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Utah Valley University · Utah

Utah Valley University scholarships and merit aid

UVU awards automatic, stat-based Academic Merit scholarships to Utah-resident and non-resident freshmen — the top resident tier pays full tuition + general student fees, with lower tiers paying flat $5,000 or $3,500 per year — selected with no separate application by a February 1 deadline.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Utah Valley University worth a closer look?

Utah Valley University is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 14 published awards, and 9 are based on those numbers.

Merit tiers149 based on grades or scores
First-year students with school awards5%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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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 you landAutomatic merit aid by ACT compositeEach bar marks the ACT score range that qualifies for the tier.
Resident Academic Merit — PresidentialFull tuition and general studen…
ACT 31SAT 1400 · GPA 3.9+ unweighted HS GPA
Non-Resident Academic Merit — PresidentialFull tuition
ACT 31SAT 1400 · GPA 3.9+ GPA
Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary$5,000
ACT 27SAT 1280 · GPA 3.9-4.0 GPA (with 27-30 ACT / 1280-1370 SAT) or 3.7-3.8 GPA (with 27-36 ACT / 1280-1590 SAT)
Non-Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary$6,200
ACT 27SAT 1280 · GPA 3.9-4.0 GPA (with 27-30 ACT / 1280-1370 SAT) or 3.7-3.8 GPA (with 27-36 ACT / 1280-1590 SAT)
Border Waiver (Non-Resident)Waives the non-resident portion…
ACT 22GPA 3.5+ unweighted GPA
Resident Academic Merit — Outstanding$3,500
ACT 21SAT 1080 · GPA 3.8+ GPA (with 21-26 ACT / 1080-1240 SAT) or 3.6-3.7 GPA with at least a 24 ACT / 1180 SAT
Non-Resident Waiver (Academic Merit, Freshman)$5,000
ACT 21SAT 1080 · GPA 3.8+ GPA (with 21-26 ACT / 1080-1240 SAT) or 3.6-3.7 GPA with at least a 24 ACT / 1180 SAT

Not on this ladder: Sterling Scholar — Region Winner, Sterling Scholar — Region Runner-Up, Sterling Scholar — High School Winner, Transfer Academic Merit — Outstanding, Transfer Academic Merit — Distinguished, Honors Program Tuition Award, Dean's Merit Scholarship — application required, holistic, or scored on a different axis.

View as table
TierACT compositeAward
Resident Academic Merit — Presidential31Full tuition and general student fees (resident)
Non-Resident Academic Merit — Presidential31Full tuition (non-resident)
Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary27$5,000 each year
Non-Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary27$6,200 per semester (Fall & Spring)
Border Waiver (Non-Resident)22Waives the non-resident portion of tuition (pay resident tuition rates)
Resident Academic Merit — Outstanding21$3,500 each year ($1,750 Fall & $1,750 Spring)
Non-Resident Waiver (Academic Merit, Freshman)21$5,000 per semester (Fall & Spring)
Full tuition and general student fe…Full tuition and general student fees (resident)

Resident Academic Merit — Presidential

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.9+ unweighted HS GPA
SAT
1400
ACT
31
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.

How to keep it

4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.6 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Automatic for residents who meet the stat criteria. Pays full resident tuition plus general student fees; student may owe other fees for specific coursework. Complete admission application, submit official HS transcript, and submit ACT/SAT scores by February 1, 2026.

Source

$5,000 each year

Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.9-4.0 GPA (with 27-30 ACT / 1280-1370 SAT) or 3.7-3.8 GPA (with 27-36 ACT / 1280-1590 SAT)
SAT
1280
ACT
27
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.

How to keep it

4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.5 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Automatic for residents who meet the stat criteria. Page states 'Pays $4,000 each year' then 'Beginning with the 2024-2025 year: Pays $5,000 each year' — the current amount is $5,000/year. Student owes remaining tuition, general student fees, and other course fees.

Source

$3,500 each year…$3,500 each year ($1,750 Fall & $1,750 Spring)

Resident Academic Merit — Outstanding

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.8+ GPA (with 21-26 ACT / 1080-1240 SAT) or 3.6-3.7 GPA with at least a 24 ACT / 1180 SAT
SAT
1080
ACT
21
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.

