IDEA Scholarship

About the Program

Creative thinking is a hallmark of a UC education, and your creative thinking can help you earn a UC scholarship!

Apply for the IDEA Scholarship* (Innovate. Design. Explore. Achieve.), where you respond to a specific topic, show your passion and creativity and have the opportunity to receive a UC scholarship ranging from $500 to $1,500.

This year, four different topics will be presented for students to respond to in a creative fashion. Write an essay, a letter to the editor, a poem, or a story. Create a piece of visual art. Write a song. Make a presentation or create a video. Whatever your strength, we want to see it. Be creative, innovative, and most of all, be yourself.

*The IDEA Scholarship may not be combined with a UC Athletic Scholarship.

2021-22 Topics

Our current topic is the purpose of UC’s existence: education.

Leo Buscaglia said, “Change is the end result of all true learning.” At UC, we agree! We take great pride in the change and development we see in our students during their studies here. So how have you seen learning create change?

What kind of change do you anticipate experiencing through higher education? We want to know your thoughts and ideas on the importance and influence of education.

Future topics will include enlightened living (March), and productive work (April).

Submission Guidelines

Submit your entry to scholarships@ucwv.edu. Documents need to be in a word or PDF file, and videos should be sent as a YouTube link.

Next Entry Deadline: Thursday, March 24 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

Things to Keep in Mind

• This scholarship opportunity is only open to accepted UC students applying for in-seat programs on our Charleston campus (excluding our ADN and OTA programs).
• Submissions will be judged on quality and creativity. They will be ranked by a UC committee. Scholarship award amounts will be based on the ranking of the submission as well as the student’s total scholarship package and campus residency status.
• We will request a release from students who submit the top entries so we can show them off on our website and social media platforms.
• Winners will be announced within 3 weeks from the submission deadline. Students may only receive one IDEA Scholarship.
• Questions about the IDEA Scholarship can be sent to scholarships@ucwv.edu