Presidential Scholarship

About the Scholarship

If you are a high achiever, consider applying for this prestigious opportunity. The Presidential Scholarship pays your tuition, mandatory fees, and your room and board (up to $10,400) all four years while you are at UC.

In addition to incredible financial support, the Presidential Scholarship also provides you with the opportunity to meet regularly with UC President Roth for mentoring and leadership skill development.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any incoming Fall 2024 freshman who has:

• Been admitted to UC
• A High School GPA of 3.75 or higher
• A demonstrated record of leadership and citizenship
• A desire to become a campus leader while serving the UC & Charleston communities

The application deadline is January 12, 2024

The Application Process

The Scholarship Selection Committee will review applications and select up to 15 semi-finalists for the first interview round. Semi-finalists will be contacted by February 2 and Zoom interviews will take place the week of February 12. (Semi-finalists who do not advance to the next round will be offered a semi-finalists scholarship package.)

Following the Zoom interviews, up to nine finalists will be invited to campus for a finalist interview event. During the event, you will have interviews with faculty, staff, current Presidential Scholars, and President Roth.

Finalists will be notified of their selection by February 26 and will be invited to campus in March (date TBD) for final interviews. (Finalists who are not selected as Presidential Scholars will be offered a finalist scholarship package.)

How to Apply

To apply for the Presidential Scholarship, you must submit an application package to scholarships@ucwv.edu by 11:59 p.m. on January 12, 2024. You application package must include:

• Your full high school transcript
• Resume of extracurricular activities, community services, and leadership accomplishments
• Two (2) personal essays (see below for topics) and two (2) recommendation forms completed by a teacher, coach, or mentor (may not be completed by a family member)
• Other examples of your personal successes and accomplishments

Application Guidelines

• All documents must be submitted to scholarships@ucwv.edu by the deadline (11:59 p.m. on January 12, 2024) as PDF or .doc files.
• All email submissions must include “Presidential Scholarship – [Student’s Full Name]” in the subject line.
• Recommendation forms (2) must be emailed by the recommender, not the student.
• Applicants must submit essay responses to the following two (2) prompts*:
  • UC’s mission includes a dedication to preparing students for a life of enlightened living. What does “enlightened living” look like to you?
  • What constitutes good leadership, and how can more people exhibit it?

*by submitting these essays, you are affirming that they are entirely your original work. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

• You must submit (or have your counselor submit) your current high school transcript.
• You must submit a resume of your extracurricular activities, community services, and leadership accomplishments.
• You may submit any other materials you feel would help the selection committee get to know you better. This is not required, and will not count against you if you choose not to submit additional materials.

Questions?

Submit any questions about the scholarship or the submission process to scholarships@ucwv.edu. Please allow two business days for a reply.

2023 Presidential Scholars/Finalists Announced

Four high school seniors have been selected to receive the 2023 University of Charleston’s Presidential Scholarship – the highest-level scholarship the University offers – covering full tuition, fees, housing, and meals for four years, with a total value of $172,000.

• Denys Pavlov from Winfield High School, majoring in accounting
• Madelyn Rickard from Pine-Richland High School, majoring in radiologic science
• Jayden Sharps from Scott High School, undeclared major
• Valerie Smith from Webster County High School, majoring in nursing

In addition, the University will award scholarship packages of between $20,000 – $25,000 per year (the lower amount is for the students choosing to commute, rather than live on campus), with a total value of up to $100,000 over four years to the following Presidential Scholar Finalists:

• Chance Bragg from Sissonville High School, majoring in nursing
• Abagail Thaxton from George Washington High School, majoring in nursing
• Chloe Treadway from Sherman High School, majoring in nursing