How to keep it

2 years (4 semesters) with a 3.2 cumulative GPA and 12 credits each semester. Potential renewal for an additional 2 years (totaling 4 years/8 semesters) with a 3.5 cumulative GPA at the end of year 2. Can be deferred.

Notes

Automatic for residents who meet the stat criteria. Note the renewal cliff: only guaranteed 2 years unless a 3.5 cumulative GPA is reached at the end of year 2. Student owes remaining tuition, general student fees, and other course fees.

Source

Full tuition (non-resident)

Non-Resident Academic Merit — Presidential

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.9+ GPA
SAT
1400
ACT
31
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Non-resident; current high school senior; only 10 Non-Resident Presidential scholarships available. Unweighted GPA used and not rounded.

How to keep it

4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.6 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Limited to 10 awards. Pays full non-resident tuition; student owes general student fees and other course fees. Highly competitive due to the 10-award cap even though selection is stat-based.

Source

$6,200 per semester (Fall & Spring)

Non-Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.9-4.0 GPA (with 27-30 ACT / 1280-1370 SAT) or 3.7-3.8 GPA (with 27-36 ACT / 1280-1590 SAT)
SAT
1280
ACT
27
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Non-resident; current high school senior; only 10 Non-Resident Exemplary scholarships available.

How to keep it

4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.5 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Limited to 10 awards. Pays $6,200 per semester; student owes remaining tuition, general student fees, and other course fees.

Source

$5,000 per semester (Fall & Spring)

Non-Resident Waiver (Academic Merit, Freshman)

Based on grades or scores
GPA
3.8+ GPA (with 21-26 ACT / 1080-1240 SAT) or 3.6-3.7 GPA with at least a 24 ACT / 1180 SAT
SAT
1080
ACT
21
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Non-resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded.

Notes

One-year-only award (two semesters) and NOT renewable — a key cliff for non-residents. Pays $5,000 per semester; student owes remaining tuition, general student fees, and other course fees.

Source

$2,000 per semester

Sterling Scholar — Region Winner

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.0 High School GPA
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming freshman; Utah resident; publicly recognized Sterling Scholar Region Winner. Requires the scholarship application and award verification by May 15.

How to keep it

4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.5 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Requires a separate application + verification of the Sterling Scholar award by May 15 (not automatic on stats). Region Winners receive $2,000 per semester.

Source

$1,750 per semester

Sterling Scholar — Region Runner-Up

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.0 High School GPA
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming freshman; Utah resident; Sterling Scholar Region Runner-Up. Requires application + verification by May 15.

How to keep it

2 years (4 semesters). Requires 3.2 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Separate application + Sterling Scholar verification required by May 15. Runners-Up receive $1,750 per semester, renewable for 2 years.

Source

$1,000 per semester

Sterling Scholar — High School Winner

Apply separately
GPA
3.0 cumulative GPA
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming freshman; Utah resident; Sterling Scholar High School Winner. Requires application + verification by May 15.

Notes

One-year, non-renewable award of $1,000 per semester. Separate application + verification required by May 15.

Source

$3,500 each year…$3,500 each year ($1,750 Fall & $1,750 Spring)

Transfer Academic Merit — Outstanding

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.7+ GPA
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Resident transfer student with 60 or more credit hours and at least a 3.7 GPA, pursuing first bachelor's degree. Submit transcripts by June 1.

How to keep it

2 years or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.2 cumulative GPA and 12 credits each semester. Can be deferred.

Notes

Resident transfer award. Automatic on transfer GPA/credit criteria; documents due June 1, 2026. Student owes remaining tuition, general student fees, and other course fees.

Source

$2,000 for the year…$2,000 for the year ($1,000 Fall & $1,000 Spring)

Transfer Academic Merit — Distinguished

Based on grades or scores
GPA
3.5 GPA (24-59 credit hours) or 3.5-3.6 GPA (60+ credit hours)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Resident transfer student pursuing first bachelor's degree. If transferring 12-23 credits, also need 3.5+ HS & transfer GPA and ACT 24+ / SAT 1180+. Submit transcripts by June 1.

Notes

One-year, non-renewable resident transfer award of $2,000. Documents due June 1, 2026.

Source

Tuition Awards start at $1,000 per…Tuition Awards start at $1,000 per year

Honors Program Tuition Award

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Must first be admitted to the Honors Program; awarded based on potential for innovation, creativity, and intellectual inquiry. Essay required; separate Honors application.

