Scholarships

New, first-year admitted students are considered for merit scholarships based on cumulative high school GPA; test scores are not a factor in our merit scholarship calculation. First-year merit awards are renewable for four years.

First-Year Scholarship Award Levels

GPA	In-State	Per Year	Out-Of-State	Per Year
3.35 to 3.749	East Merit	$2,500	Basin Merit	$8,000
3.75 to 3.999	Slate Merit	$3,500	Ridgeline Merit	$9,000
4.0	Taylor Merit	$4,500	Peak Merit	$10,000

Renewal Requirements

A maximum of eight semesters of eligibility will be awarded to first-year students. To continue receiving a Merit Scholarship, students must:

• Enroll and complete a minimum of 24 credit hours each year.
• Maintain a cumulative 2.75 GPA.
• Meet satisfactory academic requirements.

Note: If a student is awarded a Merit Scholarship and fails to maintain the required cumulative GPA of 2.75, the student will not default to their state’s tuition-discount program.

New students are evaluated as transfers if they have taken college courses after graduating from high school. Transfer students with fewer than 24 college credits AND a minimum 2.5 college GPA will be considered first-year students for merit awards – see above.

New admitted transfers students are considered for merit scholarships based on cumulative college GPA. Merit scholarships are renewable for up to three years.

Transfer Scholarship Award Levels

	In-State	Out-Of-State
Advantage Award (3.0-3.49 GPA)	$2,500	$5,000
Scholars Award (3.5-4.0 GPA)	$3,500	$7,000
Phi Theta Kappa (Two-Year College Honor Society Members)	$4,500	$8,000

Renewal Requirements

A maximum of six semesters of eligibility will be awarded to transfer students. To continue receiving a Merit Scholarship, students must:

• Enroll and complete a minimum of 24 credit hours each year.
• Maintain a cumulative 2.75 GPA.
• Meet satisfactory academic requirements.

Note: If a student is awarded a Merit Scholarship and fails to maintain the required cumulative GPA of 2.75, the student will not default to their state’s tuition-discount program.

Students with a permanent address from 25 states in the West and Midwest are automatically considered for reduced tuition rates upon completion of the admissions process (there is no additional application to be considered for Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) awards).

WUE and CP do not “stack” with the Western Merit Scholarships listed above – students receive the award that has the best financial benefit.

Details and more information >>

Search for Scholarships and Prepare to Apply

Visit western.academicworks.com to search and view scholarship descriptions, award amounts, application requirements, and application deadlines. For scholarships that require a reference request and you will need a full name and email address for each reference, gather those in advance to make your application easier.

Create Your Application

On the appropriate date noted above, log in with your Western email, and then

• Confirm that the information in the bottom left corner of the page is accurate – it’s used to connect you to scholarships that you may be eligible for. If a correction needs to be made, please contact the registrar’s office to update your information at reg_advise@western.edu or 970.943.7003.
• Complete the General Application. This step gives scholarship review committees a well-rounded perspective of you and:
  • Auto-matches with scholarships that need no additional information
  • Connects you to a program/department-specific application to fill out, if needed
  • Recommends scholarships that you will need to provide additional information to apply for
• Next, complete the program/department application(s)
• Finally, apply for any additional recommended scholarship opportunities

Review, Edit, and Submit Your Applications

• You can save and return to your applications; however, your applications will not be considered until you submit them.
• Once an application is submitted, you can go back in to view and update your application any time before the deadline.
• If your scholarship requires Reference Requests, each reference will be sent an email that prompts them to complete their reference. You should personally reach out to your reference to have them watch for an email from scholarships@western.edu with the instructions. You can view the status of your reference requests on the “References” tab at the top of the page.

What’s Next

If new opportunities open that are recommended for you, you will receive an email notification from scholarships@western.edu via your Western email address.

You may also receive via email:

• Reminders to complete drafted applications that are closing soon
• When a reference request has been completed
• Confirmation when an application has been submitted
• When you have received an award offer
• When a scholarship award has been posted to your student account
• When you need to complete a post-acceptance request in order to receive your award
• When you need to fill out a renewal application for a continuing scholarship

Having trouble or questions?

• Contact scholarships@western.edu
• Watch our scholarship guide video on YouTube.

The Reisher Scholars Program awards scholarships to Colorado students who demonstrate financial need and academic merit. The program seeks to help promising students earn their undergraduate degree without incurring additional educational debt. These awards are given to rising sophomores and transferring juniors who transfer from Colorado community colleges.
Awards range from $4,000 to $15,000 per academic year to cover students’ unmet financial need.

