UMW award rules
Will the scholarship last four years at UMW?
We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.
The short answer
4 of 4 published awards are listed as renewable.
The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.
What to do
Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.
See every award rule, common mistake, and source
At a glance
- Renewable tiers
- 4 of 4
- One-time tiers
- 0
- Tiers with published renewal terms
- 4
- Renewal risk profile
- high
Renewal risk profile
UMW's top merit tiers carry renewal floors at or above 3.5 cumulative GPA, which is above the median freshman college GPA at most US flagships. A single rough semester can knock a four-year award out without a published reinstatement path. Plan year-one course load with renewal in mind, not just first-year survival.
- In-State Merit Scholarships (Residential vs Commuter): See notes
- Out-of-State Merit Scholarships: See notes
- Washington Scholars Program (full ride — Virginia residents): Full-time enrollment
- Alvey Scholars Program (full ride — out-of-state residents): Full-time enrollment
Renewal terms by tier
In-State Merit Scholarships (Residential vs Commuter)
$500-$8,000 per yearEntry requirements: 3.00-4.00 (weighted when provided) per tier GPA · 1000-1400 per tier SAT · 20-30 per tier ACT
To keep it: Renewal terms not stated on this page.
Source: https://www.umw.edu/admissions/in-state-merit-scholarship/
Out-of-State Merit Scholarships
$1,000-$9,000 per yearEntry requirements: <3.00-4.00 per tier GPA · <1000-1300 per tier SAT · <20-27 per tier ACT
To keep it: Renewal terms not stated on this page.
Source: https://www.umw.edu/admissions/out-of-state-merit-scholarship/
Washington Scholars Program (full ride — Virginia residents)
Full tuition, fees, room, and boardTo keep it: Renewable for up to eight total semesters (four years); enroll full-time each semester; maintain a UMW GPA of 3.25 during the first semester and 3.50 each semester thereafter.
Source: https://www.umw.edu/admissions/apply/firstyear-scholarships/washington-and-alvey/
Alvey Scholars Program (full ride — out-of-state residents)
Full tuition, fees, room, and boardTo keep it: Renewable for up to eight total semesters (four years); enroll full-time each semester; maintain a UMW GPA of 3.25 during the first semester and 3.50 each semester thereafter.
Source: https://www.umw.edu/admissions/apply/firstyear-scholarships/washington-and-alvey/
How families lose this aid
- Assuming the merit grids are identical across residency.
The grids differ: in-state has a top 'Collegiate' tier ($8,000); out-of-state has no Collegiate tier but adds an 'Aerie Award' ($1,000) for sub-3.00 GPAs, and pays more at each comparable tier (e.g., out-of-state Presidential $9,000 vs in-state residential $6,000).
- Thinking the full-ride is awarded on stats alone.
Washington (VA) and Alvey (out-of-state) Scholarships require admission to the UMW Honors Program, an interview in March, on-campus residence, and renewal GPAs of 3.25 (first semester) then 3.50 — apply by November 15.
- In-state students ignoring the excess-credit surcharge.
Virginia's surcharge applies to in-state undergrads who complete more than 150 credits (125% of the 120 required); for 2026-27 it is $366 per credit hour beyond 150 — on top of normal tuition and fees.
Renewal questions families ask
- Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?
- No — the In-State and Out-of-State Merit Scholarships are awarded automatically to applicants who apply, are admitted, and enroll, based on the published GPA + SAT/ACT grids. The full-ride Washington/Alvey awards are competitive and tied to Honors Program admission.
Rules that bite at UMW
The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from UMW's own tier rules and not generic advice.
- Renewal ruleWashington Scholars Program (full ride — Virginia residents): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for up to eight total semesters (four years); enroll full-time each semester; maintain a UMW GPA of 3.25 during the first semester and 3.50 each semester thereafter. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
How UMW compares across our verified dataset
- 69 of 749 verified schools publish a top renewal tier requiring 3.5+ GPA or major-GPA gating.
UMW is one of them. Calibrate year-one academic load against the renewal floor, not just freshman survival.
- 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
UMW is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 UMW’s own published materials.
- Merit tiersIn-State Merit Scholarships (Residential vs Commuter)
- Merit tiersOut-of-State Merit Scholarships
- Merit tiersWashington Scholars Program (full ride — Virginia residents)
- Scholarship pageNoyce Scholars Program
- Scholarship pagePresidential Emerging Leaders Program
- Scholarship pageTransfer Scholarships