Does UCLA offer merit scholarships?

Very limited. Only about 4% of freshmen receive non-need institutional merit, averaging $8,557. The Regents Scholarship ($2,000/year for non-need students) goes to ~75 freshmen by invitation. UCLA Alumni Scholarships ($4,000-$20,000) require a separate application. No automatic merit awards based on GPA or test scores exist.

UCLA award rules

Will the scholarship last four years at UCLA?

We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.

Verified Jul 20261 month ago· PT

The short answer

1 of 1 published awards are listed as renewable.

The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.

What to do

Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.

See every award rule, common mistake, and source

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 1 of 1
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 1
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

UCLA's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

Regents Scholarship: 3.0 GPA

Renewal terms by tier

Regents Scholarship
$2,000/year ($8,000 over four years). If the scholar has additional financial need, UCLA awards university grants to cover the remainder of demonstrated need.
To keep it: Renewable for four years (12 academic quarters). Requires 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Source: https://prospective-ugstudents-ucla.academicworks.com/opportunities/334

How families lose this aid

Expecting automatic merit aid as an out-of-state student at UCLA.
UCLA does not award automatic scholarships based on GPA or test scores. Nearly all undergraduate funding is need-based. Out-of-state families paying ~$85,000/year often assume merit will offset the $39,270 NRST. Only 4% of freshmen receive any non-need merit, averaging $8,557.

Renewal questions families ask

Does UCLA offer merit scholarships?: Very limited. Only about 4% of freshmen receive non-need institutional merit, averaging $8,557. The Regents Scholarship ($2,000/year for non-need students) goes to ~75 freshmen by invitation. UCLA Alumni Scholarships ($4,000-$20,000) require a separate application. No automatic merit awards based on GPA or test scores exist.

How UCLA compares across our verified dataset

667 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
UCLA is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against UCLA’s own published materials.