Media Relations

Date: Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

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Western Kentucky University is making changes to its scholarship programs to help recruit more high-achieving students.

Beginning in the fall of 2013, WKU’s top academic scholarships will be renamed and two additional scholarships will be added, increasing opportunities for students with high school grade-point averages of 3.3 and above and ACT scores of 26 and higher.

“Each year WKU spends over $10 million on merit academic scholarships,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “We are adding to these funds to provide scholarship assistance to more high-achieving students.”

He said WKU will continue to recruit students with the highest academic credentials into the Honors College. The initiative seeks to provide much-deserved financial assistance to additional students with a wider range of ACT scores and GPAs.

“We are losing too many of these students to other campuses for the want of modest scholarship support,” he said.

Provost Gordon Emslie said the expanded scholarship program will be key in recruiting the best and brightest to WKU.

“We recognize providing financial support is an important factor in the decision where to attend college, and we hope that these awards will allow more students to experience the high quality educational experiences that WKU has to offer,” he said.

Changes effective fall 2013

The Presidential Scholarship will become the Cherry Presidential Scholarship, named after WKU’s founding president, Henry Hardin Cherry. This annually-renewable award remains the same: in-state tuition, $3,700 on-campus housing allowance, $2,100 meal allowance and $1,000 book allowance. It is competitively awarded; students with at least a 3.8 high school GPA and 31 ACT are eligible to compete. There will be approximately 20 awarded and all applicants will also be eligible to compete for a 1906 Founders Scholarship.

The 1906 Founders Scholarship was previously called the Award of Excellence. This annually-renewable award also remains: in-state tuition, $3,000 on-campus housing allowance and $500 book allowance. About 100 of these will be awarded. Applicants not selected for the Cherry or Founders awards who have a 3.9 GPA will receive a 100 percent in-state tuition award; those with a 3.8-3.89 GPA will receive a 50 percent in-state tuition award.

The Regents Scholarship remains the same: in-state tuition. This annually-renewable scholarship is automatic for students with a minimum 3.9 high school GPA and 28 ACT.

The first of the new scholarships is the Spirit Makes the Master Scholarship.  It will be automatically awarded to students with a minimum 3.5 high school GPA and 27 ACT. It provides $2,500 annually for in-state students and those eligible for the Tuition Incentive Program, and $5,000 annually for non-resident students.

The new Red Towel Scholarship is also automatically awarded to students with a minimum 3.3 high school GPA and 26 ACT. It provides $1,500 annually for in-state students and those eligible for the Tuition Incentive Program, and $3,000 annually for non-resident students.

All of the scholarships are renewable if students meet minimum GPA requirements and remain enrolled full time.

“We are very excited about the new scholarship initiatives at WKU,” Brian Meredith, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, said. “These new awards will allow WKU to offer even more competitive scholarship packages to continue to attract the best and brightest to pursue their educational goals here on the Hill.”

Dr. Meredith encourages parents and students to look for notices of informational meetings about the new scholarship plan that will be announced in the coming weeks.

The College Heights Foundation and WKU Enrollment Management will jointly provide funding for the scholarship program, Dr. Meredith said.