Promise Scholarship eligibility requirements adjusted for high school graduating classes of 2022 and 2023 

CHARLESTON, WV – To help more students qualify for the West Virginia Promise Scholarship, the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission has approved temporary changes to the merit-based scholarship program for the high school graduating classes of 2022 and 2023. These adjustments come as students continue working academically to overcome challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For students in the high school graduating classes of 2022 and 2023, the test score requirements to qualify for Promise are as follows:  

• ACT composite score – 21 (regularly 22); ACT English score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Reading score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Science score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Math score – 19 (regularly 20).
• SAT composite score – 1080 (regularly 1100); SAT Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing score – 510 (regularly 530); SAT Math score – 510 (regularly 520).

These students also qualify for super-scoring to achieve the minimum standardized testing scores necessary to qualify for the Promise Scholarship. Super-scoring allows students to take their top scores from sub-sections of different ACT or SAT tests they’ve taken and combine them for a higher overall score. The eligibility criteria are the same as those approved last year for the class of 2021.

“Students have been working so hard to stay on track for their futures, and we want to give them every opportunity to access the support they need to continue their education,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “With these changes, we hope students and their families have greater peace of mind as they plan for college over the next couple years.”

In addition to the eligibility changes, all Promise Scholars – including incoming and renewal recipients – in the 2022-23 academic year will receive a $5,000 award. This is the first increase to the award amount since the floor of $4,750 was set in 2009.

For the class of 2022, the Promise application and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are due by March 1, 2022. The Promise Scholarship application is available at collegeforwv.com/promise. The FAFSA is free and available through the U.S. Department of Education at fafsa.gov. Students have until July 2022 to qualify using ACT test scores, and until June 2022 to qualify using SAT scores. 

For assistance with applications, students and families are encouraged to call the state’s financial aid hotline at 877-987-7664. Students are also encouraged to sign up for West Virginia’s text message college counseling program, “Txt 4 Success,” by visiting http://www.cfwvconnect.com/txt-4-success/.

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