For students who want to go to college in the state of West Virginia, grants and scholarships are often crucial to being able to pay their way. As a largely rural, mountainous state, West Virginia has many low-income residents who can earn a college degree and transform their lives with just a little financial help. And, people looking to further their education would do well to take advantage of whatever West Virginia scholarships and grants they can find. College education comes with costs that aren’t just about the tuition. Having grants, scholarships, or other financial aid can do potential students a lot of favors when it comes to paying for college.
College Consensus is with you. We are dedicated to providing resources for students from all walks of life who want to use a college education to make their life the life they want. The Top 5 West Virginia scholarships can give prospective students a sense of what is out there for them. Programs are featured alphabetically.
See Also: Best Scholarships for Online Students
1
Allegheny Mountain Section Air and Waste Management Association
The AMS Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students studying to pursue a career related to the environment. Students who receive the scholarships must attend school in West Virginia or west of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be attending a four-year college or university full-time as an undergraduate. Students must fill out the application, which includes an essay and a form to be filled out by an evaluator who knows the student. The amount of the award ranges from $500 to $2,000, and the deadline to apply is March 31.
The Allegheny Mountain Section of the Air & Waste Management Association helps educate citizens about waste management issues and pollution in the Allegheny Mountains. The organization promotes communication about these issues in order to aid the community in reaching resolutions that address the problems. Memberships are available to individuals, organizations, and government agencies. Individual membership includes subscriptions to the organization’s publications and access to the membership directory and networking events.
2
Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship
The Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship is named after the founder of the Mid-Atlantic Trade Show, Inc. (MANTS). This West Virginia scholarship is intended to ensure that the landscape and nursery profession endures the test of time. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program related to horticulture or landscape and live in West Virginia, Virginia, or Maryland. Recipients of the award must be juniors or seniors attending school full-time and they must remain in good standing in their programs, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The award is $5,000 and the deadline to apply is September 13.
MANTS is a trade show held annually at the Baltimore Convention Center. The event helps introduce new products to industry professionals. The 2019 show had more than 11,000 attendees and more than 900 exhibitors. MANTS strives to promote the landscaping and horticulture industries by providing a platform where industry professionals can meet and share ideas and information.
3
James T and Rose M Perryman Family Foundation Scholarship
The James T. and Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation Scholarship is available to students pursuing a degree in machine shop, welding, mechatronics, automation, networking, or another technology-based program. Unlike many West Virginia scholarships, this scholarship is open to students attending trade schools as well as colleges or universities. Students who live and attend school within 150 miles of Houston, PA are given preference. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and must not have already completed more than 5 years of trade school or undergraduate education. Students submit a video, an essay, and two letters of recommendation to apply. The scholarship pays for up to 97% of the cost of tuition up to $25,000 per year. Applications will open February 1 and close Feb 29th.
The James T. & Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation is committed to rewarding outstanding students who want to make a difference in the world. The foundation’s values include encouraging students to pursue education in math or science, supporting hard-working students so that they can succeed in their education and tackle big problems later in life, and recognize students with exceptional communication skills.
4
West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant is another source of scholarships in West Virginia. The program provides funding to West Virginia students with financial need who want to pursue a college education. The amount of the award varies based on availability, but last year the maximum was $2,700. Students who receive a scholarship can renew for up to three additional years. Applicants must be West Virginia residents for at least one year before applying. They must also be high school graduates or GED recipients and be enrolled full-time at a college or university in Pennsylvania or West Virginia. The application deadline is April 15.
The College Foundation of West Virginia offers resources that help people plan their careers, plot the right educational paths, and find the money they need to reach their educational goals. The resources include an assessment that helps students determine which careers would be best for them.
5
West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship
Notable among West Virginia scholarships is the PROMISE Scholarship, which is awarded to students who have a high school GPA of at least 3.0. To be eligible, the applicant must have earned at least half of his or her high school credits at a public or private high school in West Virginia. There is also a provision for students who were homeschooled in West Virginia. The scholarship amount is up to $4,750 and can be renewed for three additional years as long as students meet the GPA requirements to be able to continue receiving the award. Students pursuing associate degrees are only eligible to receive the scholarship for two years. The application deadline is March 1.
