Northwest College is upping scholarship amounts and adding new scholarships as it seeks to increase low enrollment and retain existing students, a key part of the new strategic plan recently developed.

Recently, the college announced an increase in its scholarship offerings for the 2023-24 academic year which will result in additional money awarded to qualifying students. The increase, which will double the amount of money awarded to most students, will be applied to two existing Trapper Scholarship levels, and two new opportunities have been created to provide further assistance to those who wish to pursue a college education.

NWC trustee Carolyn Danko said the bump in scholarship awards should help what prospective students say is one of their top reasons for not attending college: affordability.

“That’s why we have some extra scholarships,” she said, noting more than $200,000 in trustee scholarships went unclaimed last year. 

This on top of a number of other scholarships that the college has utilized, including the Welcome to Wyoming Scholarship to bring in more international students — including athletes.

“Coaches have taken that, run with it,” president Lisa Watson said at the September board meeting. “We want international students. We want them to come and succeed.”

The increases to the Trapper Scholarships are aimed at both traditional and nontraditional students depending on the scholarship. 

Adjustments to the Trapper Scholarship include:

The Trapper Presidential will be increased from $1,500 per year to $3,000 (GPA requirements remain the same: 3.50 – 4.00)

The Trapper Excellence will be increased from $1,200 per year to $2,000 (GPA requirements remain the same: 3:00 – 3.49)

Northwest College is also introducing the $1,000 Trapper Access Scholarship for students who have earned a GPA between 2.00 and 2.99. First-year international students are automatically eligible for the Trapper Access without regard to GPA.

Scholarship awards at all levels will be made on a first-come basis until available funding is depleted.

According to a college release, the Trapper HS Elite Scholarship has also been created for incoming high school students who have a GPA between 3.80 and 4.00. This award is dedicated to students graduating from traditional high schools and is not available for homeschooled or GED/HiSET students. The scholarship amount will be $4,000 per year and limited to the first 25 students who apply and meet the criteria. Individual award letters will be sent to students who qualify, with an acceptance deadline of Jan. 15. If students decline or don’t meet the qualifications, the next applicant in line will receive the scholarship.

Recipients of the Trapper HS Elite will receive the same award during a second academic year, provided they maintain continuous enrollment at a 3.80 GPA or higher. During all subsequent years, previous Trapper HS Elite recipients also remain eligible for the Presidential, Excellence, and Access Scholarship awards which are available to all other NWC students.

Adult learners aged 24 and older who enroll part-time in 6-11.5 credits per semester will receive prorated awards worth half the full scholarship value based on the new Trapper levels.

Students who enroll or re-enroll at NWC after a post-secondary enrollment separation of at least five years, will be automatically eligible for the Trapper Access Scholarship and not held to the GPA they earned during their previous post-secondary enrollment. This is a one-semester “reprieve,” and these students will be expected to have earned a cumulative NWC GPA of 2.00 after their first semester enrolled or re-enrolled to maintain scholarship eligibility after the reprieve semester ends.

More information on Northwest College scholarships and application information, can be found at nwc.edu/scholarships.