recreation Center has 177,000 square feet of weight/fitness equipment; two pools, an elevated jogging track, basketball, volleyball, racquetball courts, a whirlpool that seats 20, and a 50-foot indoor climbing wall. Other great facilities include the Downtown Library Complex and the Life Sciences Building. WVU combines benefits such as over 300 different student organizations to join and a diverse student body with a safe campus located in a town ranked as the ”#1 Small City in America.” In West Virginia, WVU is the only school that offers all of these opportunities, and you would be hard-pressed to find this many opportunities anywhere.
West Virginia University's Promise to You
In addition to Promise, you may be eligible for other institutional scholarships. We are partnering with the state to make sure you have ample resources to pursue your degree at WVU. We are committed to helping you reach your educational goals without burdening you with excessive student loan debt. You may receive your institutional scholarship in addition to Promise (a few exceptions may exist).
Here’s how it works – your total bill for tuition, fees, and housing (if applicable) is calculated. Then, we deduct the amount of your Promise Scholarship and any other financial aid from the amount you owe. If your scholarships and other funds exceed the amount of your bill, you will receive a refund that can be used for other expenses, such as textbooks, food, laundry, etc.
Honors College
If you are curious about the world and find challenges exciting, the Honors College is where you belong. Our Honors students are just like you: they need to know more, stay active, and take academic risks. In the Honors College you discover new ideas and surpass your goals. Freshmen are considered based on ACT or SAT scores, high school GPA, and completion of an essay. For more information, visit the WVU Honors College website, email honors@mail.wvu.edu, or call 304-293-2100.