Navigating the WV Promise Scholarship: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities
The West Virginia Promise Scholarship is a significant opportunity for eligible students to pursue higher education in the state. This merit-based scholarship aims to make college more accessible and affordable for West Virginia residents. This article provides a detailed overview of the WV Promise Scholarship, outlining the eligibility requirements, renewal criteria, and other essential aspects of the program.
Initial Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the WV Promise Scholarship, students must meet several criteria, focusing on residency, academic achievement, and financial need.
Residency and Citizenship
- Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
- Both the student and their parents must be West Virginia residents for at least 12 months immediately before April 15 preceding the academic year of enrollment.
Academic Qualifications
- Students must be high school graduates or have earned a TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion, formerly GED) or a high school equivalent certificate.
- Applicants must not have previously earned a bachelor’s degree. Graduate students do not qualify for the Promise Scholarship.
- Completion of minimum core class requirements.
- Maintain eligibility through the eighth and final semester of high school.
Financial Requirements
- Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 15, prior to the academic year they plan to enroll.
- Demonstrate financial need (required for HEAPS grant award).
Application Process
- Complete the Promise Scholarship application, available at collegeforwv.com/promise.
- Submit the FAFSA by the specified deadline.
- High school students should apply by the deadline, even if qualifying test scores or grades have not been achieved yet.
Standardized Testing
- Applicants must meet the minimum required scores on either the ACT or SAT national tests. An applicant must qualify on either the ACT or SAT, not both.
- For those applying for 2026-2027, superscoring can be used to achieve the minimum standardized testing scores. Superscoring allows students to combine their top scores from sub-sections of different ACT or SAT exams.
- As of April 2025, ACT.org has changed its policy and the science subsection is not required on the ACT exam, but an eligible science sub score of 19 will remain a requirement for Promise eligibility.
- To qualify for Promise, an applicant must have a superscore composite that averages all four required sub sections - English, reading, science and math.
- Your Promise Composite Superscore average is calculated by adding together your four highest sub scores in each section and dividing by four then rounding to the nearest whole number.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Students are required to maintain a 3.0 in the core subjects (English, math, science, and history combined) and in their overall GPA according to county grading policies.
- The core GPA is calculated based upon county grading policy in all core courses (English, math, science, and history) you have completed while in high school.
Renewal Requirements
To maintain the Promise Scholarship, recipients must meet specific academic criteria each year. Eligibility for renewal is examined at the end of a year of scholarship utilization, based on first-time semester enrollment.
Credit Hour Requirements
- Complete and earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in an academic year, or the equivalent for students receiving a two-semester award.
- For students attending a quarter school, a minimum of 45 credit hours in an academic year is required for a three-quarter award. If a student receives a two-quarter award, they must complete at least 30 credit hours.
- Students must earn a minimum of 24 credit hours during the prior fall and spring terms to renew the grant.
- All college credit hours and corresponding grades must be counted in determining Promise Scholarship eligibility, regardless of whether the college accepts these credits.
- Credit hours earned prior to the first fall semester of enrollment may not be counted toward the credit hour requirement in determining eligibility for award renewal.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA at the completion of each year.
- Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA to renew the grant.
Enrollment Status
- Remain continuously enrolled as a full-time student. Scholars are not required to be full time or meet renewal during their final academic year of scholarship eligibility.
- Students receiving the Promise Scholarship must enroll full-time.
Second Chance Promise Renewal
- Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, Promise Scholars who have lost eligibility due to non-renewal may regain eligibility through the Second Chance Promise Renewal process.
- This allows scholars who did not meet renewal during the previous academic year to renew the award after obtaining the renewal requirements.
- Once the academic shortfall has been met, the student may request the institutional financial aid office review eligibility for Second Chance Promise Renewal after the conclusion of the term(s) during which the student accumulated the remaining required credit(s) and GPA required for renewal.
- Both the credit hour and GPA requirements must be obtained to regain the award.
Special Circumstances and Appeals
The WV Promise Scholarship program recognizes that students may face unforeseen challenges that impact their ability to meet the standard renewal requirements. As such, the program offers several avenues for appeals and waivers to accommodate various circumstances.
Leave of Absence
- Students who need to take a leave of absence may request a deferment without losing eligibility.
- Students may take a leave of absence from college without losing eligibility if they take the necessary steps to place the scholarship into a deferment status.
Summer Enrollment
- If a student enrolls in summer school to attain the minimum credit hours or the grade point average required, he or she shall not receive a Promise scholarship award for that summer enrollment.
- Only current Promise recipients can receive a Summer Promise award. A summer award counts as a semester of utilization toward the maximum number of available semesters.
- The Summer Promise application opens March 15 and has a May 15 priority deadline. Applications may be submitted after May 15 until the final June 15 deadline. Those who apply by May 15 and are eligible will be notified in June.
