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Arizona scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$37,270per year · 2026-2027 · ResidentNon-resident $67,770
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Arizona is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 7 published awards, and 2 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
8 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Arizona Tuition Award (non-resident)$4,000–$20,000 per academic year range. Comprised of the Arizona Excellence Tuition Award and Arizona Distinction Tuition Award subtiers, which are not separately priced cell-by-cell on Arizona's published terms and conditions.AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Arizona Tuition Award (non-resident)

    $4,000–$20,000 per academic year range. Comprised of the Arizona Excellence Tuition Award and Arizona Distinction Tuition Award subtiers, which are not separately priced cell-by-cell on Arizona's published terms and conditions.

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.25+
    SAT
    1110+
    ACT
    24+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Arizona Tuition Award (non-resident)

    Who qualifies

    Non-resident, first-time, full-time, degree-seeking, first bachelor's degree. Base eligibility requires an unweighted 6th-semester core GPA of 3.25+ AND a 24+ ACT or 1110+ SAT (critical reading + math). Cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award or the National Scholars Tuition Award.

    How to keep it

    8 consecutive semesters (fall + spring only). Initial offers are based on self-reported grades at admission; final awards are finalized after admissions grade verification.

    Worth knowing

    The Arizona Tuition Award is published as a $4,000–$20,000/year range, not a cell-by-cell GPA × test grid. Awards are comprised of Arizona Excellence and Arizona Distinction components that are combined at award time. The November 1 Early Action deadline is the priority window for maximum consideration. 2026-27 program names are confirmed but dollar amounts are not yet published; 2025-26 figures above should be used for modeling until Arizona publishes the new cycle.

  2. Wildcat Tuition Award (Arizona residents)$2,000–$11,000 per academic year rangeAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Wildcat Tuition Award (Arizona residents)

    $2,000–$11,000 per academic year range

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.25+
    SAT
    1110+
    ACT
    24+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Wildcat Tuition Award (Arizona residents)

    Who qualifies

    Arizona resident, first-time, full-time, degree-seeking. Awards are based on the 6th-semester unweighted core GPA on a 4.0 scale. Comprised of the Wildcat Excellence and Wildcat Distinction subtiers, which are not separately priced. Cannot be combined with the non-resident Arizona Tuition Award.

    How to keep it

    8 consecutive semesters (fall + spring only). Renewal subject to the published terms and conditions.

    Worth knowing

    The in-state Wildcat Tuition Award is published as a $2,000–$11,000/year range. Arizona-resident National Merit Finalists receive the flat $18,000/year National Scholars Tuition Award in place of Wildcat, not in addition to it.

  3. National Scholars Tuition Award (National Merit Finalists)Arizona residents: $18,000/year flat (replaces the Wildcat Tuition Award). Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $3,000/year National Scholar supplement.Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Scholars Tuition Award (National Merit Finalists)

    Arizona residents: $18,000/year flat (replaces the Wildcat Tuition Award). Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $3,000/year National Scholar supplement.

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Scholars Tuition Award (National Merit Finalists)

    Who qualifies

    Named National Merit Finalist status AND declaration of the University of Arizona as first-choice college with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by NMSC's deadline.

    How to keep it

    Renewable subject to the published terms and conditions. The total includes college-sponsored, corporate-sponsored, and NMSC-sponsored NMF awards.

    Worth knowing

    Arizona's NMF package is structured differently for residents vs non-residents. Residents receive a flat $18,000/year (materially larger than the Wildcat Tuition Award base), while non-residents stack a $3,000/year supplement on top of the Arizona Tuition Award. Families who are Finalists but don't update the first-choice field at NMSC do not receive the National Scholars layer.

  4. National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition AwardArizona residents: Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000/year. Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000/year.Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award

    Arizona residents: Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000/year. Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000/year.

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award

    Who qualifies

    National Merit Semi-Finalist status.

