How much are the awards?

Crimson: $2,000/year for two years ($4,000). Transfer Excellence: $2,000/year up to three years ($6,000). Wildcat Promise: $5,000/year up to four years ($20,000).

CWU· Renewal Rules

Keeping CWU’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 3 of 3
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 3
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

CWU's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

Crimson Scholarship: See notes
Transfer Excellence Scholarship: See notes
Wildcat Promise Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

Crimson Scholarship
$2,000 per year for two consecutive years ($4,000 total)
Entry requirements: 3.0 high school cumulative GPA GPA
To keep it: Two consecutive years. Renew with a 2.75 CWU cumulative GPA; enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per quarter; live in campus housing both years. Not available summer quarter.
Source: https://www.cwu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/scholarships/merit-based-scholarships.php
Transfer Excellence Scholarship
$2,000 per year, up to three years ($6,000 total)
Entry requirements: 3.0 transfer cumulative GPA GPA
To keep it: Up to three years. Renew with a 2.75 CWU cumulative GPA; enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per quarter; Ellensburg campus. Not available summer quarter.
Source: https://www.cwu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/scholarships/merit-based-scholarships.php
Wildcat Promise Scholarship
$5,000 per year, up to four years ($20,000 total)
Entry requirements: 3.0 high school cumulative GPA GPA
To keep it: Up to four years. Renew with a 2.75 CWU GPA; enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per quarter; live in a residence hall for the first two years and on-campus housing for the remaining two years; housing contract on file by Sept 1, 2026.
Source: https://www.cwu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/scholarships/merit-based-scholarships.php

How families lose this aid

Letting CWU GPA fall below 2.75 or dropping below full time.
All three renew only with a 2.75 CWU cumulative GPA and a minimum of 12 credits per quarter; the awards are not available summer quarter.

Renewal questions families ask

How much are the awards?: Crimson: $2,000/year for two years ($4,000). Transfer Excellence: $2,000/year up to three years ($6,000). Wildcat Promise: $5,000/year up to four years ($20,000).

How CWU compares across our verified dataset

669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
CWU is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against CWU’s own published materials.

policyCWU stacking policy
coaCWU cost-of-attendance worksheet
scholarshipDouglas Honors College Scholarships