USHE’s annual Scholarship Report for 2016 is now available. The scholarship programs are administered by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and funded by the Legislature. This year, the Regents’ Scholarship continued to see increased growth with an almost 12% increase in awards from last year, with a total of 3,270* students qualifying for the scholarship in the 2016 cohort. The 2016 cohort of the New Century Scholarship recipients remained relatively flat compared to 2015 at 275* recipients. There are now 653 students from the 2012-2016 cohorts with continued eligibility for the New Century Scholarship.

*Numbers are as of November 1, 2016

The scholarships are provided in conjunction with Utah’s StepUp to Higher Education efforts, which is the state’s college preparation campaign encouraging youth to dream big about their future by preparing for and completing college. StepUpUtah.com provides tips, tools, and resources on preparing, planning, and paying for college to help college become a reality for all Utahns.

Regents’ Scholarship

The Regents’ Scholarship was created in 2008 and is funded by the Utah Legislature to help encourage Utah high school students to prepare for college financially by saving for college and academically by taking a core course of study during 9-12 grades. In order to be eligible for the Regents’ Scholarship, students must take a set of courses proven to prepare students for college success.

There are three awards applicants can receive in the Regents’ Scholarship: the Base Award, Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, and UESP Supplemental Award. Additionally, students must meet certain academic requirements, such as a minimum GPA and ACT score. The scholarship can be used at any public college or university in the Utah System of Higher Education, as well as at Brigham Young University-Provo, LDS Business College, and Westminster College.

Based on legislative funding, the award amounts for the 2015-2016 college academic year Fall and Spring semesters (Fall and Winter at BYU) are as follows:

• The Base Award will be $1000 one-time.
• The Exemplary Award will be a flat dollar amount of $1,250 per semester for up to four semesters. (Students must renew their award every semester.)
• The UESP Supplemental Award is subject to the amount saved through the UESP program, with the maximum scholarship award being $400 one-time.

New Century Scholarship

The New Century Scholarship was created in 1999 as a Governor’s initiative to encourage students to accelerate their education by earning an associate degree in high school or by pursuing math and science curriculum. The scholarship may be used at any four-year public college or university in the Utah System of Higher Education, as well as at Brigham Young University-Provo, and Westminster College.