    How to keep it

    Renewable subject to the published terms and conditions

    Worth knowing

    A $1,000/year supplement layered on top of the base tuition award. Semi-Finalists who are later named Finalists move to the National Scholars Tuition Award instead. Confidence: needs_confirmation. Arizona's 2026-2027 Scholarship Terms and Conditions page does not list a National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award; the $1,000/year supplement may have been retired or rolled into the National Merit Scholars Tuition Award for the 2026-2027 cycle. Verify directly with Arizona Financial Aid (520-621-1858) before relying on this tier for Fall 2026.

  5. National Merit Recognition Tuition AwardArizona residents: Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000/year. Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000/year.Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    National Merit Recognition Tuition Award

    Arizona residents: Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000/year. Non-residents: Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000/year.

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Recognition Tuition Award

    Who qualifies

    College Board recognition program eligibility (African American Recognition, Hispanic Recognition, Indigenous Recognition, Rural and Small Town Recognition, or First-Generation Recognition). Selections are made by the College Board, not by the University of Arizona.

    How to keep it

    Renewable subject to the published terms and conditions

    Worth knowing

    This award is specifically tied to the College Board recognition programs; it is NOT a general merit tier. Students who earn any of the five College Board recognition designations automatically layer a $1,000/year supplement on top of their base tuition award. Families should treat this as a bonus for eligible students, not a tier of Arizona's core GPA × test merit ladder. Confidence: needs_confirmation. Arizona's 2026-2027 Scholarship Terms and Conditions page does not list a National Merit Recognition Tuition Award; the $1,000/year College Board recognition supplement may have been retired for the 2026-2027 cycle. Verify directly with Arizona Financial Aid (520-621-1858) before relying on this tier for Fall 2026.

  6. Presidential Scholarship (non-resident)$10,000 per academic yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Presidential Scholarship (non-resident)

    $10,000 per academic year

    Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Presidential Scholarship (non-resident)

    Who qualifies

    Non-resident, first-time, full-time. Highly selective. The 2025-26 program is named "Presidential Scholarship"; the 2026-27 cycle renames it "President's Saguaro Scholars Award."

    How to keep it

    Renewable subject to the published terms and conditions

    Worth knowing

    A separate competitive award for non-residents that layers on top of the Arizona Tuition Award. For 2026-27, Arizona has confirmed the program exists under the new name "President's Saguaro Scholars Award" but has not yet published the 2026-27 dollar amount. Families should use the 2025-26 $10,000/year figure for modeling until Arizona updates the terms and conditions page.

  7. Franke Honors College Freshman Award$10,000/year + up to $10,000 study abroad travel stipendNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Franke Honors College Freshman Award

    $10,000/year + up to $10,000 study abroad travel stipend

    Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    3.75+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Franke Honors College Freshman Award

    Who qualifies

    Unweighted HS GPA of 3.75+. Franke Honors College admission required. A separate $2,000 Honors award is available (up to 10 awards) for Honors-participating undergraduates.

    How to keep it

    Approximately 8 awards per year. Requires admission to Franke Honors College and continued Honors participation.

    Worth knowing

    Franke Honors stacks on top of the base Arizona Tuition Award or Wildcat Tuition Award depending on residency, so Honors-admitted freshmen effectively layer multiple awards plus a study abroad stipend.

Lights up against Arizona's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office.

Free Merit Check

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The free Merit Check shows which Arizona award your student's numbers reach, and the rules that could change it. About 30 seconds.

Checking merit aid at Arizona

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The fine print

Cutoff cliffOne ACT point can move the award by +$7,000 to +$16,000/yr ($18,000 National Scholars flat − the $11,000 Wildcat ceiling or the $2,000 Wildcat floor)

Arizona publishes a tier ladder where crossing AZ resident · Wildcat base → National Merit Finalist changes the marginal value by +$7,000 to +$16,000/yr ($18,000 National Scholars flat − the $11,000 Wildcat ceiling or the $2,000 Wildcat floor). National Scholars replaces Wildcat rather than stacking, so the gain depends where the student's Wildcat award lands. An NMF-caliber resident would realistically sit near the ceiling, making +$7,000/yr the conservative swing and +$16,000/yr the floor-based maximum.