How to keep it

May be renewed for up to eight semesters. Requires full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credit hours) and a minimum of 3 credit hours of Honors coursework.

Notes

Competitive, not automatic — requires Honors Program admission and a separate application/essay. Tuition Awards start at $1,000/year; a separate Honors Housing Award covers roughly 50% of rent for up to two years. Honors awards are capped so total UVU aid does not exceed full tuition.

Source

Amounts vary depending on the speci…Amounts vary depending on the specific scholarship

Dean's Merit Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
2.5-3.5 (varies by department)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Major-specific with additional criteria determined by the department; must be a Utah Resident. Apply via ScholarshipUniverse. Only the School of Education requires an essay.

How to keep it

Not specified on the page.

Notes

Major-based; amount and renewal not published (set in the award offer in ScholarshipUniverse). No fixed dollar figure on the official page — do not assume an amount.

Source

Waives the non-resident portion of…Waives the non-resident portion of tuition (pay resident tuition rates)

Border Waiver (Non-Resident)

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
3.5+ unweighted GPA
ACT
22
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming non-resident freshman within 100 highway miles of UVU's Orem/Wasatch campuses; from listed Wyoming high schools (Evanston, Kemmerer, Mountain View, Lyman). No application needed — automatic on submitted transcripts and scores.

How to keep it

Renewable for up to eight semesters, as long as GPA and credit-hour requirements are met each semester (12 credit hours each semester).

Notes

Reduces a non-resident's bill to resident tuition rates (it does not pay a flat dollar amount). Limited to specific border-area Wyoming high schools.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Utah Valley University's published information.

  • Renewal ruleResident Academic Merit — Presidential: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    4 years (8 semesters) or until a bachelor's degree is received, whichever comes first. Requires 3.6 cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Can be deferred. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

What families often miss

  1. The resident Presidential pays full tuition AND general student fees, but you may still owe course-specific fees. Tuition is only part of UVU's cost of attendance — the 2025-2026 resident COA (not living with parents) is about $24,132, which includes ~$12,150 housing & food, books, travel, and personal expenses that no merit award touches.

  2. Resident and non-resident freshman Academic Merit scholarships require your admission application, official HS transcript, and ACT/SAT scores on file by February 1, 2026. The page calls scholarship due dates 'firm and strict' — there is no separate scholarship application for Academic Merit, so the February 1 documents deadline IS the scholarship deadline.

  3. The Non-Resident Waiver tier ($5,000/semester) is a 2-semester award and is NOT renewable, and the Transfer Distinguished award ($2,000) is also non-renewable — these are one-year-only. Only Presidential/Exemplary tiers renew for up to 8 semesters.

  4. Resident Outstanding is guaranteed for only 2 years (4 semesters). It extends to a full 4 years ONLY if you reach a 3.5 cumulative GPA by the end of year 2 — a real renewal cliff.

  5. UVU counts outside scholarships as a resource. Your total aid can't exceed cost of attendance, and when extra aid pushes you over, Policy 512 reduces need-based aid — loans first. Honors awards are capped so you receive only up to full tuition, so a big private award can shrink other aid rather than stack freely.

  6. The Academic Merit grid uses UNWEIGHTED GPA, and the page states GPA 'is not rounded.' A 3.59 does not round up to 3.6 for the Outstanding cutoff.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Utah-resident and qualifying non-resident high-school seniors with strong unweighted GPAs and ACT/SAT scores who want an automatic, stat-based tuition scholarship at an affordable open-enrollment public university; the very top stats earn full tuition.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $24,132 for 2025-2026. Source

Cost and graduation facts

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

Average annual net price by family income at Utah Valley University, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$3,904
$30,001–$48,000$4,231
$48,001–$75,000$5,664
$75,001–$110,000$8,115
$110,001+$13,297
All income levels (average)$6,376

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$6,507
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$18,489
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$6,376

That works out to roughly a 57% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $14,765 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Utah Valley University 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
45%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
73%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$14,750 (~$156/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$55,486
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
27%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
12%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

UVU counts outside scholarships as a resource for federal aid. Per Policy 512, a student's total aid package should not exceed cost of attendance; when additional aid arrives after the package is calculated, need-based aid is reduced and LOANS are reduced first before any other aid source. Institutional Honors awards are explicitly capped so a student receives only up to full tuition.

