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WGU scholarships and merit aid

The short answer

WGU may be worth checking, but its awards do not follow a simple grades-and-scores chart. Start with the published scholarships below.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
3 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. WGU Competitive Scholarship Portfolio (general)$500-$10,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    WGU Competitive Scholarship Portfolio (general)

    $500-$10,000

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for WGU Competitive Scholarship Portfolio (general)

    Who qualifies

    Must be provisionally accepted as a WGU student; apply via ScholarshipUniverse 90 days before to 30 days after the degree start date; current aid-year FAFSA required if eligible; most awards are for new students or returning WGU graduates

    How to keep it

    Per the Scholarship FAQs: 'Recipients of multi-term scholarships must meet on-time progress (OTP) for their scholarship to renew.' Awards are 'divided into a set amount per term' and credited against tuition each term.

    Worth knowing

    All scholarships are competitive and not guaranteed; selection considers eligibility, application quality, and (for most funds) financial need. WGU employees and family members eligible for the employee discount are not eligible. No GPA/test grid exists.

  2. University of You Scholarship$10,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    University of You Scholarship

    $10,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for University of You Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Competitive application via ScholarshipUniverse

    Worth knowing

    Described as 'one of our most substantial scholarships.' Per-term disbursement details on its own page (not opened).

  3. Opportunity Grant$10,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Opportunity Grant

    $10,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for Opportunity Grant

    Who qualifies

    Competitive application via ScholarshipUniverse

    Worth knowing

    Listed among General Scholarships at $10,000; detail page not opened.

  4. Rise Above Grant Scholarship$4,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Rise Above Grant Scholarship

    $4,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for Rise Above Grant Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Competitive application; application deadline June 30th, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Featured scholarship with a posted deadline.

  5. Sage Scholarship$3,000Not automatic
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Sage Scholarship

    $3,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    Open award details for Sage Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    New students and returning graduates; application deadline June 30, 2026

  6. Education Support Professionals Scholarship$5,000Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Education Support Professionals Scholarship

    $5,000

    Published amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Education Support Professionals Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Paraprofessionals pursuing teaching degrees

    How to keep it

    Recipients receive $1,250 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms, with an additional $2,500 stipend for the student teaching term.

    Worth knowing

    Example of the per-term disbursement structure typical of WGU multi-term scholarships.

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What makes WGU different

WGU has no automatic merit grid — every scholarship is competitive, applied for through ScholarshipUniverse, and capped at ONE WGU-funded scholarship per degree, layered on top of already-low flat-rate tuition (~$8,300/yr average for bachelor's).

Merit tiers6See who qualifies
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

Selection beyond grades and scores

Start with the selection process.

These awards are not recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read each award's selection rules, application steps and dates. Meeting a minimum is not an award offer.

  1. Read the selection rules

    Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take WGU's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. The FAQ is explicit: 'Scholarship recipients are eligible to receive one WGU scholarship per degree.' If you qualify for several, the committee selects one (if any). Only current students 30+ days past their start date may apply for additional funding after the first term.

  2. You can apply only '90 days before and up to 30 days after your degree start date.' Featured funds also carry hard deadlines (e.g., Rise Above Grant, Military Appreciation, and Sage all list June 30, 2026).

  3. 'All scholarships are competitive and are not guaranteed' — there is no automatic GPA/test-score grid, and financial need is 'a strong consideration for most' funds.

  4. 'Completing a current aid year FAFSA is required if eligible' for scholarship consideration; only students ineligible for federal aid are exempt.

  5. 'New and returning student scholarship awards are divided into a set amount per term' and credited against each term's tuition — slow progress can forfeit later installments, since multi-term scholarships 'must meet on-time progress (OTP)' to renew.

  6. 'WGU employees and family members who are eligible for the WGU employee discount are not eligible for WGU scholarships.'

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Working adults and online learners who want low sticker price first and scholarship money second. Best fits: new students or returning WGU grads who apply in the 90-days-before to 30-days-after window and match a niche fund (employer partner, field of study, rural, first responder, etc.).