Old Main at the University of Arizona

Old Main at the University of Arizona

What makes Arizona different

Public Big 12 flagship with a published $4,000–$20,000/year Arizona Tuition Award for non-residents, a separate $2,000–$11,000/year Wildcat Tuition Award for Arizona residents, and a detailed National Scholar package for National Merit Finalists. Outside scholarships displace undisbursed loans first, which makes Arizona one of the more outside-scholarship-friendly public flagships in the country.

Read our full reasoning

Worth optimizing for if your student is a National Merit Finalist or honors-caliber out-of-state applicant. The base ladder is a published range, not a stat grid, so it rewards status more than incremental points.

Arizona's automatic tuition awards are published as ranges, not a GPA-by-test grid: $4,000-$20,000/yr for non-residents and $2,000-$11,000/yr for residents, both gated at a 3.25 GPA plus a 24 ACT or 1110 SAT (2025-26 figures; model with these until Arizona publishes the 2026-27 cycle). Because the dollars aren't priced cell-by-cell, the leverage comes from status tiers that stack or replace. For an Arizona-resident National Merit Finalist the flat $18,000/yr National Scholars award replaces Wildcat entirely, so the marginal gain depends where the student's Wildcat award lands: roughly +$7,000/yr against the $11,000 ceiling, up to +$16,000/yr against the $2,000 floor. The biggest firm fixed-dollar moves are Franke Honors and the Presidential/Saguaro award, each layering $10,000/yr on top of the base. Non-resident Finalists add a $3,000/yr supplement. Stacking is loan-first, so Arizona reduces undisbursed loans before touching aid, though total tuition-specific institutional aid cannot exceed 100% of base tuition. Priority deadline: November 1 Early Action.

Merit tiers72 based on grades or scores
Average school award$14,046CDS 2023-2024
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Arizona's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Arizona's scholarship priority window closes on November 1 Early Action. Late applicants who still meet the GPA and test-score floor may receive a reduced award, but the maximum-consideration pool closes on the published priority date. Non-residents should treat November 1 as the hard gate for the Arizona Tuition Award and any competitive layers.

  2. Arizona's published 2025-26 terms and conditions explicitly prohibit combining the Arizona Tuition Award with the Wildcat Tuition Award. Non-residents get Arizona Tuition Award; residents get Wildcat Tuition Award. The National Scholars Tuition Award further replaces (not stacks with) Wildcat for Arizona-resident NMFs. NMF and NMSF supplements do layer on top of the base tuition award.

  3. Arizona's 2025-26 terms and conditions publish the non-resident National Scholar supplement at $3,000/year on top of the Arizona Tuition Award, NOT $5,000/year. Older references to +$5,000 are stale. Arizona-resident National Merit Finalists receive a flat $18,000/year (which replaces Wildcat), not a supplement.

  4. Arizona's published over-awards policy reduces undisbursed loans first before touching institutional aid. That makes Arizona comparatively generous on outside-scholarship stacking: families can layer outside awards on top of institutional merit without giving up institutional dollars, as long as undisbursed loans remain available to absorb the reduction. Report outside awards early so the office can apply the loan-first sequencing cleanly.

See award cutoffs and special programs

What the named tiers actually pay

Every figure below is a named tier's own published dollar value. Base tuition awards are published as ranges, not single cells, so they are shown as ranges. NMF supplements layer on top of the base award; the resident National Scholars award replaces the Wildcat base rather than stacking. All dollar amounts are 2025-26 figures; Arizona has not yet published 2026-27 amounts, so model with these. Rows are ordered to match the cliff table below.