Eligibility Requirements

WCU “Continuing” candidates:

• Be a Colorado resident.
• Be a first-year Western Colorado University student who will be a “sophomore” by credit by the following Fall semester.
• Be eligible for the Pell Grant (Maximum, Minimum, or Calculated) or demonstrate unmet financial need while having a household adjusted gross income less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Have (and maintain) a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Plan to study full-time (at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester) in a campus-based, degree-awarding program.
• Have a plan to graduate within three years of receiving the scholarship.
• Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Community College “Transfer” candidates:

• Be a Colorado resident.
• Be a junior from a Colorado community college.
• Be eligible for the Pell Grant (Maximum, Minimum, or Calculated) or demonstrate unmet financial need while having a household adjusted gross income less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Have (and maintain) a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Plan to study full-time (at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester) in a campus-based, degree-awarding program.
• Have a plan to graduate within two years of receiving the scholarship.
• Have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Once selected, in order to continue to receive funding, a Reisher Scholar must:

• Continue to be a Colorado resident.
• Be enrolled as a full-time student and complete at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring semester at Western.
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Work an average of ten hours per week during the school year.
• File the FAFSA every year in a timely manner to meet early priority deadlines at Western Colorado University
• Attend required Reisher Scholar events and respond to inquiries from their Reisher Coordinator in a timely manner.
• Continue to demonstrate financial need.

History of the Reisher Scholars Program

The Reisher Scholars Program was established by the Reisher Family in 2001 through The Denver Foundation. Roger and Margaret Reisher came from modest means and were the first in their families to attend and graduate college. Appreciating how much their education impacted their lives and success in the banking industry, the Reisher wanted other students to have an opportunity to earn a college degree. This scholarship is designed to help provide students with the financial means to complete their undergraduate degree.

The Mountaineer Promise guarantees that standard tuition and mandatory fees will be covered through a combination of federal, state, and institutional scholarships and grants for eligible Colorado residents. To learn about eligibility and specifics, visit the link below. 

The Mountaineer Promise

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

• • • This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
    • Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
    • The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
    • GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship (MARS)

Western Colorado University Alumni may recommend prospective students who they feel will add to the community of learning and family that is the Western Nation.

The guidelines are as follows:

• • • An individual Western alumni may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship ($250 per semester).
    • Application deadline is June 1 for new students enrolling for the following fall semester.
    • The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
    • The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards.
    • The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student attending Western for the first time.
    • The recommended student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
    • Western employees are eligible to recommend a student but not a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits.
    • Not available to mid-year transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
    • The nominating alumni or employee must complete all portions of the online nomination form.

The Admissions and Alumni offices will verify the nomination forms before the award is given. If you have any questions, contact the Alumni Relations Office at mabeyta@western.edu or 970.943.3464

To apply, please visit our online web form.

Tuition Exchange Program

The Tuition Exchange (TE) Program is a reciprocal scholarship opportunity for dependents of eligible faculty and staff members who are employed at participating Tuition Exchange schools. Under this arrangement, dependents who apply to participating colleges and universities may be awarded TE scholarships for basic tuition costs. There are more than 700 institutions around the country and the world that currently participate in the program.

“Import” Students at Western

This is for students who are dependents of employees at other TE program schools and who hope to attend Western Colorado University.

If you receive a TE scholarship for Western, whether you are an in-state or out-of-state student, the cost of basic full tuition will be covered.

Steps for Attending Western through the Tuition Exchange Program:

• • 1. Check with your home institution to see if you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for the TE scholarship. You should contact your Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer (TELO), who will be able to guide you through the process. You may need to fill out forms or take other steps to be certified by your institution to participate.
    2. Check to see if you meet the eligibility requirements for the program at Western. Incoming students must be first-time, first-year students and be merit-eligible.
    3. Apply for admission and be accepted to Western by Dec. 31.
    4. Fill out the TE application on the Tuition Exchange website and receive certification by Dec. 31.
    5. Complete your FAFSA and submit it to Western for the coming school year.
    6. For in-state students who are residents of Colorado, apply for and authorize the College Opportunity Fund (COF).
    7. If all documents have been completed, the student has been certified by the TELO and accepted to Western by Dec. 31, the TE applicant will receive notification from Western by Feb. 15. This notification will include information about the student’s TE award status.
    8. In order to renew the TE scholarship year-to-year, students must:
    • Maintain eligibility at their home TE institution.
    • Retain full-time status, taking at least 12 credits per semester.
    • Be seeking a degree.
    • Attend Western in consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms).
    • Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
    • Live on-campus for their first two years of school.

The Tuition Exchange scholarship is available for up to eight consecutive semesters.

If you have any questions about Tuition Exchange, or if you would like more information, please contact Western’s TELO, Chase Watts.

Eligibility

• • • Full-time
    • Colorado resident
    • Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
    • Must be able to demonstrate a contribution or promotion of diversity on our Western campus
    • Students must remain active with the Multicultural Center for the entire year

Description

This scholarship is provided by Western Colorado University.

Award depends on funds available.

Selected by: the Director of Multicultural Center.

Application:

Contact the Multicultural Center for application and deadline information.

970.943.2150 | University Center 122