Western Illinois University is making it easier for smart students to get help with tuition. Students applying to attend next fall may be eligible to automatically recieve up to $10,000 annually. And they don't have to complete a separate application.
The university's Western Commitment scholarship has been offered for the past six years. The revision is based on GPA and ACT scores.
Vice President of Student Services, Ron Williams, says the automatic eligibility will help students and families worry less about cost, and plan ahead.
"Then that really creates spaces in their time, for them to participate in not only their classroom activites, but also co-curricular and extracurricular activities on the campus. That helps them to become involved and to thrive as a university student."
It's one of several changes Western has made to attract more students, including application fee waivers for local students, self-reporting test scores, and early admission.
Enrollment at Western this fall is down about 14-percent from last year.