Student profileLikely outcome
AZ resident · National Merit Finalist (UA first-choice at NMSC)National Scholars Tuition Award — $18,000/yr flatReplaces the Wildcat award entirely, not added to it. Requires declaring UA first-choice with NMSC by their deadline. 2025-26 figure.
Either residency · 3.75+ GPA + Franke Honors admitFranke Honors Freshman Award — $10,000/yr + up to $10,000 study-abroad stipendApproximately 8 awards per year. Stacks on top of the base Arizona or Wildcat award. Stipend amount is 'up to $10,000'; the data does not state whether it is one-time or recurring.
Non-resident · highly selective (competitive)Presidential Scholarship — $10,000/yrCompetitive, not automatic. Layers on top of the Arizona Tuition Award. Renamed President's Saguaro Scholars Award for 2026-27 with amount not yet published; model with the 2025-26 $10,000 figure.
Non-resident · National Merit Finalist (UA first-choice at NMSC)Arizona Tuition Award + $3,000/yr National Scholar supplementSupplement layers on the base award. Requires declaring UA first-choice with NMSC by their deadline. 2025-26 figure.
Non-resident · 3.25+ GPA · 24+ ACT / 1110+ SATArizona Tuition Award — $4,000-$20,000/yr rangeAutomatic on stats. November 1 Early Action is the priority window. Published as a range, not a cell-by-cell grid. 2025-26 figures; 2026-27 amounts not yet published.
AZ resident · 3.25+ GPA · 24+ ACT / 1110+ SATWildcat Tuition Award — $2,000-$11,000/yr rangeAutomatic on stats. Published as a range, not a cell-by-cell grid. Cannot combine with the non-resident Arizona Tuition Award. 2025-26 figures; 2026-27 amounts not yet published.

Where the dollars actually jump

Each delta below is an arithmetic difference between two named tiers that both appear above. The resident NMF move replaces a range, so it is shown as a range against both Wildcat endpoints. The $1,000 National Merit Semi-Finalist and Recognition supplements are omitted because their tiers carry a needs_confirmation flag for 2026-27. Rows are ordered largest computable move first, matching the table above.

ThresholdMarginal value
AZ resident · Wildcat base → National Merit Finalist+$7,000 to +$16,000/yr ($18,000 National Scholars flat − the $11,000 Wildcat ceiling or the $2,000 Wildcat floor)National Scholars replaces Wildcat rather than stacking, so the gain depends where the student's Wildcat award lands. An NMF-caliber resident would realistically sit near the ceiling, making +$7,000/yr the conservative swing and +$16,000/yr the floor-based maximum.
Either residency · add Franke Honors (3.75+ GPA admit)+$10,000/yr ($10,000 Franke award stacked on base), plus up to $10,000 study-abroad stipendLargest firm fixed-dollar stack at Arizona. Stacks on the base award. Capacity-limited to roughly 8 awards per year, so not a reliable target for most applicants. The data does not state whether the stipend is one-time or recurring.
Non-resident · add Presidential / Saguaro (competitive)+$10,000/yr ($10,000 Presidential stacked on Arizona Tuition Award)Competitive, not stat-automatic. 2026-27 renamed President's Saguaro Scholars Award; amount not yet published, so model with the 2025-26 $10,000 figure.
Non-resident · National Merit Finalist supplement+$3,000/yr ($3,000 National Scholar supplement on the Arizona Tuition Award)Smaller than the resident NMF move because non-residents add a supplement rather than swapping to the $18,000 flat tier. Requires UA first-choice at NMSC by deadline.
See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

The University of Arizona is the non-resident family's detail-oriented flagship: every layer is published in terms and conditions, and every layer has a combination rule. Non-residents with a 3.25+ unweighted 6th-semester core GPA and a 24+ ACT or 1110+ SAT qualify for the Arizona Tuition Award, which pays $4,000–$20,000/year (comprised of the Excellence and Distinction subtiers, not separately priced). Non-residents can additionally receive the Presidential Scholarship at $10,000/year for highly selective consideration. Arizona residents with the same GPA and test thresholds qualify for the Wildcat Tuition Award at $2,000–$11,000/year. Arizona-resident National Merit Finalists receive a flat $18,000/year National Scholars Tuition Award; non-resident NMFs layer a $3,000/year National Scholar supplement on top of the base Arizona Tuition Award. Franke Honors College admits with a 3.75+ unweighted GPA stack a $10,000/year Honors freshman award plus up to $10,000 in study abroad travel stipends. The non-resident priority deadline is November 1 Early Action. Arizona's outside-scholarship policy reduces undisbursed loans first before touching institutional aid, which is notably generous among public flagships.

