Scholarships at Western Kentucky University
Scholarships can make your WKU experience more affordable, and many don't require a separate application. Explore opportunities based on where you are in your college-going journey, including automatic academic awards, TOPDollar scholarships, transfer awards, and more.
Start Your Climb Here 
See automatic academic awards, competitive scholarships, residency-based opportunities, and more.
Apply for scholarships through TOPDollar and complete other scholarship renewal requirements.
Explore Transfer Base Awards, Phi Theta Kappa scholarships, and other opportunities.
Office of Student Financial Assistance at WKU
- 270-745-2755
- fa.help@wku.edu
Student Financial Assistance
Potter Hall, Room 317
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11018
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1018
Scholarships for Incoming Freshmen
AUTOMATIC SCHOLARSHIPS
No seperate application required.
Awards based on official unweighted GPA and composite/total test score.
Eligible students must be admitted to WKU by December 31.
Scholarship awards must be accepted by May 1.
YOUR GPA & TEST SCORE |
YEARLY SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT |
|---|---|
|
3.8-4.0 GPA & ACT COMPOSITE 30+ (OR SAT TOTAL 1360+) |
$7,500 PER YEAR |
| 3.8-4.0 GPA (NO ACT/SAT REQUIREMENT) |
$3,500 PER YEAR |
| 3.5-3.79 GPA (NO ACT/SAT REQUIREMENT) |
$2,500 PER YEAR |
| 3.3-3.49 GPA (NO ACT/SAT REQUIREMENT) |
$1,500 PER YEAR |
| 3.0-3.29 GPA (NO ACT/SAT REQUIREMENT) |
$1,000 PER YEAR |
HILLTOPPER GUARANTEE
FULL TUITION
First-time, full-time freshmen from Kentucky who receive a Pell Grant, a Kentucky
College Access Program Grant, and have at least a 3.00 cumulative unweighted high
school GPA are eligible for a last-dollar scholarship at WKU that guarantees 100%
tuition coverage.
Learn more at wku.edu/guarantee.
CHERRY PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP
$16,000 PER YEAR -- $64,000 TOTAL
The Cherry Presidential Scholarship is WKU’s top academic award. Students with a 3.8 unweighted GPA and an ACT composite score of 30+ (or 1360 SAT) are automatically invited to interview for this opportunity. For consideration, students must be admitted by December 1st.
Learn more at wku.edu/cherrypresidential.
ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
Students who have participated in any of the following programs may be eligible for these stackable scholarships:
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS
Full-tuition award (limited number available - competitive) $1,500 minimum per year
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
$1,500 stackable award
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR ENTREPRENEURS
$1,500 stackable award
NATIONAL MERIT & ACHIEVEMENT SEMI-FINALISTS
$1,500 stackable award
ROGERS SCHOLARS
$1,500 stackable award
Gatton & Craft Academy Scholarship
Full, in-state tuition award requiring a 3.00 collegiate GPA for renewal.
Graduates of Gatton Academy or Craft Academy with a minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA qualify
for a Supplemental Scholarship.
Military & ROTC Student Scholarships
WKU Army ROTC Scholarship
WKU Army ROTC provides scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees, as well as a room and board scholarship that covers on-campus housing and 10 meals per week. We also offer two-year graduate level scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees.
For more information about the WKU Army ROTC Scholarship, please click here.
In-State Tuition for Border State Students
First-time, full-time freshmen from bordering states can attend WKU for the in-state tuition rate. The Border State Scholarship reduces tuition to at least the rate paid by Kentucky residents. This stackable scholarship is automatic and renewable for up to 4 years for students admitted by December 31st.
Learn more at wku.edu/border.
Eligible States
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Don’t Live in Kentucky or a Bordering State?
Non-resident first-time, full-time freshmen who have a 3.00 high school GPA or qualify for any university scholarship award will qualify for the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP). TIP will reduce the cost of out-of-state tuition by nearly 50%, and other scholarships can still stack.
To receive the Tuition Incentip Program rate, students must be admitted by December 31.
Studying a program unavailable in your home state? You may also qualify for the Academic Common Market.
