Wyoming is known for its rural lifestyle and wild frontier. It has more national parks than almost any other state in the country. But, unknown to a lot of people, Wyoming is also a fantastic destination for education. It is home to the prestigious University of Wyoming, as well as many other high-quality colleges, and is in fact the cheapest state in the country to attend college, averaging $16,086 per year.
Still, most students need some sort of financial help in paying for their education. You have some financing options on the table if you live or choose to study in Wyoming. These include financial aid given by the state, such as scholarships and debt forgiveness programs. The benefit of these programs is that they don’t require you to repay them, which will significantly make college much more affordable.
So, before you get committed to a student loan that you might have a hard time paying for later, explore your options first. In this article we’ve compiled a list of the best scholarships, grants, and student loans in Wyoming.
What scholarship programs does Wyoming have?
Wyoming currently has only two state-sponsored scholarships, but one of them is very generous. Nonetheless, even if you are certain you will receive one of these state-sponsored scholarships, you can (and should) still apply to the many federal and national scholarship programs available.
With the myriad of choices, however, searching for a scholarship can get tedious. That’s why we recommend using services such as Collegeboard, Niche.com’s Find Scholarship Feature, or Fastweb. These websites can help match you with scholarships faster than manually searching for them on Google.
The Hathaway Scholarship
The Hathaway Scholarship is a generous scholarship given by the State of Wyoming to its most deserving student residents.
Named after former Wyoming Governor Stan Hathaway, the scholarship provides both merit-based and need-based financial aid for students who want to earn their degree at the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college.
Note that the Hathaway Scholarship is only available to Wyoming residents who graduated (or are graduating) from a Wyoming high school.
The scholarship program has three levels, each with an increasing award amount that covers eight full semesters. Of course, the requirements get stricter as you go along. Each level also has continued eligibility requirements that the student must maintain to continue receiving scholarship benefits.
Opportunity Level
- Award Amounts
- For Merit Award: $840 / semester
- For Need Award: 25% of unmet need. Per semester award ranges from $105 – $787.50
- Requirements
- Minimum high school GPA of 2.5
- A minimum ACT score of 19 and an SAT score of 990
- For Continued Eligibility:
- Must have a college GPA of at least 2.25
- Completed 24 credit hours per academic year for full-time students and 12 hours per academic year for part-time students
- Enrolled for at least two semesters per academic year
Performance Level
- Award Amounts
- For Merit Award: $1260 / semester
- For Need Award: 25% of unmet need. Per semester award ranges from $105 – $787.50
- Requirements
- Minimum high school GPA of 3.0
- A minimum ACT score of 21 and an SAT score of 1060
- For Continued Eligibility:
- Must have a college GPA of at least 2.50
- Completed 24 credit hours per academic year for full-time students and 12 hours per academic year for part-time students
- Enrolled for at least two semesters per academic year
Honors Level
- Award Amounts
- For Merit Award: $1680 / semester
- For Need Award: 100% of unmet need. Per semester award ranges from $100 – $1680
- Requirements
- Minimum high school GPA of 3.5
- A minimum ACT score of 25 and an SAT score of 1200
- For Continued Eligibility:
- Must have a college GPA of at least 2.50
- Completed 24 credit hours per academic year for full-time students and 12 hours per academic year for part-time students
- Enrolled for at least two semesters per academic year
Students who have earned their degree at a Wyoming community college with a Hathaway Scholarship can continue their studies at the University of Wyoming. It is called the Provisional Opportunity level and allows the student to study for four more semesters unless they have already exceeded six years in school.
The Douvas Scholarship
The Douvas Scholarship is a scholarship program that’s awarded exclusively to highly motivated and exceptional first-generation American students (those who have parents not born in the US).
The scholarship is named after Greek immigrant Peter Douvas, who left a sizable sum of money with Wyoming’s Department of Education. The scholarship awards a one-time payment of $500.
Here are the requirements for the Douvas Scholarship:
- Must be born in the United States, but have parents that are immigrants to the country
- Proof of residency in Wyoming
- Must be between 18 and 22 years old
- A high school senior
- Must enroll in the University of Wyoming or any of the seven community colleges of the state
What grant programs does Wyoming have?
Unlike other states, Wyoming doesn’t have many state-supported grant programs, so it’s best to pursue nation-wide or school specific grant programs. Here are some helpful resources to find such grants.
University of Wyoming Grant Portal
The University of Wyoming has a comprehensive list of scholarships and grants available to undergraduate students.
The Wyoming Works Grant at Casper College
Casper College details the Wyoming Works Grant, which is targeted toward adults pursuing secondary education later in life.
What student loan programs does Wyoming have?
Wyoming doesn’t have a state-supported student loan program. As with grants, you need to rely on federal or private programs.
Here are some loan or repayment programs you can check out:
Federal student loans
Prospective Wyoming students can receive federal financial aid assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA).
Private co-signed student loans
There are many private student loan opportunities for those who need additional assistance on top of federal student loans. Many banks, credit unions, and dedicated lending companies offer private student loans, but almost all require a co-signer.
No co-signer student loans in Wyoming
Funding U began because we identified thousands of students who were unable to qualify for a private student loan because they didn’t have an eligible co-signer. While we’re no longer the only provider of such loans, we offer no co-signer student loans to career-focused students currently enrolled full time in college. The requirements for receiving a loan are dependent upon the GPA of the student and the graduation rate of the institution they attend. To learn more about our no co-signer student loans click here.
What schools does Funding U lend to in Wyoming?
Generally speaking, Funding U’s no co-signer loans are offered to students at eligible four-year, non-profit, undergraduate degree-granting universities (which means we do not lend to for-profit schools, 2-year schools, graduate schools, or trade schools). Our eligibility requirements are based on models that aim to predict how likely a student is to graduate. Because of this, we have minimum GPA requirements that students must meet. Moreover, we have minimum 6-year graduation rates that schools must meet in order to be eligible. To find out more about how we determine our eligibility, click here. NOTE: Funding U does not offer loans to residents of the state of Wyoming. However, if you are attending a school located in Wyoming and are a resident of another state that is eligible you may apply.
Below is a table listing all of the schools in Wyoming that Funding U is currently lending to, with additional details on which grades we are currently lending to, based on the school’s 6-year graduation rate.
| School Name | Freshman Eligible | Sophomore Eligible | Junior Eligible | Senior Eligible | 6 yr Grad Rate | Retention Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wyoming | No | No | Yes | Yes | 57 | 78 |