Cost of attendance$37,270–$67,770 for 2026-2027Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
Out-of-state, on-campus$67,770
In-state, on-campus$37,270
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Travel
  • Personal

Official page updated to 2026-2027.

Arizona cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Arizona, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Arizona, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$13,353
$30,001–$48,000$14,984
$48,001–$75,000$16,051
$75,001–$110,000$19,777
$110,001+$22,307
All income levels (average)$16,674

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$13,926
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$42,278
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$16,674

That works out to roughly a 43% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $29,423 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Arizona is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
68%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
83%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$19,620 (~$208/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$59,979
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
28%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
28%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

The University of Arizona reduces undisbursed loans first when outside scholarships would create an over-award. Arizona Tuition Award and Wildcat Tuition Award cannot be combined with each other or with the National Scholars Tuition Award base. NMF and NMSF supplements layer on top of the base tuition award rather than replacing it.

Arizona's published over-awards policy reduces undisbursed loans first before other awards, which makes the university comparatively generous on outside-scholarship stacking. At the institutional level, Arizona publishes explicit combination rules in its terms and conditions: the Arizona Tuition Award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award or the National Scholars Tuition Award base (for Arizona residents the National Scholars Tuition Award replaces Wildcat entirely). The National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award, the National Merit Recognition Tuition Award, and the non-resident National Scholar supplement all layer $1,000–$3,000/year on top of the base tuition award rather than replacing it. Total tuition-specific institutional aid cannot exceed 100% of base tuition in combination.

Source

More school data

From the Arizona Common Data Set 2023-2024:

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Arizona’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
Average award$14,046Covers ~21% of $67,770 cost of attendance

A verified merit penetration rate isn’t available for Arizona, but the average institutional merit recipient gets $14,046.

Where you standACT composite landscapeThe mid-50% admit band shows where most admitted students score. The merit zone shows the score range that qualifies for at least one automatic merit tier.

Merit starts at ACT 24+, inside the 21–28 admit band. A typical admit already qualifies for at least entry-tier merit.

SAT mid-50%1150–135025th / 75th percentile
ACT mid-50%21–2825th / 75th percentile
Average merit award$14,046Across recipients

Source: Common Data Set

Other Arizona scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountIndividualized for each student (up to 5 awards)EligibilityFor the Fall 2026 cohort: first-year Arizona residents who were U.S. citizens with an unweighted 3.75+ high school GPA and applied to the University of Arizona by December 1, 2025. Eligible students received an invitation to apply; the award itself was not automatic by invitation.

The official page identifies this as a Fall 2026 invitation-only application cycle gated by the December 1, 2025 University of Arizona application. Invitations were scheduled for mid-December 2025, and the separate Stamps application closed January 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Arizona time. That dated Fall 2026 cycle is closed; this entry does not imply that a later cohort is currently open.

Source

Amount$12,500/year cash from the Baird Foundation PLUS a full-tuition scholarship that includes mandatory student fees and the Honors College fee (currently valued at approximately $12,900/year). Combined four-year package value approximately $100,000.EligibilityArizona residents who attended an Arizona high school for at least two years, with a 3.75+ unweighted high school GPA. Test-optional pathway available (SAT/ACT scores are NOT required). Franke Honors admission required. Renewable across four years subject to a 3.2 cumulative GPA at Arizona and 24 cumulative units per aid year.

Baird is one of the most comprehensive in-state Honors packages in the Pac-12 / Big 12 region. It specifically covers the Honors College fee in addition to tuition and mandatory fees, which most peer honors scholarships do not. Application opens December 15 and closes March 1 on Arizona's Scholarship Universe portal; families targeting Baird must apply separately from the Common App / UA admission flow. The tuition component cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Scholarship, Arizona Tuition Scholarship, Flinn Semi-Finalist, or National Merit Scholarship; Baird is its own ladder.

