Announcing the Washington Scholarships

The Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship is pleased to offer eight Washington Scholarships to students committed to the study of American ideals, Western civilization, and the art of statesmanship. Recipients will pursue a Minor in Statesmanship while engaging with one of the most distinctive undergraduate programs in the country.

Eligibility

Applicants must be willing to commit to pursuing a Minor in Statesmanship, which requires completing one Washington Center course per semester for five semesters. The Center currently offers 23 courses this fall (2026). A full list of titles and descriptions is available at wcwvu.org/courses.

Awards

Eight scholarships will be awarded at three prize levels:

• 1st Prize — $25,000 (one awarded)

• 2nd Prize — $10,000 (two awarded)

• 3rd Prize — $5,000 (five awarded)

Prize Distribution

Scholarships are disbursed in five equal installments, one per semester. A first-prize recipient, for example, will receive $5,000 each semester beginning in Fall 2026 and continuing through Spring 2028. Second- and third-prize awards follow the same distribution schedule.

Essay Prompt

All applications must include a short cover letter that testifies to academic excellence (including GPA and SAT scores), as well as a short essay of no more than 1,000 words addressing the following questions:

What is freedom of speech? Why is it important? What role has it played in both the US Constitution and American history? What are its roots in Western Civilization? Why is it under threat today? What can be done to protect it?

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by September 1, 2026. Finalists will be interviewed by a committee of Washington Center faculty. Winners will be announced at the Washington Center's inaugural conference, "Restoring the Republic," on the evening of October 2, 2026.