Take Flight Program

The Take Flight Scholarship is intended to cover any remaining gap between federal, state, and institutional grants/scholarships and in-state tuition. 

In-State Tuition
- Federal Grants and Scholarships
- State Grants and Scholarships
- WSU Scholarships, Grants, and Fee Waivers
- Tuition specific Veteran’s Benefits
- Other external grants or scholarships designated by the donor to pay for tuition only
= Take Flight Scholarship

Costs for housing, meals, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses are not included in the Take Flight program, but may be covered by other funding sources. If you are eligible for Take Flight, you may use federally guaranteed student loans, Federal Work-Study monies, and private loans to cover these expenses.

You need to apply for admission and file the FAFSA. Wright State will do the rest and determine if you meet the eligibility criteria. Starting with the 2024-25 academic year the U.S. Department of Education is overhauling the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These changes will impact the Take Flight Program; need-based requirements for program eligibility will be released later this Spring 2024.

You need to file the FAFSA annually, beginning Oct 1 prior to the start of the next aid year. You need to file the FAFSA by our priority deadline of February 1 each year and continue to meet the following requirements:

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 1
• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 2,000 or less
• Maintain Ohio residency
• Enroll full time on the Dayton campus
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Meet standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Participate in workshops related to career and academic success selected from a series of offerings each semester
• Complete all outstanding financial aid requirements to be considered for Title IV and state aid.

New students enrolling in Fall 2023 who are in the Take Flight Program were invited to an event held on August 24, 2023 to pick up the laptop. Students not able to attend the event can pick up their laptops at the CATs Help Desk. Please be sure to bring a photo ID. The deadline for the Fall 2023 cohort to receive a laptop is September 30, 2023.

Students in the Take Flight program starting Fall 2022 were eligible to receive a laptop computer to assist with their studies. Students will keep the laptop as long as they continue enrollment for the Fall 2022,  Spring 2023, and Fall 2023 semesters. Students who withdraw from classes prior to the next fall semester will need to return the laptop to CATs and will have a transcript hold until such time has passed that they get to keep the laptop.

Students in the Take Flight program starting Fall 2023 are eligible to receive a laptop computer to assist with their studies. Students will keep the laptop as long as they continue enrollment for the Fall 2023,  Spring 2024, and Fall 2024 semesters. Students who withdraw from classes prior to the next fall semester will need to return the laptop to CATs and will have a transcript hold until such time has passed that they get to keep the laptop.

Students in the Take Flight program can receive a $100 book voucher. Funds will be available on the Wright One card for eligible students beginning in August 2023. Students can use the voucher in the on-campus bookstore or order books using the link in WINGS Express. To order books online, visit WINGS Express, click on Student and Financial Aid, then Registration & Records, and finally Order Books.

The Take Flight Leadership Retreat is just one benefits of the Take Flight Program. Students don’t need to be eligible for the Take Flight Program to participate in the Take Flight Leadership Retreat, but they do get preferential acceptance into the retreat. The retreat is a great way to get a jump start on meeting new friends and becoming familiar with campus!

Students in the Take Flight program who meet the federal requirements will be offered Federal Work Study, a need-based work program. To qualify for on-campus employment through the Federal Work Study program, students must have unmet need and satisfy federal requirements for eligibility. Participation is contingent upon a student applying for and being hired by an on-campus employer who participates in the Federal Work Study program.

Students typically work for a department or organization on-campus at Wright State. Federal Work Study earnings are not applied to the student's account to pay toward their balance owed to Wright State. Like most jobs, the wages earned are given to the student to spend at their discretion. Participation is contingent on the student applying for, and being hired by, a participating on-campus employer.

Follow these steps to participate in the Federal Work Study Program.

1. Accept your Federal Work-Study award via WINGS Express.
2. Log into Handshake, our online job portal, using your WINGS username and password.
3. Search and apply for jobs. You can filter jobs by major, location, type, and other key words. Make sure and save your searches for future use.
4. Create a profile (public or private) and upload your resume.
5. Review student eligibility for working on-campus and other student employment information.
6. Find and sign up for interviews, career planning and job search events, and career fairs.

When you file the FAFSA for a future year, the U.S. Department of Education will exclude any wages earned in the Federal Work Study position from your earned income on the FAFSA.