Wyoming college grants and scholarships come mainly from the Hathaway Scholarship, a merit award from the Wyoming Department of Education that pays up to $2,360 per semester at the University of Wyoming or any Wyoming community college, for courses beginning on or after July 1, 2026. Students with remaining financial need can also get a Hathaway need-based supplement, which you qualify for by filing the FAFSA.
The Hathaway amounts rose for 2026: the program’s site lists new per-semester figures that apply to courses starting on or after July 1, 2026, so ignore older college pages that show lower numbers (Wyoming Department of Education, Hathaway Scholarship: High School Requirements).
Hathaway Scholarship tiers and amounts
Hathaway has four merit tiers. Each requires an ACT score, a high school GPA and completion of the Hathaway Success Curriculum.
| Tier | Full-time award per semester* | Max semesters | ACT | HS GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honors | $2,360 | 8 | 25+ | 3.5+ |
| Performance | $1,770 | 8 | 21+ | 3.0+ |
| Opportunity | $1,180 | 8 | 19+ | 2.5+ |
| Provisional | $1,180 | 4 | 17 (or 12 on WorkKeys) | 2.5 |
*Amounts apply to courses that begin on or after July 1, 2026. Source: Hathaway Scholarship, High School Requirements. The Hathaway GPA may be weighted; check with your counselor.
Where you can use it
Honors, Performance and Opportunity can be used at the University of Wyoming or any Wyoming community college. The Provisional award must first be used at a Wyoming community college. Associate degree students on Provisional may extend for up to 4 full-time semesters at UW, and certificate students for up to 4 more at a community college. Hathaway can pay toward a certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s or even graduate school at a Wyoming college.
Hathaway Success Curriculum
The curriculum is what most students need to plan for early. For Honors and Performance, the Department of Education lists:
- Language arts: 4 years.
- Social studies: 3 years.
- Science: 4 years (one may be an “additional science” course).
- Math: 4 years, including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry, with additional math taken in grades 9-12.
- Fine and performing arts, career and technical education, or world language: 4 years, 2 of them sequenced.
Opportunity requires the same language arts, social studies, science and math, but only 2 years of the arts/CTE/world language group. Provisional follows current high school graduation requirements, with at least two of Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry.
Under HB0120, as of July 1, 2021, HSC-approved high school courses taken before ninth grade count toward the curriculum. Talk to your school counselor about which courses to take each year; the Department of Education offers a downloadable Hathaway Success Curriculum worksheet to track your progress.
The Hathaway need-based supplement
If you qualify for Hathaway, the Department of Education says to file the FAFSA “to calculate your unmet need”: the gap between your college’s total cost of attendance and the aid you receive, including Hathaway. “If that number is more than $2,000, the need-based supplement to the Hathaway Scholarship can cover up to 25% of your annual unmet need, or 100% if you’re an Honors Scholarship recipient.”
This is the main need-based state aid in Wyoming, and it only reaches students who already earned a Hathaway tier. Skipping the FAFSA means leaving it on the table.
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How to qualify and apply
- Plan your high school courses around the Hathaway Success Curriculum from ninth grade (or earlier).
- Take the ACT and aim for your tier’s score; WorkKeys counts for some Provisional pathways.
- Keep your GPA at or above your tier’s minimum.
- Apply to the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college.
- File the FAFSA for the need-based supplement and the Federal Pell Grant. For fall 2027, that is the 2027-28 FAFSA, open now. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA walks through it.
Home-schooled students and students with a high school equivalency certificate follow different requirement pathways; the Hathaway site lists them separately. Check your college’s FAFSA priority date too; our FAFSA deadlines guide explains why.
Hathaway planning by grade
| Grade | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8-9 | Map out the Hathaway Success Curriculum with your counselor |
| 10 | Confirm you are on track in math, science and the sequenced electives |
| 11 | Take the ACT; plan a retake if you are near a tier cutoff |
| 12, fall | Apply to Wyoming colleges; file the 2027-28 FAFSA |
| 12, spring | Finish curriculum courses; keep your GPA up through graduation |
A federal rule to know
For award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement. The Hathaway supplement is built around unmet need, so it is designed to fill gaps rather than exceed cost of attendance, but your aid office checks the total.
Questions Wyoming families ask
Is Hathaway prorated for part-time students?
The per-semester amounts above are full-time awards. Ask your college’s aid office how it adjusts Hathaway if you plan to enroll part time.
Can I use Hathaway out of state?
No. The Department of Education lists the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges as the places you can use it.
My ACT score is between tiers. Can I move up?
Tiers are set by ACT score, GPA and curriculum together. If your score is just below the next tier, a retake in junior or senior year can be worth it, because the per-semester difference between tiers repeats for up to eight semesters.
Do I need the FAFSA if Hathaway is merit-based?
Not to receive the base merit award, but the Department of Education says to complete the FAFSA to calculate your unmet need. Without it, you cannot be considered for the need-based supplement, which can cover up to 25% of unmet need above $2,000, or 100% for Honors recipients.
Can home-schooled students qualify?
Yes. The Hathaway site lists separate requirement pathways for high school, home school and high school equivalency (HSEC) students. Check the home school page for the curriculum rules that apply.
Will my high school courses before ninth grade count?
Possibly. Under HB0120, as of July 1, 2021, any HSC-approved high school course taken before ninth grade qualifies toward the Hathaway Success Curriculum. Confirm with your counselor that the course is on the approved list.
Where to go next
Compare Wyoming with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder for private awards. For questions about meeting the high school requirements, the Department of Education says to start with your school counselor.