Western Carolina University: merit scholarships by GPA
Western Carolina University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 2.0 GPA and reach $3,000 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, a hundredth of a GPA point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and what the next band needs.
Read this first
WCU guarantees the out-of-state award for the Class of 2027 only and says to check back for 2028. The award is also recalculated on the final high school transcript, and renewal requires re-submitting the scholarship application and FAFSA every year.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
Catamount Commitment Award Level 2
$2,000 / year
About $8,000 over four years, if it renews.
Western Carolina awards this on GPA alone, so an ACT score does not change it. A higher score can still matter for admission, for honours programmes, and at other schools on the list — but not for this award.
The ACT doesn't move the money here — but it still decides admission, honours eligibility, and what they is worth at the other schools on the list, where most awards are score-keyed.
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The published Western Carolina merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from Western Carolina University’s own pages for 2027-28 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
North Carolina students
Keyed to weighted high school GPA. Cullowhee-based majors only — no online or distance programmes.
$3,000
Catamount Commitment Award Level 3
No score needed
$2,000
Catamount Commitment Award Level 2
No score needed
$1,000
Catamount Commitment Award Level 1
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Catamount Commitment Award Level 3 | — | $3,000 |
| Catamount Commitment Award Level 2 | — | $2,000 |
| Catamount Commitment Award Level 1 | — | $1,000 |
Source: Catamount Commitment for first-year students — Class of 2027 · verified 2026-10-23
Non-North Carolina students
There is no Level 1 for out-of-state students — a non-resident below a 3.5 weighted GPA receives nothing from this programme. WCU guarantees this track for the Class of 2027 only.
$3,000
Catamount Commitment Award Level 3
No score needed
$2,000
Catamount Commitment Award Level 2
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Catamount Commitment Award Level 3 | — | $3,000 |
| Catamount Commitment Award Level 2 | — | $2,000 |
Source: Catamount Commitment for first-year students — Class of 2027 · verified 2026-10-23
Does Western Carolina superscore for scholarships?
Not stated. The word appears on none of WCU's scholarship, Catamount Commitment, ENGAGE or admission-requirements pages, which follows from an award that uses no test score.
With nothing published, plan for the stricter reading: look up your best single sitting in the grid above, work out your superscore as well, and ask Western Carolina’s financial aid office which one they read before you count on the higher band.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Western Carolina scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Priority action deadline — apply for admission, and submit the FAFSA | February 1 |
| Complete the Catamount Commitment Participation Agreement to accept the offer | May 1 |
| Submit final high school transcripts | July 15 |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from Western Carolina University’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- Out-of-state students have no Level 1 — below a 3.5 weighted GPA a non-resident receives nothing from this programme.
- WCU guarantees the out-of-state track for the Class of 2027 only and tells families to check back for 2028.
- The Level 1 and 2 breakpoint moved this year from 3.65 to 3.5, so last year's chart will put a student in the wrong band.
- The award is recalculated on the final high school transcript, so a GPA that slips in the last semester can move the level down.
- Renewal is not passive. The scholarship application and FAFSA must be resubmitted annually, which is an easy way to lose an award a student already holds.
- Unused semesters carry over — a student finishing in under eight semesters can use the remainder for graduate study at WCU.
- NC Promise sets in-state tuition at $500 a semester and $4,000 for out-of-state. That is a state programme, not a WCU award, and is not in the grid.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with Western Carolina University.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Western Carolina?
Western Carolina University publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Western Carolina test-optional?
WCU's published requirement is cycle-specific and currently written for students entering Fall 2025 or Spring 2026: a score is required only where the weighted GPA is below 2.80. The sentence has not been updated alongside the Class of 2027 grid, so confirm it before relying on it. For merit aid the answer is different: the Catamount Commitment has no test column. WCU states the funding amount is based on weighted high school GPA, so a score changes nothing here. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is a 30 on the ACT worth at Western Carolina?
On Western Carolina's published grid for 2027-28 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for North Carolina students — Catamount Commitment Award Level 2 at $2,000 a year, about $8,000 over four years if it renews; Non-North Carolina students — Catamount Commitment Award Level 2 at $2,000 a year, about $8,000 over four years if it renews.
Does Western Carolina superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated. The word appears on none of WCU's scholarship, Catamount Commitment, ENGAGE or admission-requirements pages, which follows from an award that uses no test score.
When are Western Carolina scholarship deadlines?
Priority action deadline — apply for admission, and submit the FAFSA: February 1. Complete the Catamount Commitment Participation Agreement to accept the offer: May 1. Submit final high school transcripts: July 15. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this Western Carolina scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from Western Carolina University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-23. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
Other schools to check
What to do next
Western Carolina awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Western Carolina is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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