First-time Freshman Scholarships at WVU

Hard work pays off. Literally.

It’s easy to qualify for our merit based scholarships. Just submit your application to WVU and we’ll review for our central awards. And, test optional applicants may qualify for merit, too! 

Use our charts below to determine your eligibility for the Scholarship of Distinction for score senders, or the Go First Scholarship for test optional applicants. You can also use our scholarship calculator.

Our admissions application and merit awarding both include a no-harm policy – students will not be penalized whether applying with scores or test optional. To be considered for WVU scholarships, students must be admitted by June 1, 2022. Students admitted prior to this date have until June 1, 2022 to submit updated official transcripts or test scores. Test scores are automatically processed when sent to WVU. However, for GPA changes, students must file the GPA form and upload a transcript with the newly calculated cumulative GPA prior to June 1.  We do not automatically update the GPA from the final transcript.

And don’t forget to file the FAFSA form, which opens October 1 for the 2022-2023 academic cycle. You may qualify for additional need-based aid and institutional awards. Our priority deadline for the FAFSA is March 1, 2022. Residents of West Virginia applying for the PROMISE Scholarship must submit the FAFSA and PROMISE application by March 1, 2022.

Apply Now Test Optional FAQs Submit the FAFSA Search for External Scholarships

Scholarship of Distinction

The Scholarship of Distinction is for score senders. Students cannot receive both the Scholarship of Distinction and Go First Scholarship.

Go First Scholarship

The Go First Scholarship is for test optional applicants. Students cannot receive both the Scholarship of Distinction and Go First Scholarship.

We use a weighted GPA if provided on the high school transcript or self-reported by the student. 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). Applies to WVU Morgantown. Self-reported GPAs may be adjusted based on the official transcript. Learn more at financialaid.wvu.edu.

Scholarship	In-State Amount	Out-of-State Amount
Level 1 (4.2 and above GPA)	$3,500	$12,000
Level 2 (3.8-4.19 GPA)	$2,500	$10,000
Level 3 (3.5-3.79 GPA)	$1,500	$9,000
Level 4 (3.2-3.49 GPA)	$1,250	$7,000
Level 5 (3.0-3.19 GPA)	$750	$5,000