How To Get Free College in West Virginia

Paying for college can be a real struggle for many students. Luckily, the state and individual universities offer a few programs to help students cover their tuition costs. Some of these programs include tuition-free online colleges in West Virginia.

Keep reading to learn how to get free college in the mountain state.

Is Community College Free in West Virginia?

Community college is not free for all students in West Virginia. However, many students qualify for the West Virginia Invests Grant, which covers the cost of community college or technical college for West Virginia residents. Not all degree and certificate programs are eligible. Eligibility is determined by the state's Department of Commerce, which focuses on degree programs that lead to rewarding careers in high-demand fields.

Who Qualifies for Free College in West Virginia?

Several programs in West Virginia can lead to free tuition for students, and each has its eligibility requirements. However, there are some general requirements that students must meet. Students need to be West Virginia residents for most programs. Other common requirements include being full-time undergraduate students, demonstrating financial need, and maintaining a satisfactory grade point average (GPA).

What Is the West Virginia Invests Program?

The West Virginia Invests program, as we mentioned, is a grant program that covers tuition to any state community and technical college. Grants don't generally need to be repaid. The program covers students in associate degree programs and certificate programs that lead to high-demand careers. It's a last-dollar-in program that covers whatever tuition, mandatory fees, and program fees are not covered by other grants and scholarships.

Who Is Eligible?

To qualify for the WV invests grant, students need to meet the following requirements:

• be a legal resident of West Virginia
• be a high school graduate
• have not already earned a college degree or attempted 90 or more credit hours
• stay in compliance with the college's satisfactory academic progress policy
• take at least six credit hours each semester
• be enrolled in an approved program
• pay for and take a drug screening before your first term

Each community or technical college has a long list of programs approved for the WV invests grant, including programs in health care, information technology, and various trades. Students must also commit to living in West Virginia for at least two years after dropping below part-time enrollment and completing at least two hours of unpaid community service each academic term.

Eligible Institutions

Any of the public community and technical colleges in West Virginia qualify for the West Virginia Invests program, including:

• Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
• BridgeValley Community and Technical College
• Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College
• Mountwest Community and Technical College
• New River Community and Technical College
• Pierpont Community and Technical College
• Potomac State College of WVU
• Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
• West Virginia Northern Community College
• West Virginia University at Parkersburg

How To Apply

Before you can apply for the WV Invests grant, you'll need to file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply to and enroll at one of the participating colleges in one of the approved programs. Once you do that, you can fill out the grant application. It's a quick application that you can find on the West Virginia Invests website.

What Is the West Virginia Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship?

The West Virginia Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholarship is for those wanting to be teachers. It has an award of up to $10,000 and as part of the scholarship, students are paired with experienced teachers to help them navigate their college education.

Who Is Eligible?

To qualify for this state-funded financial aid program, students need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• be a high school student or recent high school graduate
• plan to pursue a bachelor's degree through an approved teacher preparation program in math, science, elementary education, or special education
• be a first-time student
• have a high school GPA of at least 3.25
• have minimum ACT scores of 21 in math and 18 in English or minimum SAT scores of 530 in math and 480 in English

Students must also commit to teaching in a West Virginia public school for five years after graduation and be willing to attend scholarship events.

Eligible Institutions

Several institutions in West Virginia are eligible for this program, but not every institution offers every kind of teaching program. The eligible institutions for this scholarship are:

• Alderson Broaddus University
• Appalachian Bible College
• Bethany College
• Bluefield State College
• Concord University
• Davis and Elkins College
• Fairmont State University
• Glenville State College
• Marshall University
• Ohio Valley University
• Salem International University
• Shepherd University
• University of Charleston
• West Liberty University
• West Virginia State University
• West Virginia University
• West Virginia Wesleyan College
• Wheeling University

How To Apply

You'll need to complete a preliminary application through the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars page to apply for this scholarship. Next, the most qualified applicants are invited to complete a more comprehensive application.

The top applicants from this group then move on to round three. In this round, they are asked to submit a 3-5 minute video about their past experiences or future ambitions. The scholarship committee will then determine which students will be awarded this scholarship.

What Is the West Virginia Higher Education Grant?

The West Virginia Higher Education Grant program is a need-based program meant to help students cover the cost of basic tuition. Students can receive up to $6,800 per year. This scholarship covers multiple two-year and four-year institutions in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Students can use the scholarship for up to eight semesters.

Who Is Eligible?

The eligibility requirements for the West Virginia Higher Education Grant include:

• be a West Virginia resident
• be a high school graduate
• demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA
• demonstrate academic promise
• enroll at a participating institution as a full-time undergraduate student
• have not earned a bachelor's degree already

Eligible Institutions

Multiple West Virginia and Pennsylvania institutions accept the West Virginia Higher Education Grant. This includes universities in West Virginia as well as:

• University of Charleston
• Carnegie-Mellon University
• Drexel University
• Pennsylvania State University
• University of Pittsburgh

How To Apply

There is no specific application process for the West Virginia Higher Education Grant. Student eligibility is assessed when the student files for FAFSA. The award will be added to their award letter if a student is eligible.

Tips for Making College Affordable

College can be expensive, but there are ways to make it affordable. These include:

• fill out FAFSA right away
• look for programs at public schools rather than private ones
• consider completing your first two years at a community college
• pursue scholarship and grant options
• reach out to your financial aid office

Tuition-Free Colleges in West Virginia

Thanks to the programs mentioned above and other financial aid programs, several colleges and universities in West Virginia can potentially be tuition-free. We've broken a couple of them down below.

West Virginia State University

West Virginia State University is a public historically black university in Institute, WV. Students here can use one of the above financial aid programs, and the university also offers a Free for Eight tuition assistance program. This program is for West Virginia residents earning a bachelor's degree. It's a last-dollar program that covers remaining tuition costs for Pell Grant-eligible students.

West Virginia University

West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, WV. It offers a few ways students can lower their tuition costs.

Students at WVU can use the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, and, if they're interested in becoming teachers, the Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship. Students with a high school GPA of 3.0 or above may also qualify for the West Virginia Promise Scholarship or the university's Climb Higher scholarships.