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Institutional Scholarship Renewal Requirements

Scholarship Renewal Criteria

To renew institutional scholarships and grants for subsequent academic years, all scholars are required to have a minimum overall 2.75 grade point average (GPA) and earn at least of 30 credit hours during the academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

Please note that students whose first enrollment is the spring semester — or who have deferred their scholarship for one semester — may be reviewed against a 15 earned credit hour requirement for that academic year. Starting with the next academic year, they will return to the normal requirement of 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

Institutional scholarships and grants included:

  • Bucklew Scholarship
  • Climb Higher Scholarship
  • Foundation Scholarship
  • Leadership Scholarship
  • University Merit Scholarship
  • WVU System Connection Scholarship

No longer offered to incoming students:

  • Berry Honor Scholarship
  • College of B&E Dean’s Scholarships
  • College of Media Dean’s Scholarship
  • Davis Dean’s Scholarship
  • Distinguished Achievement Scholarship
  • Diversity Scholarship
  • Engineering Excellence Scholarship
  • G. Belmont Berry Scholarship
  • Go First Scholarship
  • Innovators Scholarship
  • International Scholarship
  • Scholarship of Distinction
  • Transfer Scholarship
  • International Science and Engineering Scholarship
  • Valedictorian Scholarship
  • WVU Connection Scholarship/Grant
  • WVU Scholarship

GPA Requirement

Institutional scholarship recipients must have an overall GPA of at least 2.75 at the conclusion of the spring semester. Students who would like to use summer courses to attempt to meet this requirement should also review the Renewal Review Timeline section for more information. An overall GPA includes grades and GPA hours for all WVU courses and accepted transfer courses.

Earned Credit Hours Requirement

To renew institutional scholarships, students must earn 30 credit hours during the academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

Important: Students must be enrolled full-time (a minimum of 12 credit hours for the semester for undergraduates) for their scholarships to disburse as payment for the semester. Although 12 credit hours is full-time enrollment for disbursement, earning 24 credit hours for fall and spring will put you short of the 30 earned hours requirement for scholarship renewal. If you do not achieve the earned credits during fall and spring, you would need to take summer courses to meet earned hours requirement. If you do not want to take summer courses, you should organize your schedule so you earn at least 30 credit hours during fall and spring.

Ineligible Credit Hours

It's important to understand that taking courses doesn't mean you actually earn credit hours in those courses. Some factors to consider:

  • If you withdraw from a course before completing it — usually receiving a 'W' for the course — or receive an 'F' or 'I' for the course (or another grade that does not count as earned credit hours), those courses will not count as earned credit hours for your renewal requirements.
  • Credits earned prior to the first semester receiving the scholarship do not count toward the earned credit hour requirement but do count toward the overall GPA. Dual enrollment courses taken during high school and credit through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program are two examples of credit that would not be used toward meeting the 30 earned credit hour requirement.
Repeating Credit Hours

Repeating courses during the same academic year can impact your earned credit hours for renewal. Courses that are repeatable can be counted twice — as long as the course is passed each semester — towards meeting the 30 earned credit hours requirement. Review WVU's policy on repeat coursework, and contact your academic advisor with any questions if you are taking or plan to take any repeat coursework during the same academic year to ensure you can still meet the earned credit hour requirement for your scholarship.

Renewal Review Timeline

Scholarships are reviewed at the end of each spring semester to determine eligibility for the upcoming year. Students who are falling below the standards at the end of the spring semester may use summer classes to make up deficiencies. Those students will be reviewed periodically throughout the summer to see if they are now meeting the renewal requirements. Requirements must be met by the end of the summer semester to renew for the following fall semester.

Scholarship Exception Requests



Appealing My Institutional Scholarship Eligibility

Academic standards exist for scholarships in the form of their renewal requirements. Students are notified at the end of the spring semester if renewal requirements have not been met, and summer school may be used to attempt to make up earned hours and/or to improve an overall GPA to meet the standards.

Students failing to meet renewal requirements will not have their scholarship renewed and will lose future eligibility. Students not meeting renewal requirements may appeal if they can document extenuating circumstances (such as a family, medical, or personal event which adversely affected their academic performance) by submitting the Scholarship Exception Request Form.

Requests are viewed on an individual basis, and approval is not guaranteed. If approved, please note that semesters in which a student did not receive the scholarship due to not meeting the renewal requirements will still be counted against the maximum number of semesters for the scholarship.

Deferring My Institutional Scholarship

Students may be considered for the deferral of their scholarship for a one-year period for reasons other than attendance at another post-secondary institution. Reasons for deferral may include situations such as military service or a medical issue. Students may submit the Scholarship Exception Request Form for deferral consideration. 

Requests must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which the scholarship would begin. Students granted this type of deferral must reapply for admission and financial aid after the deferral period has ended. Students will retain their full award with no penalty if they enroll after the one-year period.

Students who attend another post-secondary institution, except for a WVU-approved study abroad experience, forfeit their institutional scholarships. If admitted later as a returning student at WVU, they may submit the Scholarship Exception Request.

Students participating in a WVU-approved study abroad experience may request to utilize their scholarships if they:

  • Complete the Request for Transient Student Financial Aid
  • Supply the  WVU Transient Credit Application (which must be completed by the student's academic advisor)

The use of the scholarships must be credit-worthy. If approved, students will receive the same amount as if they were attending WVU. Students must continue to meet all eligibility and renewal requirements.

Learn more about Scholarship Exception Requests

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the renewal requirements for my Promise Scholarship?

For WV residents who are also receiving the WV Promise Scholarship, please be aware that to retain the Promise Scholarship, students must maintain at least a 2.75 overall GPA. Visit the Promise Scholarship Renewal website for general requirements and additional information. Renewal information for Promise Scholarship recipients who are also receiving the WVU Pledge Scholarship can be found on our WVU Pledge Scholarship Renewal Requirements webpage.

How long can I receive my scholarship if I continue to meet renewal requirements?

As long as students continue to meet the renewal requirements, most institutional scholarships and grants are for a maximum of eight undergraduate semesters, or completion of a bachelor’s degree — whichever comes first. Scholarships may not be used during graduate school or to pursue a second bachelor’s degree. For some scholarships, other criteria may exist. For example, your college scholarship (from your program of study) may require you to remain in a certain major or in a major within the college.

For students enrolled in an associate degree program at the Keyser campus, scholarships are for a maximum of four undergraduate semesters or completion of an associate degree — whichever comes first. Once admitted into a bachelor’s degree program, they may receive any remaining semesters up to a total of eight or until completion of a bachelor’s degree — whichever comes first.

In most instances, institutional scholarships are not restricted to payment of tuition and fees, but may be used to cover other educational expenses such as housing and food costs, books and supplies, etc.