Baldwin Wallace University Expands Scholarships and Financial Aid for College Access

The President’s Horizon Award, a new Baldwin Wallace University (BW) scholarship, is unique to the 180-year-old institution of higher learning in Berea. The renewable $1,845 annual scholarship ($7,380 over four years) is available to eligible incoming first-year and transfer students. It is automatically awarded to students pursing high-demand academic programs who first enroll at BW in fall 2026.

Those numbers — one, eight, four, five — are significant because 1845 is the year of the school’s founding. The scholarship is also in recognition of BW’s 10th president, Lee Fisher, who was inaugurated this past fall. Lee calls the award “a nod to history and a promise to our future,” helping to boost college affordability.

The scholarship is just one example of BW’s impressive efforts to provide its well-respected educational opportunities to prospective and current students. The school’s goal is also to present information in a transparent and fair way. Higher educational financing can be challenging for families who often struggle with misconceptions and outdated information about paying for a college education.

BW’s Director of Financial Aid Carrie Short is on a mission to effectively share accurate information about affordability issues, federal government financial assistance and other loans and scholarships. The knowledge is applicable to BW students and anyone navigating the cost of education. Short founded “Better FAFSA Help,” a Facebook group monitored by more than 100 verified financial aid advisors, in February 2024.

Created to fight a “cesspool of misinformation” stirred by financial aid sites that often have commercial interests, the group now boasts 44,000 members. For her work, Short was given a National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Gold Star Award in 2025.

“I have been a financial aid counselor for 20 years, and I can’t believe we are still having conversations that filling out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form is only for low-income families. The eligibility is a lot broader, and a lot of middle-income families qualify. You also don’t have to be an A+ student to get help,” says Short, whose office encourages families to look at college departmental scholarships as well as community, school, employer, cultural and organizational scholarships for help.

Short emphasizes that there is usually a significant difference between “the cost of attendance and the sticker price” when calculating the cost of a BW education. The average cost for BW’s 2026-2027 year is $58,284, which includes tuition, fees and room and board. That amount is already approximately $2,000 less than a comparable four-year private school. Then BW awards academic merit scholarships based on high school performance up to $22,000 (at least $14,000) that are renewable for four years.

BW also works individually with students to match 400-plus named scholarships, awarding more than $4.5 million each year — money that does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants and loans are also tapped. Every student at BW receives financial aid through scholarships or special awards, regardless of financial situation, according to Short.

What if someone has student loans? Relevant work-study programs, paid internships and other solutions help reduce any amount owed at graduation. Also, 96% of BW grads are employed within six months of graduation. Ten years after graduation, their average earnings are $10,750 higher than comparable grads nationally.

Short claims to be “cautiously optimistic” about future federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and their availability to students.

“Financing is a juggling game,” says Short. “But the way BW works with students one-on-one is special. We will continue to find financial resources for every student.”