Board of Regents also adopts changes to Regents’, New Century, and T.H. Bell Scholarships

The Board of Regents adopted a policy implementing the Utah Promise Scholarship—the first-ever need-based scholarship of its kind in the state—at its meeting at Snow College on Friday, May 17, 2019. The Utah Promise Scholarship covers tuition and fees for the first two years of college for qualifying students when federal grants fall short. The Board also adopted changes to the Regents’, New Century, and T.H. Bell scholarships.

“We are pleased to now offer a range of scholarship opportunities that will ensure Utahns have greater access to higher education,” said Harris H. Simmons, chair of the Board of Regents. “These programs support the Board’s mission of helping more Utahns access and complete a postsecondary education. We thank the legislature for its continued support in ensuring quality higher education opportunities are available to all Utahns.”

The State of Utah now offers four major scholarships:

NEW: Utah Promise Scholarship (need-based)

The Utah Promise Scholarship is the first-ever statewide needs-based scholarship program in Utah. It is available to recent high school graduates and adult learners at Utah’s public colleges and universities, as well as Utah’s public technical colleges. It is available for up to two years, four semesters, or an associate degree, whichever comes first. Award amounts vary based on individual circumstances. The Utah Promise Scholarship is patterned after Dream Weber and SLCC Promise in accordance with HB 260, Access Utah Promise Scholarship.

Regents’ Scholarship and New Century Scholarship (academic)

The state’s academic scholarships—the Regents’ and New Century Scholarship programs—are awarded based on academic achievement during high school. Changes for the Class of 2020 include:

• These merit scholarships may only be used to cover up to tuition and fees, after other financial aid is considered. As such, award amounts vary based on individual circumstances.
• These scholarships are no longer available for use at private colleges and universities.
• The Regents’ Scholarship can now be used at Utah’s public technical colleges, in addition to all public colleges and universities in Utah

T. H. Bell Education Scholarship (for future educators)

The T.H. Bell Scholarship is for those intent on entering the teaching profession in Utah. It can be used at all public or private institutions in Utah that offer an approved program. Changes include:

• This program was previously the T. H. Bell Teaching Incentive Loan Program, but in accordance with HB 188, T.H. Bell Program Amendments passed in the 2019 legislative session, the program is now a scholarship.

The Board also approved a Career and Technical Education Scholarship for noncredit programs at UTECH institutions and select USHE institutions including Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, and Utah State University Eastern and USU-Moab. This scholarship is available to students who enroll in high-demand, non-credit certificate programs.