For Utah Scholarship

The For Utah Scholarship is a merit-based and need-based scholarship program awarded to first-time, first-year students who have at least a 3.20 cumulative high school grade point average at the time of admission to the university, are residents of Utah, and Federal Pell Grant recipients for the Fall 2021 semester. The For Utah Scholarship program provides a commitment that tuition and mandatory fees will covered by grant and scholarship funds from all sources, up to a maximum of 18 credit hours per semester for which the scholarship is provided. The covered tuition and mandatory fees include tuition differential charges as well as fees such as the matriculation fee and the student success fee; however, it does not include course fees or e-book fees.

 The For Utah Scholarship is available beginning Fall 2021 and renewable for up to eight semesters (fall and spring), or until you receive a baccalaureate degree (whichever comes first), as long as you continue to meet scholarship renewal and good standing requirements. The For Utah Scholarship can apply to summer enrollment, as long as all requirements are met, and would count as one of the eight semesters of maximum eligibility.

The For Utah Scholarship is a “last dollar” program, which means funds from this program will cover any remaining amount of tuition and mandatory fees not already covered by other grants (such as the Federal Pell Grant) and scholarships (such as the Utah Regents Scholarship, a departmental scholarship, or an outside scholarship). The scholarship amount may vary each semester depending upon tuition and fee charges as well as other scholarships and grants received. Be aware that when tuition and fee charges are covered fully by other scholarships and grants, and thus your For Utah Scholarship amount is zero for that semester, you will still remain in the program; however, that semester still counts as a semester of program eligibility.

To remain in good standing and continue to receive this award, you must be enrolled as a full-time student, registering for and successfully completing a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. Failure to maintain full-time status may result in the cancellation of your scholarship for that term.

Your scholarship will be renewed each year provided you maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and complete at least twenty-four (24) credit hours during the two semesters of the academic year (i.e., fall and spring semesters).

The University Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (UOSFA) will review your standing for these requirements each year at the end of the spring semester. Failure to meet the renewal or good standing requirements will result in loss of the scholarship. Once the scholarship is lost, it cannot be regained.

You must continue to be a Federal Pell Grant recipient each year. To determine Pell Grant eligibility, and to remain in the program, you must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by February 1 and indicate the University of Utah (school code 003675) to receive the FAFSA. Any additional financial aid requirements, such as documents requested to verify information on the FAFSA, must be resolved and completed by the first day of classes of the fall semester. For example, for the Fall 2022 semester, you will need to submit the 2022-23 FAFSA by no later than February 1, 2022 and be sure your financial aid file with the University Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is complete by the first day of classes for the Fall 2022 semester. Failure to meet these annual deadlines may result in loss of the scholarship.

STEP 1: Create Your CIS Account and Activate your UMail Account

• If you have not created your Campus Information Services (CIS) account, visit cis.utah.edu as soon as possible.
• Your login info is your uNID# (found in your admissions letter) and your default password is your birthdate (MMDDYY).
• After creating your CIS account, activate your University e-mail account (UMail), also in CIS. All official university communication including financial awards will be sent to your UMail.

STEP 2: Confirm Your Intent to Enroll to Accept Your Scholarship Offer

• Confirm your intent to enroll with the Office of Admissions at admissions.utah.edu/confirm. At this same link, you can submit your enrollment deposit, or if the enrollment deposit is a financial challenge you may request a deposit extension.
• By confirming your intent to enroll, you are accepting your scholarship offer and the terms outlined in this document. If for any reason you confirm your intent to enroll but want to decline your scholarship or the terms, you should submit your reasons in writing to UOSFA at scholarship@utah.edu.
• Your scholarship offer is available until May 1, 2021. If you have not confirmed enrollment by that date, the scholarship may be cancelled. Be aware that Step 3 below is another critical part of your scholarship offer.

STEP 3: Monitor your financial aid requirements and respond promptly.

• To access your financial aid status information, including your financial aid offers and any outstanding requirements, visit cis.utah.edu and log in with you uNID. Go to the Student Homepage and click on the Financial Aid tile (it has an icon of a piggy bank and a dollar sign).
• Respond promptly to requests for additional information or documents. Your financial aid file must be complete by the first day of classes in order to receive the For Utah Scholarship.

This scholarship cannot be combined with any other university merit award from UOSFA and is only available to students earning their degree at the U’s main campus. This scholarship generally applies only to fall and spring semesters as long as you meet the eligibility criteria; this award does not apply to enrollment or charges during the summer term unless you specifically request use of the scholarship during summer and you continue to meet all eligibility criteria (and use of the scholarship during a summer term will count toward your maximum number of terms of eligibility). Other scholarships or grants received could affect your eligibility regardless of timing of when they are received; this means a scholarship or grant received late in the semester after your For Utah Scholarship has already been awarded could cause an adjustment to the For Utah amount you received.

Should your residency classification change to non-resident or other ineligible status, you will no longer be eligible for the For Utah Scholarship.

Students receiving a scholarship, fellowship, or other financial aid administered by the University of Utah are required by state law to certify that they are eligible to receive the scholarship as a U.S. citizen or a citizen of another country who is lawfully present in the U.S. If students do not know whether they are in the U.S. lawfully, they should seek the advice of an immigration attorney before accepting this award.

Newly accepted freshmen who wish to defer their start date to a subsequent semester, and to request their scholarship be held, should first request an admission deferment through the Office of Admissions at admissions.utah.edu/apply/deferment. Scholarship recipients considering a deferment should confirm their intent to enroll to accept their scholarship by May 1, 2021. Students have until the first day of classes (August 23, 2021) to apply for a deferment. Students seeking deferment should submit their enrollment deposit to secure their seat as a matriculated student. You must submit the enrollment deposit, or if the enrollment deposit is a financial challenge you may request a deposit extension, at admissions.utah.edu/confirm. 

Scholarship deferments may result in a change in the amount and/or value of the scholarship depending upon the subsequent term of entry or matriculation. 

The University Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (UOSFA) will, in extenuating circumstances, allow a student to take a Leave of Absence from a scholarship once they are a continuing student. A continuing student will need to work with the Registrar’s Office on any type of Leave of Absence (https://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/leave.php).

For questions regarding eligibility for either deferral or leave of absence, please contact UOSFA. 

For questions or concerns, please contact UOSFA at scholarship@utah.edu or (801) 581-6211.