- Summer Promise eligibility cannot be determined until June, once final grades are determined for the preceding spring term and your home institution notifies our office of your academic eligibility.
- Your eligibility will also depend on whether you are currently registered for the required credits during the summer term(s).
- Summer awards are dependent upon the availability of funding.
Credit Hour Requirement Appeal
- Degree Pursuant Coursework Appeal: This is for students who can be full-time in each term during the academic year but won’t be able to achieve the 30-credit hour requirement for renewal purposes. If approved, they are required to complete the number of degree pursuant courses available to them in the academic year. For example, if they have 25 credits available to take, they must complete all 25 to qualify. This will need rechecked at the end of the spring semester.
Full-Time Enrollment Waiver
- Appeal to Waive the Full-Time Enrollment Requirement for State Aid: This is for state aid programs (including Promise) where students cannot be full-time in the term due to not having available degree pursuant coursework. If approved for one semester, they would need to complete the requirements for a one-semester award in the academic year, which is 15 credits between fall, spring, and summer in the academic year.
Reinstatement Request
- A student who does not meet the renewal criteria for the PROMISE Scholarship at the end of the spring semester may make a PROMISE Scholarship Reinstatement Request if the deficiency can be remediated during the summer or courses were taken at another institution.
Scholarship Utilization and Duration
The Promise Scholarship provides financial assistance for a specific duration, depending on the degree program.
Read also: College Promise Grant Requirements
Award Amount
- Promise scholars will receive annual awards valued at the lesser of tuition and mandatory fees OR $5,500 at the West Virginia public or private higher education institution they choose to attend.
- Scholarship funds will only pay for mandatory fees assessed to all students at the institution.
Duration
- Students can receive no more than eight semesters for a Bachelor’s degree or four semesters for an Associate’s degree.
- Students have six years from the date first awarded to use their Promise award.
- A student seeking an associate degree is eligible to receive a Promise Scholarship for no more than four total semesters of a two-year degree program.
Transferring Institutions
- Students can transfer to another Promise-eligible institution and maintain their Promise Scholarship eligibility, provided they meet the renewal requirements.
- A student who was deemed eligible for a Promise award but elects not to enroll at an eligible institution may regain eligibility providing the student discontinues enrollment at the ineligible institution no later than one academic year after high school graduation and re-enrolls at an eligible institution.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
Besides the Promise Scholarship, West Virginia offers several other scholarships and financial aid programs to support students pursuing higher education.
WV STEM Scholarship
- The West Virginia Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship (WV STEM Scholarships) provides up to $3,000 per academic year.
- Awards are based on academic qualifications and interest in the fields of engineering, science, and technology.
- Applicants must apply by March 1st and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The STEM application must be completed each year.
WV Nursing Scholarship Program
- The West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program accepts applications between April 15 and June 1 each year.
- It provides scholarships to students meeting all eligibility requirements for the subsequent academic year, with awards made through a competitive process.
- Applicants must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited West Virginia nursing program, be a resident of West Virginia, and be in good academic standing.
Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program
- The Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program is a competitive scholarship for recent high school graduates with a passion for teaching.
- Recipients receive $10,000 per year for up to four years, covering tuition and fees, housing and food, and other approved educational expenses.
- Recipients must be willing to teach in a West Virginia public school for five years after college graduation in the fields of math, science, elementary education, or special education.
AmeriCorps Education Award Waiver Program
- This waiver program is a new initiative.
- The value of the waiver for each student equals their University tuition and University fees minus the value of federal, state, and institutional gift aid (grants, institutional scholarships, other waivers, etc.).
- Students must access their MyAmeriCorps Portal and complete the process to apply for the waiver.
- Students are limited to 8 semesters of combined usage at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Changes and Adaptations
The WV Higher Education Policy Commission has, at times, approved temporary changes to the Promise Scholarship program to accommodate unique circumstances.
Temporary Eligibility Changes
- For the high school graduating classes of 2022 and 2023, temporary changes were made to the merit-based scholarship program.
- These students also qualified for super-scoring to achieve the minimum standardized testing scores necessary to qualify for the Promise Scholarship.
Award Adjustments
- In the 2022-23 academic year, all Promise Scholars, including incoming and renewal recipients, received a $5,000 award.
How Financial Aid is Calculated
Understanding how financial aid is calculated can help students and families plan for college expenses.
- Financial aid is calculated by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the total cost of attendance.
Resources and Contact Information
For additional information and assistance with the Promise Scholarship, students and families can utilize the following resources:
- West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Division of Financial Aid: (304) 558-4618 or toll-free at 1 (877) 987-7664.
- Promise Scholarship Application: collegeforwv.com/promise.
- FAFSA: StudentAid.gov.
- Financial Aid Hotline: 877-987-7664.
Read also: Understanding Promise Scholarships
Read also: Funding Your Education at Maryland Community Colleges
tags: #wv #promise #scholarship #requirements
