QUALIFYING FOR HATHAWAY
New first-time students will be reviewed for Hathaway eligibility when you apply for admissions at the University of Wyoming (UW), and you will qualify for the scholarship if:
- You are a Wyoming resident as determined by UW, and
- You are a Wyoming high school*, home school, or HSEC (High School Equivalency Certificate) graduate, and
- You are applying within four (4) years of graduating high school or HSEC, or prior to your 21st birthday for home school graduates, and
- You meet the initial eligibility requirements. Note: Based on Wyoming Hathaway Legislation, eligible students must submit standardized test scores for consideration for the Hathaway Scholarship. The ACT Superscore can be used.
A student will not qualify for the scholarship if:
- You have not demonstrated Wyoming residency as determined by UW, or
- You have not successfully completed the Hathaway Success Curriculum, or
- You have not graduated from an eligible Wyoming high school*, or
- You are not a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien who meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under federal Title IV requirements, or
- You have not complied with the United States selective service requirement for registration, or
- You are in default or owe a refund on a federal Title IV education loan, or
- You are incarcerated, or
- You have been convicted of a felony. (Appeals can be heard through the Wyoming Department of Education.)
*Some exceptions can apply for Wyoming resident students who graduate out of state for certain reasons. See our Hathaway FAQs page or contact UW Admissions for details.
Levels of Hathaway
There are four different levels of the Hathaway Scholarship, initially determined by a combination of your high school curriculum, standardized test score*, and GPA. Different initial eligibility requirements exist for high school graduates, home school graduates, and HSEC graduates. Note: Students who qualify for the Provisional level of Hathaway must transfer an associate degree to UW from a community college before they will qualify to receive the remainder of their Hathaway Scholarship at UW.
Students must be fully admitted to UW in order to receive Hathaway funds, and that requires submission of all final transcripts, including those for courses taken at a community college. Additionally, students must also complete UW's Hathaway Eligibility Verification Form that will be found on your checklist in WyoRecords.
Qualifying for a Hathaway Scholarship does not automatically qualify a student for admission to UW. Please see the UW Admissions website for admission requirements.
*IMPORTANT! Based on Wyoming Hathaway Legislation, ACT or SAT test scores are still required to determine eligibility for the Hathaway Scholarship. The ACT Superscore can be used.
Receiving Scholarship Funds
Scholarship Initiation
Eligible students must initiate the Hathaway Scholarship at UW or a Wyoming community college within a certain time frame as follows:
- Four (4) years of graduating high school or HSEC, or
- By their 21st birthday for home school graduates
Once the scholarship has been initiated, students have up to six (6) years to receive the full scholarship benefit: 8 full-time semesters or the equivalent of 96 credit hours.
Deferring the Scholarship
Students can defer the scholarship only for full-time religious or military service, and documentation must be provided of the deferring event. Incoming students to UW must complete Admissions' deferral form. Continuing students need to communicate directly with our office regarding the deferral request.
Enrollment Status
Students can receive the Hathaway Scholarship as part-time students; however, they must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours to qualify. For enrollment of 6-11 credit hours in a semester, the award will be pro-rated as shown in the table below. Additionally, if a student qualifies for the Hathaway Need-Based Scholarship (see the next section below), that will also be pro-rated for part-time students based upon their number of credit hours.
|
|
Honors Level $ per Semester |
Performance Level $ per Semester |
Opportunity or Provisional Level $ per Semester |
| 12 or more credit hours | $1,680 | $1,260 | $840 |
| 11 credit hours | $1,540 | $1,155 | $770 |
| 10 credit hours | $1,400 | $1,050 | $700 |
| 9 credit hours | $1,260 | $945 | $630 |
| 8 credit hours | $1,120 | $840 | $560 |
| 7 credit hours | $980 | $735 | $490 |
| 6 credit hours | $840 | $630 | $420 |
| 1-5 credit hours | not eligible | not eligible | not eligible |
Need-Based Scholarship Requirements
Students who qualify for the Hathaway Scholarship, and who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), may qualify for an additional Hathaway Need-Based Scholarship if they have unmet financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Unmet need is calculated as follows:
UW Cost of Attendance (COA)
LESS Student Aid Index (SAI)* as determined by FAFSA
LESS Hathaway Scholarship amount
LESS sum of Grants and other Scholarships, including external scholarships
LESS $2,000 student commitment required by Wyoming Hathaway Legislation
EQUALS Unmet Need
*A negative SAI will be considered zero (0) for the purposes of this unmet need calculation
Qualifying students will receive a percentage of this unmet need based upon their level of Hathaway Scholarship:
- Performance, Opportunity, or Provisional Levels: 25% of unmet need. The minimum offered amount will be $105 per semester or a maximum of $787.50 per semester.
- Honors Level: 100% of unmet need
IMPORTANT! Student must be eligible for Hathaway Scholarship in order to qualify to receive a Hathaway Need-Based Scholarship in any semester or academic year.
Renewing REquirements
After initiating the Hathaway Scholarship, students must maintain three standards to continue receiving the scholarship. These are requirements are reviewed following each spring semester at UW.
- Minimum GPA Standard
- Minimum Credit Hour Standard
- Continuous Enrollment Standard
More details can be found on our Renew Your Financial Aid page.
Regaining the Scholarship
The Hathaway Scholarship can be regained if you lose the scholarship for not maintaining the renewing standards. The requirements are dependent upon your enrollment status when you last received Hathaway funds, and you should always self-identify to our office when you feel you are meeting those standards again.
More information can be found on our Renew Your Financial Aid page.
Transferring the Scholarship
Students who transfer between Wyoming institutions after initiating the scholarship will need to transfer their Hathaway Scholarship by requesting their Hathaway Transfer Transcript. This transcript is different than your official transcript from a registrar's office, and it cannot be created or sent until all grades are posted from the last semester of attendance. The Hathaway Transfer Transcript allows us to determine your ongoing eligibility to receive the scholarship at UW.
Transfer students who never initiated the Hathaway Scholarship at any Wyoming institution, but who are still within the four years of graduating high school*, will need to have their official high school transcript sent to UW Admissions, as well as their standardized test scores, so we can determine your initial eligibility.
All Transfer students must complete UW's Hathaway Eligibility Verification Form that will be found on your checklist in WyoRecords.
How to request your Hathaway Transfer Transcript
Casper College: Online form
Central Wyoming College: Contact Kathryn DeWitt (kdewitt@cwc.edu or 307-855-2321)
Eastern Wyoming College: Online form
Gillette and Sheridan Colleges: Online form
Laramie County Community College: Online form
Northwest College: Contact Maureen Walsh (maureen.walsh@nwc.edu or 307-754-6270)
University of Wyoming: Contact the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid (finaid@uwyo.edu or 307-766-2116)
Western Wyoming Community College: Contact the Financial Aid office (financialaid@westernwyoming.edu or 307-382-1677)
History of The Scholarship
The Hathaway Scholarship has its roots in Governor Stanley Hathaway's 1974 decision to create the state of Wyoming Permanent Mineral Trust Fund. The fund's income would support state government operations - including higher education in Wyoming. In 2005, state lawmakers created a scholarship fund with a $400 million permanent endowment, whose income funds scholarships for qualified students to attend the University of Wyoming or any of the state's community colleges.
They honored his many contributions to the state and accomplishments by naming the scholarship program for Governor Hathaway.
