FSU Offers Scholarship Opportunities for PROMISE Scholars

Top high school seniors in North Central West Virginia and around the state have the opportunity to compete for Fairmont State University’s premier academic scholarship, the Dr. Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship. In addition, all of the state’s PROMISE Scholars are eligible for the PROMISE Beyond Scholarship.

Fairmont State will award its most prestigious scholarship to three of the state’s top students. The competitive scholarship includes tuition and fees, room and board and a book stipend. The application deadline has been extended to March 1, 2014. For more information or to apply, students should click here.

“Fairmont State University provides high-achieving students with the tools they need to channel their motivation into successful lives,” said Amie Fazalare, Director of Admissions and Recruitment. “We’re excited to be able to reward students for their hard work in high school.”

Presidential Scholarship winners for 2013 were Jacob Buckland, James Jesmer and Kyndra Lantz. They were honored in May 2013 at the Academic Awards Celebration. Buckland, the son of Michael and Pamela Buckland, is a graduate of Shady Spring High School in Raleigh County and a Pre-Pharmacy major at FSU. Jesmer, the son of Mark and Anita Jesmer, is a graduate of Bridgeport High School in Harrison County and an Architecture major at FSU. Lantz, the daughter of Donnie and Sherry Lantz, is a graduate of Robert C. Byrd High School in Harrison County and a Secondary Education major at FSU.                                                            

To compete for the Presidential Scholarship, named by the FSU Board of Governors in honor of Dr. Charles J. McClain who served as FSU’s interim president from 2008-2009, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Be a high school senior.
• Live in West Virginia.
• Have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5.
• Have an ACT composite score of 26 or SAT composite score of 1190 (excluding writing score).
• Be a PROMISE Scholarship recipient.
• Submit a Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship application (including a 450-word essay about how the scholarship would help the student achieve his or her educational goal).
• Complete an FSU admissions file (general application, high school transcript, test scores) by March 1.
• Participate in an on-campus interview.

All PROMISE Scholars are eligible for the PROMISE Beyond Scholarship, which aims to cover the full cost of tuition at Fairmont State. PROMISE Beyond Scholarships awarded are a four-year commitment by the University, and students receiving these scholarships would be required to maintain a minimum GPA once enrolled at FSU. There is no application for this scholarship; it is awarded to incoming students who complete their admissions file by March 1.

“PROMISE scholars have identified themselves as top academic achievers, and Fairmont State has a campus prepared to help them meet their educational goals,” Fazalare said. “Through PROMISE Beyond we hope to ease the financial burden and allow students to focus on their college experience.”                                      

All PROMISE Scholars also are eligible to participate in the Honors Program, which provides students with the opportunity to deepen their academic experience through smaller classes taught by some of the University’s finest faculty, field trips in the United States and abroad and extracurricular activities on and off campus.

“Honors students find that studying and socializing with other like-minded students helps them to make the most of their university experience,” said Dr. J. Robert Baker, Director of the Honors Program.

For more information, call (800) 641-5678 or (304) 367-4892. Spring Campus Visitation Day for FSU is March 22, 2014. To register, click here.

scholarshipsCharles J. McClain Presidential ScholarshipPROMISE BeyondAmie FazalareJ. Robert BakerHonors