For Utah Scholarship

First-year, First-time students; Utah residents; Pell Grant Eligible

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 unweighted, cumulative high school grade point average, are residents of Utah, and are Federal Pell Grant recipients for the Fall 2024 semester who met the admissions application deadline of December 1^st and the FAFSA priority date of August 1^st. The For Utah Scholarship program provides a commitment that tuition and mandatory fees will be 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.  Note that course fees or e-book fees are not considered mandatory fees and are not covered by the For Utah Scholarship. 

Students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours) by the last day to register for full-term courses each semester 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. Failure to maintain full-time status during a semester will result in the cancellation of your For Utah Scholarship from that semester moving forward and it cannot be regained.

The For Utah Scholarship is available beginning Fall 2024 and is 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 does not generally apply to Learning Abroad programs. More information about financial aid and scholarships and Learning Abroad programs can be found here.

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 and any subsequent terms.

Your scholarship may be renewed each year, provided you maintain at least a 3.0 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). You must be enrolled full-time each semester regardless of completing 24 credit hours for the year.

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 subsequent 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 which is August 19, 2024. For example, for the Fall 2025 semester, you will need to submit the 2025-26 FAFSA by no later than February 1, 2025 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 2025 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 offers will be sent to your UMail account.

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 August 19, 2024. 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 August 19, 2024.

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 the 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 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 their intent to enroll to accept their scholarship. Students have until the first day of classes (August 19, 2024) 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

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