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WVU· Renewal Rules

Keeping WVU’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· CC

At a glance

Renewable tiers
8 of 8
One-time tiers
0
Tiers with published renewal terms
8
Renewal risk profile
low

Renewal risk profile

WVU's published renewal rules cluster around a 3.0 floor with no major-GPA gating, which is survivable for the typical freshman with steady study habits. The risk is non-renewal due to enrollment status (dropping below full-time), not GPA.

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 1 (out-of-state, Morgantown): 2.75 GPA
  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 2 (out-of-state, Morgantown): See notes
  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 3 (out-of-state, Morgantown): See notes
  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 4 (out-of-state, Morgantown): See notes
  • Climb Higher Scholarship — West Virginia residents (Morgantown grid): See notes
  • Bucklew Scholarship: 3.2 GPA
  • Foundation Scholarship: See notes
  • University Merit Scholarship: See notes

Renewal terms by tier

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 1 (out-of-state, Morgantown)

    $17,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.8+ GPA · 1360 SAT · 30 ACT

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first, as long as renewal requirements are met (overall 2.75 GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year).

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/climb-higher

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 2 (out-of-state, Morgantown)

    $14,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.8+ GPA

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/climb-higher

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 3 (out-of-state, Morgantown)

    $11,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.5-3.79 GPA

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/climb-higher

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — Level 4 (out-of-state, Morgantown)

    $8,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.0-3.49 GPA

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/climb-higher

  • Climb Higher Scholarship — West Virginia residents (Morgantown grid)

    $1,500-$5,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.0-3.49 = $1,500; 3.5-3.79 = $2,500; 3.8+ = $3,500; 3.8+ AND 30 ACT/1360 SAT = $5,000 GPA · 1360 (only for the top $5,000 tier) SAT · 30 (only for the top $5,000 tier) ACT

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/climb-higher

  • Bucklew Scholarship

    $15,000 per year

    Entry requirements: 3.80 GPA · 1360 SAT · 30 ACT

    To keep it: Per year for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with the institutional standard of a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year. (A secondary listing cites a 3.2 GPA renewal but is NOT the official WVU page — see Section C.)

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/bucklew

  • Foundation Scholarship

    Full cost of attendance + a one-time $4,500 stipend

    Entry requirements: 3.80 GPA · 1360 SAT · 30 ACT

    To keep it: Covers cost of attendance for up to four undergraduate years or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/foundation

  • University Merit Scholarship

    University tuition + a one-time $2,500 stipend + a one-time stipend of up to $3,500

    Entry requirements: 3.50 GPA

    To keep it: Valued at university tuition for four undergraduate years or a bachelor's degree, whichever comes first; renew with a 2.75 overall GPA and 30 earned credit hours per academic year.

    Source: https://hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/institutional/university-merit

How families lose this aid

  • Missing the August 1 merit deadline (or assuming you can keep updating credentials after it).

    First-time freshmen must be ADMITTED by August 1 for fall to be considered for the automatic Climb Higher merit award; transcripts and test scores must also be in by then. GPA edits are NOT automatic — you must file a GPA Update Request in MyWVU before the deadline.

  • Letting credit-hour math sink your renewal.

    Renewal requires 30 EARNED credit hours per academic year (fall+spring+summer), not just full-time status. Earning 12+12 = 24 hours leaves you short; W/F/I grades and pre-enrollment AP/dual-credit don't count. You also need a 2.75 overall GPA.

Renewal questions families ask

Do I have to apply separately for WVU merit scholarships?
No for the main award. The Climb Higher Scholarship is automatic and non-competitive — WVU reviews your admissions application and you get it if your GPA/test score qualifies. Bucklew, Foundation, University Merit, and Leadership scholarships DO require separate applications and have their own deadlines.
Are the scholarships renewable, and how?
Yes. Institutional scholarships (including Climb Higher, Bucklew, Foundation, University Merit) renew for up to eight undergraduate semesters as long as you keep a 2.75 overall GPA and earn 30 credit hours per academic year (fall, spring, and summer combined).

How WVU compares across our verified dataset

  • 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    WVU 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.

  • 133 of 751 verified schools publish a dedicated National Merit Finalist package.

    WVU is one of them. NMF packages typically carry their own stacking and renewal carve-outs separate from the standard automatic merit ladder; confirm those before assuming the headline NMF value is final.

Sources used on this page

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

More on WVU merit aid