Unlocking Your Potential: A Guide to Westminster College Scholarships

Westminster College is committed to providing an exceptional and genuinely affordable college education. Recognizing that a four-year college degree represents a significant investment in your future, Westminster offers a variety of scholarships to help students achieve their academic goals. Each year, the college awards more than $14 million in scholarships, making higher education accessible to a wide range of students.

Merit-Based Academic Scholarships

Westminster College automatically considers all accepted students, including international students, for merit-based scholarships. These scholarships recognize noteworthy academic achievement. As an incoming freshman for the 2026-2027 academic year, you will have the opportunity to qualify for one of six Westminster College scholarships, based on your previous academic success. For transfer students entering Westminster College as full-time undergraduates during the 2026-2027 academic year, a number of academic scholarships are also available. These merit scholarships and awards are based on a student's cumulative transfer GPA. Students transferring to Westminster and entering the Honors College are also eligible.

Upon admission to Westminster, each undergraduate student is offered a merit scholarship based on their high school achievements. The name and amount of this merit scholarship are detailed in the acceptance letter. This merit award reduces the amount of tuition you will pay each year. The scholarship is guaranteed and renewable each year that the student maintains full-time status and institutional academic progress.

Nominated Scholarships

Westminster College offers nominated scholarships, such as the Jerb Miller Scholarship and the Young Presbyterian Scholars Program. However, students cannot receive both an Academic Scholarship and a Nominated Scholarship.

Jerb Miller Scholarship

This scholarship honors Dr. Jerb Miller, a beloved professor who taught education at Westminster from 1968 until his passing in 1992. Nominations are currently being accepted, and early submission is encouraged to ensure scholarship funding availability for nominees.

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Young Presbyterian Scholars Program

The Young Presbyterian Scholars Program is a partnership between Westminster College and Presbyterian and historically related congregations, including PC(USA), ECO EPC, Orthodox Presbyterian, and Covenant Presbyterian Churches. Nominations are currently being accepted, and early submission is encouraged to ensure scholarship funding availability for nominees. The college seeks to provide students with opportunities to continue to grow in their faith while attending one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the country.

Music Scholarships

Westminster College offers scholarships specifically for music students. These are awarded to music majors or minors who demonstrate exceptional ability in music and to students of any major who participate in School of Music ensembles. An audition is required for these scholarships.

GROWS: Guiding Readiness and Opportunities in the Workforce for STEM

Students majoring in a STEM field-specifically Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science (excluding BCIS), Environmental Studies (BS only), Mathematics, Neuroscience, or Physics-may qualify for scholarships through GROWS: Guiding Readiness and Opportunities in the Workforce for STEM. To be eligible, students must be full-time, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and demonstrate unmet financial need. The GROWS program also offers STEM seminars, a strong cohort community, and even paid tutoring sessions. Students graduating in 2030, 2031, or 2032 are also encouraged to apply.

The Westminster Advantage Scholarship

The Westminster Advantage is unique because it is applied last, covering any remaining tuition after other financial aid, such as academic scholarships and federal and state grants, is applied. No separate scholarship application or essay is required.

To be eligible for the Westminster Advantage Scholarship, students must:

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Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
Be a Pennsylvania resident.
Have a high school GPA of 3.0 (weighted GPA).
Enroll as a full-time undergraduate student (minimum of 12 semester hours each semester).
Enroll in a bachelor’s degree-granting program.
Work toward their first bachelor’s degree.
Have a total family income of $75,000 or less.
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Submit all requested financial aid documents, and the FAFSA must be free of all holds and processing issues.
Apply for a PA State Grant award through PHEAA for the 2026-2027 academic year.

To maintain eligibility for the Westminster Advantage Scholarship, students must:

File the FAFSA each year.
Apply for the PA State Grant each year through GrantUs, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency site.
Have a family annual income of $75,000 or less as reported on each year's FAFSA.
Continue to be eligible for a federal Pell grant and a PA State Grant.
Enroll in a minimum of 12 semester hours at Westminster each semester.
Meet the Financial Aid Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress every semester.
Complete any requests for additional information from the Office of Financial Aid to establish annual eligibility.

The Westminster Advantage Scholarship can only be applied to tuition and is available only for the fall and spring semesters. If eligibility is reduced to an amount between $1-$199 based on the aforementioned calculation, the student will receive a $200 minimum award.

Additional Scholarships for Current Westminster Students

There are additional scholarships available for current Westminster students during their junior and senior years. To be considered, students must submit one application to be considered for all continuing scholarships. Awards are based on criteria set up by the donor and utilize your cumulative Westminster GPA. The deadline for the next academic year is now open.

The Importance of FAFSA

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is critical to the financial aid process. The FAFSA is how you apply for federal student aid, such as grants, scholarships, and loans. Enter Westminster College’s school code 003392 on your FAFSA so that a copy of your completed application is sent to the college. Based on your results, Westminster will determine all the resources available to you and provide your individualized financial aid offer. Your financial aid will be determined based on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If a student feels the income reported on the FAFSA is no longer accurate, they can review the Special Circumstances process to address changes in household income, divorce, death of a parent, etc.

Tips for Finding Outside Scholarships

While Westminster College offers numerous scholarship opportunities, students are also encouraged to quest for other forms of monetary support. Here are some tips for finding outside scholarships:

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Identify what the donor is looking for.
Be specific in your applications.
Be organized and neat.
Keep track of deadlines.
Submit the application in full.
Be aware of scholarship scams.

It's important to get started early and finish strong in your scholarship search.

Additional Information

Westminster College is test-optional for admission and has also waived the SAT/ACT requirement for certain scholarships.

Students in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program are not eligible for Westminster merit scholarships due to the already discounted tuition rate. Students transferring into the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program are also ineligible.

Westminster scholarships and grants for qualifying transfer students range in amount from $5,000 to $12,000 per year, as long as students are attending full time and maintain a 3.0 GPA. In the fall 2012 semester, 87% of new transfer students received a renewable merit scholarship or grant. A maximum of 72 credit hours may be awarded from two-year institutions. Official college or university transcripts from each institution attended are required.

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college distinguished by its unique environment for learning. It prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real-world experiences, and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. Westminster seeks students who demonstrate a commitment to Westminster’s distinctive values: power of place, wellness, and leadership.

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