About:

The Western Presidential Honors Scholarships, established by the Jack and Marilyn MacAllister Foundation, are elite scholarships awarded to Western’s highest achieving and most deserving students, celebrating the ideals of academic excellence and service to the campus and community. Recipients of the Scholarships will be members of the Western Colorado University Honors Program. 

Each year two new Presidential Honors Scholarships of $2500 will be awarded to two incoming freshmen. In addition, all continuing Honors students may apply for Presidential Honors Scholarships. The following information provides due dates, criteria, and how to prepare your application. 

Incoming Applicants:

Eligible candidates should have a high school, transfer, or Western Colorado University grade point average of, at minimum, 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Candidates must also demonstrate leadership qualities or experience and a commitment to intellectual inquiry and academic challenge.

Incoming candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter explaining why you want to be a part of Western's Honors Program and what you think the value is in being a part of the Honors Program;
• Two sealed letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselors, professors or academic advisors which address the student’s accomplishments and suitability for a college Honors Program;
• A copy of your most recent educational transcript;
• A resume of your qualifications, accomplishments, service, extra-curricular activities;
• Any other documentation that would be helpful in evaluating you as a candidate for this Scholarship.

Applications are DUE POSTMARKED BY DEC. 7th of the year of application and should be submitted to:

Continuing Applicants (current Western Honors students):

Note that continuing Honors students do not need to have been awarded a previous Presidential Honors Scholarship to apply. 

Continuing candidates should compile and submit the following in one packet, hard copy:

• A copy of the student's most current Western transcript (minimum 3.5 GPA required);
• A letter addressed to the Western Colorado University Foundation Scholarship Program Committee containing the following:

a) the student's plan for completing the Honors Program;
b) evidence of Honors leadership abilities through planning and participating in Honors extracurricular activities;

• One sealed letter of recommendation from a professor or academic advisor which addresses the student's accomplishments and suitability for a Presidential Honors Scholarship.​

Applications for continuing Honors students are DUE BY MARCH 12 of the year of application and should be submitted in hard copy to the Honors Program Director, Taylor Hall 110A. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the hard-copy application has been received. 

The Western Colorado University Foundation Scholarship Program Committee will make selections within a few weeks of the closing deadline. Notification of award recipients will follow shortly thereafter.