MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University will automatically admit qualifying high school seniors in two West Virginia counties under a new program that eliminates the traditional college application and application fee.
This year, the offer is limited to seniors in Kanawha and Monongalia counties with at least a 3.8 cumulative grade-point average who meet the university’s academic requirements. Students elsewhere in West Virginia aren’t included in the pilot.
Called “WVU Express,” the program lets qualifying students interested in attending the university’s Morgantown campus authorize their high schools to provide the information the university needs to determine eligibility, rather than completing a traditional application.
Students must be seniors on track to graduate from a participating high school with a standard diploma and must complete WVU’s required high-school coursework in English, mathematics, social studies or fine arts, science, and world language or American Sign Language.
Those who meet the requirements can receive an admission offer through their high school counselor. The offer does not automatically enroll them at WVU; students who choose to attend must claim their admission, confirm their information, and complete the remaining enrollment steps.
WVU President Michael T. Benson said while announcing the program during the university’s Sept. 11 Board of Governors meeting that the program is breaking down barriers to university admission.
“Any West Virginia student who wants to attend West Virginia University has a place with WVU Express” Benson said, “and this is one step we’re taking [to] remove barriers to educational opportunities.”
“As West Virginia’s flagship, land-grant, R1 research university, WVU is committed to creating more pathways for students across the state to pursue their goals, discover their potential, and find their place as Mountaineers.”
Program launches in only two counties
Although WVU Express is intended for West Virginia students, the pilot is geographically limited.
Monongalia County, home to Morgantown and the university’s main campus, and Kanawha County, home to Charleston, are the only two county school systems participating during the program’s first year.
As a result, a qualifying senior at a participating high school in either county can use the application-free route to the university, while a student with similar academic credentials elsewhere in West Virginia cannot.
University officials have not announced which counties they could add next, though they say they hope to expand the program.
“We’re committed to meeting our prospective students where they are, and that includes in our West Virginia schools,” said Fabrizio D’Aloisio, the university’s vice president for enrollment management.
“Our hope is that we’ll eventually be able to roll out WVU Express to other West Virginia counties and, in doing so, expand access to the life-changing experiences we offer to our students.”
Express targets high-achieving students
The 3.8 grade-point average required for WVU Express is substantially higher than the university’s general minimum grade-point average requirement for admission.
The university’s undergraduate admission standards provide a route to admission for West Virginia residents with an approved high school diploma and a minimum 2.5 high school GPA, subject to the university’s other admission requirements.
The program instead provides a simplified admission route for students who have already demonstrated high academic achievement.
Students begin by completing an authorization form through their participating high school. Their counselor provides the university with the information needed to determine eligibility, including the student’s transcript and intended major.
Express students do not generally need ACT or SAT scores for admission because the university is test-optional, although scores may still be required for certain academic programs and scholarships.
Students admitted through the program remain eligible for merit scholarship consideration. University officials also say students who meet the Express criteria qualify for a test-blind invitation to apply to the Honors College.
Students who don’t qualify for the program can continue to apply through the university’s traditional process.
WVU Express applies to students seeking admission to the Morgantown campus for fall 2027. The university says it will discuss expanding the program to additional West Virginia counties in the coming months as it looks toward 2028.