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at WGU, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at WGU, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$12,064
$30,001–$48,000$12,436
$48,001–$75,000$12,578
$75,001–$110,000$14,824
$110,001+$12,734
All income levels (average)$12,548

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Total cost of attendance (sticker), AY 2021-22
$16,728
Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$8,658
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$12,548

That works out to an average 25% discount off the sticker price above — both figures come from the same federal AY 2021-22 Scorecard report, not a number the school itself published.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
46%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
65%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$11,116 (~$118/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$60,615
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
57%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
51%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

WGU's federal-aid-inclusive award package is capped at cost of attendance, but WGU's own scholarship specifically may have future disbursements reduced whenever outside scholarships, grants, or state/federal aid exceed tuition and fees costs — a narrower cap than COA — and WGU states it may reduce future disbursement amounts at any time at its sole discretion.

Verified policy language (2026-07-02): If they use federal financial aid, their total financial aid award package (including their scholarship) cannot exceed their Cost of Attendance. The disbursement of future scholarships awarded by WGU may be affected if, at any point during a student's WGU scholarship award disbursement timeline, they receive federal or state grant funding or other external scholarships or gift aid that exceeds tuition and fees costs. WGU may reduce a student's future scholarship disbursement amount at any time (at its sole discretion). Separately, the school's own award-stacking rules: Hard one-award cap: an eligible student beginning a new degree program may receive only ONE WGU-funded scholarship. (per https://www.wgu.edu/financial-aid-tuition/scholarships/faqs.html)

Source

Other WGU scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$3,000EligibilityApplicants must live in a rural area of the U.S. as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau

Geography-gated general scholarship.

Source

Amount$4,000EligibilityFirst responders

General scholarship listed at $4,000.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityStudents who might not otherwise have internet access

Provides a device, internet access, and a webcam rather than a stated dollar amount.

Source

Amount$3,000EligibilityPTK members with an associate's degree continuing to a bachelor's

Transfer-oriented partner scholarship.

Source

Amount$500-$5,000EligibilityEmployees/members of partner organizations: e.g., Collaborative Agreement ($3,500), Community College Partner ($3,500), K-12 Partner ($3,500), JetBlue ($3,000), SHRM ($3,000), Union Plus ($3,000), Sigma Gamma Rho ($5,000), NYPD ($5,000, 20 available), NSLS ($500)

Large catalog of affiliation-gated funds; each has its own page.

Source

Amount$1,000-$8,000EligibilityBy school/program: Future of Nursing ($8,000, BSN prelicensure), Shaping the Future ($8,000, education), Cybersecurity ($6,000), AI Edge ($5,000), Become a Teacher ($5,000), WGU Loves Teachers ($5,000), Careers in Learning ($4,000), Speed of Business ($3,000), Tech Is Everywhere ($3,000), Changing Lives Through Healthcare ($3,000), DaVita Nursing Clinical Support ($1,000)

Amounts as listed on the scholarships index page.

Source

WGU merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    There is no single deadline — WGU starts students monthly and evaluates applications continually (decisions typically within 3-5 weeks). You must apply between 90 days before and 30 days after your degree start date. Individual featured funds post their own deadlines (e.g., Rise Above Grant, Military Appreciation, and Sage Scholarships: June 30, 2026).

  • Is there an automatic merit scholarship based on GPA or test scores?

    No. WGU does not publish any GPA/test-based automatic award grid; all scholarships are competitive applications via the ScholarshipUniverse platform, and WGU practices test-free admissions.

  • How many scholarships can I receive?

    One WGU-funded scholarship per degree when starting a new program. Current students at least 30 days past their start date may apply for additional WGU-funded scholarships after completing their first term.

  • How much does WGU cost?

    Tuition is flat-rate per six-month term (take as many courses as you can complete). Average yearly bachelor's tuition is $8,300; average yearly master's tuition is $8,856. Full cost-of-attendance figures are published as separate downloadable PDFs (independent/dependent/military).

  • Do I need the FAFSA?

    Yes, if you are eligible: 'Completing a current aid year FAFSA is required if eligible.' Students ineligible for federal aid can still be considered for WGU scholarships.

See sources and other schools

How WGU compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    WGU is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    WGU 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 claim is checked against WGU’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring WGU merit aid

The next chapter

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