West Virginia University's Climb Higher Scholarship is explicitly "automatic," "non-competitive," and requires no separate application -- and its top two tiers share a structural detail worth understanding before you assume test scores don't matter here.
See all 17 real automatic scholarship charts covered this cycle for how this compares to other public universities' own tables.
The chart
| Level | Requirement | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.8+ GPA and ACT 30+ / SAT 1360+ | $6,000 | $18,000 |
| 2 | 3.8+ GPA (no test required) | $4,500 | $16,000 |
| 3 | 3.5–3.79 GPA | $3,500 | $13,000 |
| 4 | 3.0–3.49 GPA | $2,500 | $10,000 |
The part that surprises people: Levels 1 and 2 are the same GPA, and the test score is pure upside
Look closely at the top two rows: both require the identical 3.8+ GPA. There's no GPA difference between them at all. The only thing separating Level 2's $4,500 from Level 1's $6,000 -- or $16,000 from $18,000 out-of-state -- is whether the student also submits a qualifying ACT or SAT score. That makes the test score at WVU purely additive money on top of an already-qualifying GPA, rather than a substitute or a trade-off the way it works at schools like Alabama, where a higher GPA buys you slack on the required test score at the same dollar amount. At WVU, a 3.8+ GPA student who skips testing entirely still gets $4,500 (or $16,000) automatically -- submitting a strong score is close to free money on top of a scholarship they'd already receive either way.
What this means for you
- If your GPA is 3.8 or higher, submit a test score even if you don't strictly need to. You're already guaranteed Level 2 either way; a qualifying ACT/SAT bumps you to Level 1 with no downside.
- A 3.8+ GPA with a below-30 ACT (or below-1360 SAT) doesn't drop you out of contention -- you land on Level 2, not disqualified, just one tier down from the maximum.
- WVU uses whichever GPA is on your transcript, weighted if provided, and rounds to the second decimal place -- worth checking exactly how your school's weighting affects your number if you're near a tier line.
- Admission by August 1 is required for consideration, and you can still update your GPA or test scores through that same date after being admitted.