The Academic Common Market (ACM) enables students to pursue out-of-state college degrees at discounted tuition rates if a student’s home state schools do not offer a particular degree. See if your state and program are on the list.
Scholarships for Current Students
TOPDollar Scholarship Application
One application can connect you with multiple scholarship opportunities at WKU.
Complete the TOPDollar Scholarship Application to be automatically matched with opportunities for which you may qualify.
While the priority deadline is December 31, we encourage students to complete their TOPDollar Application as early as possible each year.
Military & ROTC Student Scholarships
WKU Army ROTC Scholarship
WKU Army ROTC provides scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees, as well as a room and board scholarship that covers on-campus housing and 10 meals per week. We also offer two-year graduate level scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees.
Scholarship Renewal Requirements
Cherry Presidential Scholarship
Academic Scholarships
Kentucky Governor's Scholars, Kentucky Governor's School for Entrepreneurs, Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts, National Merit & Achievement Semi-Finalists, or Rogers Scholars
The Hilltopper Guarantee
WKU Border State Scholarship
Tuition Incentive Program Scholarship
WKU Family Scholarship
Scholarships for Transfer Students
If you have previously earned college credit at an institution other than WKU after graduating high school, but you have not completed a bachelor's degree, you are considered a transfer student.
Transfer Base Award
Eligibility & Application
Students with a minimum of 24 transfer hours from a regionally accredited institution and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA qualify for WKU’s Transfer Base Awards.
To be considered for a Transfer Base Award, students must have a complete application package on file before the start of the Fall/Spring semester that they are attending. A complete application package includes the following:
- Applied AND admitted to WKU
- Submit official transcript reflecting transfer hours for admission consideration. Another official transcript can be submitted once all grades have posted
- Can be combined with the WKU Border State scholarship (must have residency in TN, IN, OH, IL, WV, VA and MO) if admitted by December 31st of the year prior to attendance.
OR
- Can be combined with the Tuition Incentive Program scholarship (must have Non-Resident status (excluding TN, IN, OH, IL, WV, VA and MO), if admitted by December 31st of the year prior to attendance.
We encourage all transfer students to apply for additional opportunities at https://www.wku.edu/topdollar/, priority consideration is given to applicants who have applied by December 31st each year.
Award & Notification
Students transferring to WKU with a minimum of 24 transfer hours from a regionally accredited institution will be considered for one of the following scholarship awards based upon their minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA:
|
Cumulative GPA |
Amount Awarded |
|---|---|
|
3.8+ |
$4,000 Annually |
|
3.5 - 3.799 |
$3,000 Annually |
|
3.0 - 3.499 |
$1,500 Annually |
Disbursement
Scholarship awards are applied toward tuition charges that exist on the student’s WKU account. Scholarships often disburse before the semester begins and always show as a credit on the bill, not to exceed the cost of attendance budget. In the event that total awards (grants, loans, scholarships) exceed total charges (tuition, fees, housing, meals, books), a refund will be issued to the student up to the cost of attendance according to the refund preference the student selected at my.wku.edu. For more information about the refund process, please visit the Office of Student Billing & Account Services.
Should a student be determined eligible for any full-tuition waiver mandated by the state and funded by the university, all scholarships offered upon admittance to WKU will be upgraded to meet the requirements of the full-tuition waiver. Students may not receive both a university scholarship and a full-tuition waiver simultaneously. Students may receive other cash scholarships such as third-party, foundation, or other externally-funded scholarships.
Renewal
Transfer Base Awards are automatically renewable with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 (at the end of the Spring semester). Students who fail to meet the renewal GPA of 2.50 can use the summer term to bring their GPA up to the required level.
Transfer Base Awards are renewable for three (3) years or until completion of first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first.
*Note1: If you are a KCTCS employee, please see information about the KCTCS Employee Transfer Scholarship located on this web page.
Note2: Transfer Scholarships are not applicable if receiving a full tuition scholarship, waiver, or discount.
Note3: The Hilltopper Guarantee scholarship does not apply to transfer students.
Phi Theta Kappa
Eligibility & Application
Students who are receiving a WKU Transfer Scholarship and are members of Phi Theta Kappa are eligible for an additional $1,500 award per academic year.
The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship requires full-time enrollment (12 or more credit hours) at WKU.
