For more information visit: emergency.wvu.edu
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.
To be considered for the Promise Scholarship, 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.
Simply put, no other college or university in the state can offer you everything that WVU 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.
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.
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.
The application becomes available October 1. Students must submit the application and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) via the Federal Student Aid FAFSA website by March 1. Visit the CFWV Promise Scholarship website for more information.
As of April 2025, ACT.org has made changes to their policy on the science section of the exam. Please review the CFWV Promise Scholarship Requirements website for qualifying test scores required for eligibility.
In most cases, if you qualify for Promise it may be "stacked" with (used in addition to) WVU scholarships. However, there are exceptions. For example, students receiving the Promise Scholarship and the Foundation Scholarship will receive their full Promise Scholarship amount and the amount of their Foundation Scholarship that will cover the remainder of their cost of attendance. Financial aid cannot be more than the student's cost of attendance for financial aid purposes.
The WV state regulations for the Promise Scholarship require a student to be enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) in degree-pursuant coursework during a semester. An exception is for students in their final academic year of Promise eligibility – who do not need to be enrolled full-time to receive the scholarship. However, their courses must still be degree-pursuant. The amount of the scholarship may be prorated based on enrollment. Students may request this adjustment by submitting an Scholarship Exception Request. For more information, please visit our Scholarship Exception Requests webpage. Also, please remember that Promise renewal requirements state you must have 30 earned credit hours and meet the 2.75 GPA requirement in order to renew the scholarship for the following academic year. The earned hours requirement for renewal does not require all 30 hours to be degree-pursuant.
If you feel you have special circumstances or are eligible for renewed Promise in another academic year, please submit the Scholarship Exception Request appropriate for your situation. Depending on the reason for the appeal, the WVU Hub may need to request that the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission review and make a final decision on your request.
Promise students who have an approved medical or family emergency leave of absence from their college of attendance may continue their scholarship upon return without loss of eligibility or benefit as long as the student continues to meet all applicable eligibility standards. If a student needs to miss an upcoming semester, an official leave of absence can be found at registrar.wvu.edu/forms. Contact the Office of the University Registrar or your academic advisor for more information.
We highly recommend you review the CFWV Promise Scholarship FAQ webpage for current leave of absence policies.
Students granted an approved leave will have their Promise academic review cycle affected. For example, a student who attends the fall semester but receives an approved leave of absence for the spring semester will still be reviewed at the end of the spring semester for the following aid year. They must show 15 credit hours earned for the fall semester attended (provided they return from their approved leave as planned) and be meeting the GPA requirements for Promise. If they did not meet the requirements within the semester attended, they may choose to attend summer to attempt to increase their earned hours and/or overall GPA to maintain Promise.
West Virginia University offers a wide variety of courses during the summer. Visit the WVU Summer Term website for more information. Please note you cannot use the Promise Scholarship during the summer as one of your eight semesters of eligibility if you are not meeting the renewal requirements at the end of the preceding spring semester.
Some Promise recipients may be eligible to utilize their Promise Scholarship during the summer semester. For information on eligibility, deadlines, and the application, visit the CFWV Summer Promise Scholarship webpage.
Summer Promise offers are usually not made until June. Students with a summer payment due before the offers are made must make payment for the summer semester at the time the payment is due. If the student receives summer Promise, they will be reimbursed once the funds are received.
If you take courses at another institution or do a study abroad/exchange trip during the fall and/or spring semesters, your official transcripts from the other institution must be received and listed on the your STAR account (via your WVU Portal) before further Promise eligibility can be determined for summer or the following aid year.
Classes taken during summer sessions can count toward your Promise renewal.
You may also take summer courses at other institutions to regain your Promise eligibility as long as they transfer back to WVU as recognized earned credit hours and grades for your degree. If you plan to take courses at another university or college, you must complete the Transient Credit Application and obtain permission from your academic advisor.
It is your responsibility to notify the WVU Hub once you can view those grades on your STAR account (via your WVU Portal) so your Promise eligibility can be reevaluated.
For complete instructions on taking courses at another university, information about the Transfer Equivalency System, and a copy of the Transient Student Application, visit the Transferring Course Credit to WVU webpage.