West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) is the most affordable four-year degree in Southern West Virginia, and given the current economic pressures many West Virginia families are facing, WVU Tech is emphasizing its commitment to making higher education affordable for our local students.
Tech is providing over $4.4 million in scholarships and financial aid for the 2026-2027 academic year, and they’re aiming to expand this support through additional scholarship programs and opportunities to help more students access a quality education. These scholarship dollars largely stay in Southern West Virginia. Sixty-four percent of all merit-based aid benefits in-state students, such as the Climb Higher and Promise Scholarships. Of the total merit-based aid for West Virginians, 85% goes to students in local counties, which totals over a million dollars. Tech's total aid increased by $500,000, or 14%, over last year. Nearly $500,000 in athletic scholarships also support West Virginia athletes.
“We are making higher education more accessible for students across Southern West Virginia by investing millions in scholarships and financial aid. These investments are opening doors for families, reducing financial barriers, and creating more opportunities for students to build successful futures right here in West Virginia,” says WVU Beckley HUB Manager, Malik Wynes.
Austin Pennington, an incoming freshman from Wyoming County, chose Tech for its affordability, programs of study, and proximity to home.
“It’s a good engineering school. I knew I wanted to do something like that, and chemical engineering spoke to me,” said Pennington. “It made it a lot more accessible for me because I wouldn’t have to take out loans or anything,” he said. “I had seen projected costs, and Tech really stood out to me as an affordable option. The tuition is really low, especially for how good a school it is.”
With the Promise scholarship and the Climb Higher Scholarships, Pennington’s out-of-pocket obligation came out to less than $1,000 per semester.
“It was a big relief to know I wouldn’t have to pay some exorbitant amount of money just to get my education,” he remarked.
“WVU Tech is dedicated to making Southern West Virginia a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family,” says Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of WVU Tech. “We are committed to helping make the dream of a college degree real for our students. We are actively investing in the lives of our fellow West Virginians and creating pathways for locals to create better futures by providing access to a high-quality education that is the most affordable, with the highest return on investment in West Virginia.”
To see more complete WVU Tech scholarship information, visit hub.wvu.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/beckley-scholarships.
If you want to become a Golden Bear, visit admissions.wvutech.edu.