State Merit Scholarship

First-year, first-time students who are a permanent resident of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, or Oregon and receiving the WUE Tuition Discount.

$3,000 per academic year ($1,500 per semester for fall and spring semesters)

General eligibility applies to first-year, first-time students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.60 at the time of admission and are permanent residents of one of the following states: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, or Oregon. Students must be receiving the WUE Tuition Discount in order to be eligible for this award.

University merit scholarships at The U provide funding to help cover a portion of or all tuition and mandatory fees for students enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours), up to the lesser of the scholarship award amount or the amount of tuition and mandatory fees. Note that course fees and e-book fees are not considered mandatory fees and are not covered by university merit scholarships. 

University merit scholarships are available beginning Fall 2023 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 requirements and remain in good standing. This award does not apply to summer enrollment or Learning Abroad programs.

Students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours) by the last day to register for full-term courses each semester in order to be eligible to receive their scholarship award for the term. Failure to be full-time by the last day to register for full-term courses will result in the cancellation of your award and will impact your renewal eligibility.

To remain in good standing and continue to receive this award, you must enroll as a full-time student, and register for and successfully complete a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester.

Failure to maintain full-time status will result in the cancellation of your scholarship for that term.

Your scholarship may be renewed each year, provided you maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and complete at least twenty-four (24) credit hours during the two semesters of the academic year (i.e., fall and spring semesters).

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.

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 the Merit Scholarship

• 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 award 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 financialaid@utah.edu .
• Your scholarship award generally is available until May 1, 2023. If you have not confirmed enrollment by that date, the scholarship may be cancelled. Please contact financialaid@utah.edu if you have not confirmed your enrollment by May 1, 2023.

The State Merit Scholarship applies only to tuition and mandatory fee charges. This scholarship cannot be combined with any other university merit award from UOSFA (other than the Western Undergraduate Exchange Tuition Discount) and is only available to students earning their degree at the U’s main campus. This scholarship applies to or reduces tuition and mandatory fee charges for the fall and spring semesters only as long as all eligibility criteria are met; this award does not apply to enrollment or charges during summer term or for Learning Abroad programs. Receipt of other scholarships could affect eligibility for, or the amount of, the State Merit 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 deferments may result in a change in the amount and/or value of the scholarship depending upon the subsequent term of entry or matriculation. 

Scholarship recipients considering a deferment should confirm by May 1, 2023 their intent to enroll in order to accept their scholarship. Students have until the first day of classes (August 21, 2023) to apply for a deferment. Students seeking deferment should submit their enrollment deposit to secure their seat as a matriculated student. You can submit the enrollment deposit, or if the enrollment deposit is a financial challenge you may request a deposit extension, at admissions.utah.edu/confirm.

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) and be approved for a Leave of Absence through the official processes.

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