The College Foundation of West Virginia offers a variety of programs and events to aid West Virginia high school students as they plan their college experiences. Upcoming events include FAFSFA completion workshops, college visits, and school open houses.
Does the State of West Virginia Offer Grants and Scholarships?
Students seeking out West Virginia grants and scholarships should start early. West Virginia scholarship applications aren’t limited to those who are already out of secondary school. It’s possible to find West Virginia scholarships for high school seniors as well.
When looking for West Virginia scholarship applications, a simple search will typically bring up a lot of results. Looking through individual college websites can also help someone find applicable West Virginia scholarships and grants.
Whether the search is for West Virginia scholarships for high school seniors or West Virginia scholarships for college students, it’s important to find results that can serve an applicant’s specific needs.
That is to say, a very good grant or scholarship can help steer someone’s school choices, but applicants should already have goals in mind. Those goals should dictate the types of grants and scholarships the applicant should look further into.
In most cases, West Virginia scholarships for college students and others start with an applicant meeting criterion for that scholarship. Each scholarship or grant will have requirements and narrowing those requirements down to the ones that fit an applicant is the first step. There are also deadlines, which means applicants may have to move fast or wait until a scholarship or grant comes back around.
Some notable West Virginia grants and scholarships include:
- West Virginia PROMISE Scholarships
- Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship
- Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation Scholarship
- James T. and Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation Scholarship
- United Methodist Scholarships
- United Methodist Ministerial Grant
- Korean American Scholarship Foundation-Eastern Regional Chapter
- Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. Scholarship
- West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program
- Wesleyan Service Scholarship
- Allegheny Mountain Section Air & Waste Management Assn. Scholarships
Applicants should look everywhere they can. Scholarships for West Virginians aren’t limited to just WV institutions. Many places offer grants and scholarships, that’s why research is imperative.
What is the West Virginia Promise Scholarship?
The West Virginia Promise Scholarship is one of the more well-known and accessible scholarship opportunities in the state. As publicly funded scholarship, the West Virginia Promise Scholarship offers financial aid to high school graduates who might the listed West Virginia Promise Scholarship requirement. Eligible students who earn the scholarship can receive up to $4,750 every year to cover tuition costs and fees at West Virginia institutions.
Here is a look at each West Virginia Promise Scholarship Requirement:
- Meeting the program’s deadlines
- Applying for financial aid
- Residency in WV for 12 or more consecutive months
- Graduation from a WV high school
The Promise Scholarship in West Virginia also comes with academic requirements. Graduating from a WV school isn’t enough, the student must graduate with at least a B average (3.0 to 4.0 GPA). The student must also meet the test score requirements.
Other requirements for students exist as well. The College Foundation of West Virginia also lists each West Virginia Promise Scholarship requirement for people in different circumstances, such as those in the military, homeschooled students, and students who commuted to schools outside WV.
The West Virginia Promise Scholarship isn’t the only scholarship opportunity listed by the CFWV, and the institution itself strongly advises applicants to work out a full financial aid plan during this process. So those who want to fill out a West Virginia promise scholarship application should also fill out applications for other opportunities.
Keep in mind that ineligibility for the Promise Scholarship in West Virginia does not mean ineligibility for all scholarships or grants. Nevertheless, if an applicant is careful, they can fill out a West Virginia promise scholarship application with confidence.
Are there Scholarships for Nurses in West Virginia?
Nursing is a popular occupation and many in WV who want to move into the nursing profession can also find West Virginia nursing scholarships to facilitate that desire. Nursing scholarships in West Virginia can work in conjunction with other types of grants as well.
This means applicants who want to enter the nursing field don’t have to limit themselves strictly to nursing scholarships in West Virginia. Nevertheless, there are many West Virginia nursing scholarships, grants, and other programs. Some of these can include:
- West Virginia Center for Nursing Scholarship Program
- Health Sciences Scholarship Program
- The Dixie L. Hudson Wilson And Richard Lee Wilson Nursing Scholarship
- June Satterfield Scholarship
- Imogene Peer Foster Nursing Scholarship
- West Virginia Center for Nursing Scholarship Programs
There are certainly scholarships and grants for nurses in West Virginia. Still, like all these programs, it’s up to the applicant to sift through them to find those that they’re eligible and those that fit their goals.
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