If you believe you are eligible for this scholarship, please send your Phi Theta Kappa membership certificate along with your WKU ID number to scholarships@wku.edu.
Disbursement
Scholarship awards are applied toward tuition charges that exist on the student’s WKU account. Scholarships often disburse before the semester begins and always show as a credit on the bill, not to exceed the cost of attendance budget. In the event that total awards (grants, loans, scholarships) exceed total charges (tuition, fees, housing, meals, books), a refund will be issued to the student up to the cost of attendance according to the refund preference the student selected at my.wku.edu. For more information about the refund process, please visit the Office of Student Billing & Account Services.
Should a student be determined eligible for any full-tuition waiver mandated by the state and funded by the university, all scholarships offered upon admittance to WKU will be upgraded to meet the requirements of the full-tuition waiver. Students may not receive both a university scholarship and a full-tuition waiver simultaneously. Students may receive other cash scholarships such as third-party, foundation, or other externally-funded scholarships.
Renewal
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships are automatically renewable with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (at the end of the Spring semester). Students who fail to meet the renewal GPA of 2.5 can use the summer term to bring their GPA up to the required level.
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships are renewable for three (3) years or until completion of first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first.
*Note: Transfer Scholarships are not applicable if receiving a full tuition scholarship, waiver, or discount.
Military & ROTC Student Scholarships
WKU Army ROTC Scholarship
WKU Army ROTC provides scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees, as well as a room and board scholarship that covers on-campus housing and 10 meals per week. We also offer two-year graduate level scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees.
Available to All Students
Find More Scholarships with TOPDollar
One application can connect you with multiple scholarship opportunities at WKU.
Complete the TOPDollar Scholarship Application to be automatically matched with opportunities for which you may qualify.
Priority Deadline: December 31st.
*Although a majority of departmental scholarships are found in TOPDollar, students should check with their department and college to see if there are any additional scholarship opportunities available.
Military & ROTC Student Scholarships
WKU Army ROTC Scholarship
WKU Army ROTC provides scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees, as well as a room and board scholarship that covers on-campus housing and 10 meals per week. We also offer two-year graduate level scholarships that cover 100% of tuition and fees.
Learn more about the WKU Army ROTC Scholarship.
ALTERNATIVE SOURCES
In addition to TOPDollar, there are several alternative sources for scholarships available to students at WKU. Learn more about various sources of scholarships below!
Accept Your Award
How to Accept or Decline Your Scholarship
Accepting your award is easy! Follow these instructions to officially accept or decline your award.
In order to accept or decline this award, complete the following steps:
-
Login to TopNet using your WKU email address and password.
-
Once you are in TopNet, click the "Financial Aid" tab.
-
Select "Financial Aid Self Service".
-
On the Financial Aid Self Service page, click "Offer".
-
Scroll down to the "Grants and Scholarships" section. You should see your scholarship offers in this section. If not, make sure the correct aid year is selected on the top right of the page.
-
Each offer will have a dropdown menu under "Take Action". Select "Accept" for each offer.
-
Once you have made your selections, click "Submit".
If you need assistance on how to lookup your WKU email address and/or password, go to Manage My WKU Accounts.
To be considered for these scholarships, first-time freshmen students must plan to
enroll full-time at WKU in the
Summer or Fall semester, which will require a complete application with the Admissions
Office.
Please note that your scholarship may be partially funded using foundation awards.
Scholarship offers are limited and will be offered pending timely application and availability of funds.
A WKU Family Scholarship is available for some non-resident students. Review eligibility and additional information online.
For automatic scholarship consideration, all first-time freshmen students must be fully admitted by the December 31st deadline.
Scholarship offers must be accepted by May 1st.
Most scholarships renew automatically with a 2.50 collegiate GPA until the earlier of four years or receipt of a bachelor’s degree.
Should a student be determined eligible for any full-tuition waiver mandated by the state and funded by the university, all scholarships offered upon admittance to WKU will be upgraded to meet the requirements of the full-tuition waiver. Students may not receive both a university scholarship and a full-tuition waiver simultaneously. Students may receive other cash scholarships such as third-party, foundation, or other externally-funded scholarships.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.