FAQ

To check the status of your Promise application, log into your WVSAM account and click your confirmation number under My Applications.

Once you successfully submit your Promise application, you will receive a confirmation email with a confirmation number. Your WVSAM will display your submitted applications under My Applications.

You are required to submit a FAFSA by March 1. Additional documentation may be required for your application. Check out the Promise Application Checklist or log onto your WVSAM account and click your confirmation number under My Applications to see what we currently have on file for you.

Yes, a student must be a legal resident of West Virginia for a minimum of one year prior to the March 1 application deadline.

You should complete the Promise Scholarship application and FAFSA prior to March 1 and try to improve your grades in your eighth (final) semester of high school. If you achieve the 3.0 overall and core GPA in your eighth semester, you should have your high school counselor submit a grade report form (located under forms tab) and transcript to our office. If you achieve a qualifying score on the ACT or SAT after the March 1 deadline, be sure to self-report your eligible score on your application under Test Type, Test Date, and Test Year. Official scores must be received to qualify.

Yes, you may take as many college credit hours as you desire prior to college enrollment. Please note: Dual credit courses may affect your overall high school GPA, since students also receive high school credit for these courses. Dual credit coursework and corresponding grades are used in your future cumulative gpa calculation for renewal but will not be included towards the credit hour requirement.

The final test dates for eligibility for the 2024 application are June 2024 for the SAT and July 2024 for the ACT.

Students are typically notified in April/May by email and/or text. You can log in to your WVSAM account to check the status of your application, at any time.

Yes – please review our appeals policy.

If you are using your last (eighth) semester of high school to determine your eligibility, then you should have your school counselor submit a grade report form and attached transcript which identifies both your overall and core GPA. Private school and homeschool applicants who submitted eligible grades with 6th or 7th grade information, must have a high school counselor, school official, or homeschool administrator verify the gpa was maintained through the final term. This will be done through email to certifying official listed on the grade report form.

Yes, by accepting the Promise Scholarship, you agree to provide the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission any information they may request regarding your address after graduation, your employment after graduation, whether and where you are enrolled in a postgraduate program and such other relevant information as the Commission may deem necessary to assess the effectiveness of the Promise Scholarship Program.

You can view the Promise Legislative Rule here.

Yes, the Promise Scholarship program will accept a weighted GPA, if it is calculated according to county grading policy.

The core GPA is calculated based upon county grading policy in all core courses (English, math, science, and history) you have completed while in high school. Review the list of core courses for the Promise Scholarship under the forms tab.

No, you are only required to maintain a 3.0 in the core subjects (English, math, science, and history combined) and in your overall GPA according to county grading policies. Both gpa’s are cumulative.

Students are required to maintain eligibility through the eighth and final semester. Failure to maintain both the overall and gpa requirement will result in the cancellation of your scholarship.

Yes, please visit our list of renewal requirements for more information.

Your institution will notify our office of your eligibility for renewal. You are not required to reapply or submit a FAFSA each year to renew your scholarship.

Yes, students may take a leave of absence from college without losing eligibility if they take the necessary steps to place the scholarship into a deferment status. Promise Scholarship students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment but may request a leave of absence from the institution for a medical or family bereavement, entering or being called to military active duty, or enrolling in a study abroad program, internship, or co-op program.

Other deferment requests must be submitted in writing by the student to the Director of State Financial Aid Programs at Promise@wvhepc.edu. Deferment requests submitted to the Director may include, but are not limited to:

• The pursuit of programs related directly to the student’s educational program
• Study abroad
• Extreme financial hardships of the student or the student’s immediate family
• Service or volunteerism
• Other extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control where continued attendance would create a substantial hardship for the student.

A student who meets all renewal requirements   shall retain eligibility for a Promise Scholarship until the first of the following events:

• The student receives four semesters of Promise Scholarship assistance while enrolled in an associate degree program or graduates from the associate degree program. (A student may continue on to a bachelor’s degree program after obtaining an associate degree).
• The student receives eight semesters of Promise Scholarship assistance while enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program,graduates from the baccalaureate program or meets the requirements for graduation from the baccalaureate program.
• The sum of the number of academic years from the date of the student’s initial selection as a Promise Scholarship recipient equals six years, except for military service provisions outlined under Section 5 of legislation outlining the rules and regulations of the Promise Scholarship Program.

No. The Promise Scholarship can only be used at an in-state, accredited institution.

Yes, as long as you transfer to another Promise eligible institution and maintain your Promise Scholarship eligibility as outlined under the renewal requirements. You should contact our office or your new institutional financial aid office if you decide to transfer.

A student who was deemed eligible for a Promise award but elects not to enroll at an eligible institution may regain eligibility providing the student discontinues enrollment at the ineligible institution no later than one academic year after high school graduation and re-enrolls at an eligible institution. Any such student must meet the eligibility standards for a Promise award renewal.

To have your scholarship reinstated, you will need to provide our office with an official transcript verifying you have met these requirements at your out of state institution.

Promise scholars will receive annual awards valued at the lesser of tuition and mandatory fees OR, starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, $5,500 at the West Virginia public or private higher education institution they choose to attend. The amount of a Promise Scholarship awarded in combination with aid from all other sources shall not exceed the cost of the education at the institution the recipient is attending.

Scholarship funds will only pay for mandatory fees assessed to all students at the institution. Other fees may be applied to your account but would not be covered.

You should notify the Financial Aid office at the college or university you will attend or contact our office.

Students can receive both forms of state-level financial aid if they meet each program’s eligibility requirements. For additional information about how the Promise Scholarship Program coordinates with other financial aid programs, click here, or contact the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Division of Financial Aid at (304) 558-4418 or toll free at 1 (877) 987-7664. You can also e-mail Promise@wvhepc.edu.

Promise awards are sent directly to the institution a student attends. If you have questions or concerns about your account, you should contact your school’s financial aid office, or the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Division of Financial Aid.

If you have been officially awarded and the Promise Scholarship is not showing on your financial aid package, you should contact your institutional financial aid office.

https://studentaid.gov

West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
Division of Financial Aid
1018 Kanawha Blvd. East, Suite 700
Charleston, WV 25301

(304) 558-4618 or 1 (877) 987-7664
Promise@wvhepc.edu