Source

Amount$28,668/year combined at Arizona for designated Flinn Scholars: $16,500/year from the Flinn Foundation PLUS $12,168/year UA Flinn Semi-Finalist Tuition Award covering base tuition. The Flinn Foundation portion is published as covering a $135,000+ four-year package across tuition, fees, housing, meals, and study abroad.EligibilityArizona residents selected by the Flinn Foundation through a competitive statewide process. Open to top public-university applicants in Arizona (ASU, NAU, UArizona). Renewal requires 12 units/semester and a 3.20 cumulative GPA. UA's $12,168/year Flinn Semi-Finalist Tuition Award is restricted to Arizona residents; cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, President's Saguaro Scholars Award, or National Merit Scholars Tuition Award.

Flinn is a hybrid award at the University of Arizona. The $16,500/year Flinn Foundation portion is a third-party private-foundation scholarship that flows to UA when the scholar enrolls here. Separately, UA itself publishes a $12,168/year Flinn Semi-Finalist Tuition Award (institutional component) for Flinn Semi-Finalists and Designated Scholars. UA's example award table shows the combined $28,668/year package. Because the Flinn Foundation portion is technically an outside scholarship from a federal-aid perspective, families should still report it to the U of A scholarships office early so the office can sequence it correctly under the over-awards policy (loans reduced first).

Source

Arizona merit aid FAQ

  • What's the floor to be considered for the Arizona Tuition Award?

    Non-residents need an unweighted 6th-semester core GPA of 3.25+ AND a 24+ ACT or 1110+ SAT (critical reading + math). Arizona residents need the same 3.25+ GPA and 24+ ACT / 1110+ SAT combination for the in-state Wildcat Tuition Award. Below either the 3.25 GPA floor or the 24 ACT / 1110 SAT floor, students can still be admitted but are not eligible for the base-tuition merit ladder.

  • Can the Arizona Tuition Award be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award?

    No. Arizona's published 2025-26 terms and conditions explicitly state that the Arizona Tuition Award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, the National Scholar Tuition Award, the National Merit Recognition Tuition Award, or the National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award. Families modeling the merit stack need to pick the higher award; the two ladders are mutually exclusive, not additive.

  • How does the University of Arizona handle National Merit Finalists?

    Arizona runs separate NMF packages by residency. Arizona residents receive the National Scholars Tuition Award at $18,000/year flat, which replaces the Wildcat Tuition Award entirely. Non-resident Finalists receive the Arizona Tuition Award ($4,000–$20,000/year range) plus a $3,000/year National Scholar supplement layered on top. The first-choice designation is made through NMSC, not through the University of Arizona directly, and must be submitted by NMSC's own deadline to activate the National Scholars layer.

  • What does the Franke Honors College add on top of base merit?

    Franke Honors-admitted freshmen with an unweighted 3.75+ GPA can earn a $10,000/year Honors freshman award plus up to $10,000 in study abroad travel stipends, with approximately 8 awards per year. A separate $2,000 Honors award is available for Honors-participating undergraduates (up to 10 awards). Franke Honors stacks on top of the base Arizona Tuition Award or Wildcat Tuition Award depending on residency; the Honors awards are separate from the base-tuition ladder's non-combination rules.

  • Will an outside scholarship reduce my University of Arizona aid?

    Arizona publishes an over-awards policy that reduces undisbursed loans first when outside scholarships would push total aid above the student's budget. That makes Arizona comparatively generous on outside-scholarship stacking: institutional merit is preserved while loans absorb the reduction. Total tuition-specific institutional aid is still capped at 100% of base tuition in combination, so very large institutional awards can still be adjusted if they push the institutional-only subtotal over that line.

See sources and other schools

How Arizona compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Arizona is in a recognizable cluster (145 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Arizona is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

  • 63 of 749 verified schools publish a marginal-value cliff table we can quantify.

    Arizona is one of them. Most schools won't tell families what one ACT point is actually worth. At the schools that do, a strategic retake is sometimes mathematically more valuable than test-optional positioning.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Arizona’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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