Our commitment to offer a quality, affordable education to incoming freshmen who come from limited-income families in Kansas. The Shocker Promise Scholarships provide last-dollar funding to high school graduates from Kansas. See below for program details and deadlines.
Shocker Promise Scholarships are for:
*Students must have financial need, and priority consideration will be given to students who are Pell Grant eligible. Family income information will be determined from the FAFSA. Students must have graduated high school within 9 months of initial enrollment as a first-time freshman. Students must meet the above criteria at the time of admission. The Shocker Promise Scholarship is a last payee scholarship to fill the gap of tuition and fees. Funding is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to those who meet all requirements. If selected as a recipient, smaller previously awarded WSU freshmen scholarships will be replaced with the Shocker Promise. The Shocker Promise is a 4-year, last-payee scholarship designed to cover remaining costs associated with tuition and fees and after applying all other gift aid, including waivers, scholarships and grants.
The Shocker Promise is the Wichita State University commitment to access and affordability for Kansas residents. Incoming first-time freshmen for the fall semester who qualify and are admitted by the May 1, 2023 financial aid priority deadline will have up to 15 credit hours each semester of their tuition and fees covered for eight fall/spring semesters. The semesters must be taken consecutively within a 4-year time period and eligibility must be maintained. Costs are covered by scholarships, grants or tuition exemptions from federal, state and/or institutional funds.
For eligible students, Wichita State will use sources such as scholarships, grants or tuition exemptions that come from the federal, state and institutional levels to cover tuition and fees for up to 15 credit hours each semester. Shocker Promise will replace any previously awarded General institutional scholarships and may be combined with WSU Foundation private scholarships up to tuition and fees.
Students who qualify for the Shocker Promise will have their tuition and fees covered for a maximum of 8 fall and spring semesters, or 4 consecutive years of enrollment.
Students will automatically be considered for the Shocker Promise as long as they meet all applicable requirements.
Students are automatically considered if WSU has admitted them by May 1, 2023 and received their FAFSA by May 1, 2023, and they meet the eligibility requirements.
The program is only available to new, incoming, first-time freshmen coming directly from high school seeking their first undergraduate degree.
Wichita State is committed to helping families make a University-education affordable and offers other scholarship and grant programs such as the Kansas Comprehensive Grant, as well as many need-based scholarship opportunities. Review the links below for more information about each program and how to apply.
The Sedgwick County Shocker Promise will cover up to 15 credit hours each semester of tuition and required course fees. Students must be academically engaged in their coursework and must meet the requirements for their Pell Grant for tuition and required course fees to be covered.
The Kansas Shocker Promise will cover up to 15 credit hours each semester of tuition and required course fees. Students must be academically engaged in their coursework and must meet the requirements for their Pell Grant for tuition and required course fees to be covered.
Additionally, if students live in on-campus housing for their first year, they will be provided with an additional $6,000 housing scholarship to offset a portion of their housing costs.
Visit wichita.edu/tuition for current tuition and fees at Wichita State.
Shocker Promise is approved for undergraduate degree programs at Wichita State and covers up to 15 credit hours each semester in required tuition and course fees for required classes toward your first undergraduate degree.
At this time, the Shocker Promise is only for the first undergraduate degree.
Yes. They are renewable for up to 3 years in the fall and spring semesters for full-time, new freshmen students in order to support timely graduation within 4 years of beginning college. To renew eligibility, you must enroll full-time in fall and spring, submit a FAFSA by April 1 each year, qualify for the Pell grant, not exceed the income level criteria, maintain a 2.0 GPA, meet financial aid satisfactory academic progress, and successfully complete a minimum of 24* credit hours each academic year.
*While full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours each semester, students who wish to graduate in four years typically require an average of 30 credit hours per academic year. This might mean taking 15 hours in the fall and spring or taking some additional courses in the summer to stay on track.
Sedgwick County residents: The Sedgwick County Shocker Promise can only be used to cover Wichita State tuition and fees.
Kansas residents (not from Sedgwick County): Students living on campus may be eligible to use their Shocker Promise scholarship toward a portion of their on-campus housing costs.
To continue to receive the Shocker Promise, students must meet the following eligibility qualifications
*While full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours each semester, students who wish to graduate in four years typically require an average of 30 credit hours per academic year. This might mean taking 15 hours in the fall and spring or taking some additional courses in the summer to stay on track.
The Shocker Promise covers tuition and fees for a maximum of 8 fall and spring semesters, or 4 consecutive years of enrollment.
Wichita State will use sources such as scholarships, grants or tuition exemptions that come from the federal, state and institutional levels to cover up to 15 credit hours each semester in tuition and fees. All gift aid will be used to cover those charges as part of the Shocker Promise. Shocker Promise will replace any previously awarded General institutional scholarships and may be combined with WSU Foundation private scholarships up to 15 credit hours each semester in tuition and fees. Students eligible for other aid such as Federal Work Study or Student loans will be awarded based on total Cost of Attendance limits. Students must be academically engaged in their coursework and must meet the requirements for their Pell Grant for tuition and required course fees to be covered.
All scholarships will be used to cover up to 15 credit hours each semester in tuition and fees and the Shocker Promise will cover any gap. All gift aid will be used to cover tuition and fees as part of the Shocker Promise. Shocker Promise will replace any previously awarded General institutional scholarships and may be combined with WSU Foundation private scholarships up to tuition and fees.
Our helpful staff in the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can answer your questions and guide you through the process of finding effective solutions to fund your education.
