Start the Climb
Start the Climb at Western Kentucky University
We are here to help you start your climb at Western Kentucky University. Here you will learn more about applying to Western Kentucky University, completing your FAFSA, applying for scholarships, and calculating the cost of attending WKU.
TOGETHER we climb higher.
The application can be completed online in about 15-20 minutes. The creation of a username and password is required to access, complete, and check the application’s status. For first-time freshmen to be admitted, we will need a completed application, the application fee, and an official high school transcript. Learn more about first-time freshmen admission requirements.
Once a student completes their senior year of high school, we will then need a final high school transcript which includes final grades and the date of graduation. This will not delay the application process or an admissions decision.
Fee waivers for the application are need-based only. Fee waivers can be accepted a variety of ways depending on the eligible program your student participates in, including ACT or SAT test waivers and free and reduced lunch. A student’s high school counselor can submit a copy of a completed NACAC waiver form, or a statement on the school’s letterhead verifying a student’s participation in the program, to admission@wku.edu.
Learn more about admission requirements for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and adult learners on our WKU Admissions page.
The free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a no-cost application completed by both prospective and current college students in the U.S. The FAFSA utilizes parent/guardian tax information from the previous year in order to determine the type of aid an applicant qualifies for such as federal grants, work-study, and loans. Some students may be selected for additional verification.
WKU Student Financial Assistance
For the most up-to-date information, visit the WKU's Student Financial Assistance page.
A completed application with the Admissions Office prior to the December 31st Priority Deadline will automatically qualify eligible students for Institutional Merit Scholarships. Scholarships must be accepted by May 1 of a student's senior year of high school.
TOPDollar is our main scholarship source. There are over 1,400 scholarships that can be applied for. After acceptance, your student should complete the General Application on TOPDollar for a chance to be matched with additional scholarships that are determined by interests and involvement. For complete details on scholarships, visit WKU's Student Financial Aid.
Please confirm all details on this page with WKU's Student Financial Aid.
Follow the instructions on the below Net Price Calculator to determine your cost of attending Western Kentucky University.
BECOME A Hilltopper.
Focused on a career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP), Emily Oden has shaped her Hilltopper Journey around opportunities for growth. Majoring in Communication Disorders, Oden left her hometown in Guthrie, focused on learning from each experience to be the best in her future career.
“WKU has given me so many opportunities to prepare for my career,” Oden said.
Those opportunities are what shifted her desire to come to WKU after high school.
“I chose WKU because from the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like I was at home. Before my senior year of high school, I was determined to go out of state because I had lived all across the country. However, in my senior year, my perspective began to shift. I saw the opportunities that my classmates were having at this university, which was only an hour away from home,” Oden said.
For Oden, those opportunities included becoming part of the Mahurin Honors College, joining Kappa Delta Sorority and WKU Spirit Masters, and taking part in the inaugural class of the Downtown Ambassador Academy in Bowling Green.
Oden’s involvement at WKU truly came from a desire to grow and learn, which was necessary as a first-generation college student.
“Neither of my parents went to college, and my father did not even finish high school. So, throughout school, I was very intrinsically motivated, and I had to be on my own for most things,” Oden said. “I had to figure out how to afford college all on my own and how to apply even.”
Oden is the oldest of five siblings and wants to be a good example for her brothers and sisters. She set out to learn about college and finances for college in order for her parents to focus more on taking care of her younger siblings.
“I have always believed that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is when the most growth happens,” Oden said. “I think that in college, a lot of the time rejection is common, and we have to learn how to deal with that and move forward.”
Western Kentucky University offers more than 170 undergraduate majors, minors, certificates, and pre-professional areas of study within majors, as well as more than 125 graduate programs. The University confers a wide range of Master degrees along with a Doctor of Education, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Psychology. WKU also offers non-degree Rank I and II and certification-only teacher education programs.
Academics at Western Kentucky University Academics at WKU
JOURNEY to the Top.
JOURNEY
to the Top.
Western Kentucky University (WKU), home of the Hilltoppers, is a place of beauty and friendliness. WKU is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a city with a population of more than 60,000 approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville. More than 15,000 students currently attend our campuses in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Fort Knox, Glasgow, Owensboro, Somerset, and Online. Visit our virtual tour to view our distinctive landmark on a hill overlooking the city.
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