Policy 512 (5.9.2): 'Loans will be reduced before any other aid sources, except if the terms of a particular award require that it be reduced before aid from any other source is reduced.' (5.6.3): total aid should not exceed COA, and need-based scholarships cannot exceed unmet need. Honors FAQ: outside scholarships are allowed but counted as a resource for federal aid, and 'Students may only receive up to full tuition when using the Honors award.' If an award exceeds COA the student may need to file an appeal.

Source

More school data

From the Utah Valley University Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated figures):

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Utah Valley University’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
5%of admitsget merit
Average award$7,850Covers ~33% of $24,132 cost of attendance

At Utah Valley University, roughly 1 in 20 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $7,850 — about 33% of total cost.

As filed in Utah Valley University's CDS Section H2A: of 3,331 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 169 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $7,850. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 766 of 18,485, averaging $7,095. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.

The 2024-2025 column is marked "estimated" in the school's own CDS filing — school-projected figures, not final audited counts.

Receive institutional merit5%First-year students, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Average merit award$7,850Across recipients, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)

Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025 (verified 2026-07-23)

Other Utah Valley University scholarships worth checking

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

AmountCovers the difference between a student's Pell Grant and tuition costs (varies)EligibilityUtah resident, full-time (12+ credits), completes the FAFSA and receives a (non-full) Pell Grant; priority to first/second-year students with a complete file by February 1; under 120 attempted credit hours.

Automatic after FAFSA; funding is limited and not every eligible student receives it. Covers only remaining tuition after Pell — not general student fees or course-specific fees.

Source

AmountAmounts vary depending on the specific scholarshipEligibilityTalent-based (music, performance, etc.); auditions, interviews, or tryouts may be required. Apply via ScholarshipUniverse and contact the department.

No published dollar figure; award shown in the ScholarshipUniverse offer.

Source

AmountAward amounts vary depending on the specific scholarshipEligibilityVaries by donor; academic awards scored on GPA and UVU credits completed; 3.0 GPA minimum; need-based ones require the FAFSA. Apply via ScholarshipUniverse.

Donor-funded through the Make A Gift program; eligibility and amounts vary.

Source

AmountAward amounts vary depending on the specific scholarshipEligibilityNEED-BASED. Based on demonstrated financial need via the FAFSA; specific requirements vary by scholarship in ScholarshipUniverse.

Need-based, not merit. Included for completeness.

Source

Utah Valley University merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    February 1, 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Freshman Academic Merit (resident and non-resident) is automatic — no separate application — but your admission application, official high school transcript, and ACT/SAT scores must be submitted by February 1. Transfer Academic Merit documents are due June 1; Sterling Scholar verification is due May 15.

  • Do I have to apply separately for the Academic Merit scholarship?

    No. Utah resident and non-resident freshman Academic Merit scholarships are awarded automatically to current high school seniors who meet the unweighted-GPA and ACT/SAT criteria and have their documents in by February 1. UVU still encourages completing the ScholarshipUniverse application to be considered for other (Dean's Merit, Honors, private, need-based) awards.

  • How much does each Academic Merit tier pay?

    For residents: Presidential pays full tuition plus general student fees; Exemplary pays $5,000/year; Outstanding pays $3,500/year. For non-residents: Presidential pays full tuition; Exemplary pays $6,200/semester; the Non-Resident Waiver pays $5,000/semester. Non-resident Presidential and Exemplary are each limited to 10 awards.

  • Can I stack outside scholarships on top of my UVU award?

    You can receive outside scholarships, but UVU counts them as a resource. Your total aid can't exceed your cost of attendance; if it would, need-based aid is reduced (loans first) and you may need to file an appeal. Honors awards specifically can't push you past full tuition.

  • Does the Academic Merit scholarship renew for all four years?

    Presidential and Exemplary renew for up to 4 years (8 semesters) with a 3.6 (Presidential) or 3.5 (Exemplary) cumulative GPA and 15 credits each semester. Outstanding is only guaranteed 2 years and extends to 4 only if you hit a 3.5 cumulative GPA by the end of year 2. The Non-Resident Waiver tier does not renew.

See sources and other schools

How Utah Valley University compares

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

    Utah Valley University 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.

    Utah Valley University 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.

Sources used on this page

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

Compare with similar schools

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