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 Jun 20264 days ago· CC
Merit tiers149 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst CC
Rules that bite at Utah Valley University
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Utah Valley University's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalResident 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.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Utah Valley University
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Who this school is 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.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $24,132 for 2025-2026. Source
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
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 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
2024283236
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
Tier
ACT composite
Award
Resident Academic Merit — Presidential
31
Full tuition and general student fees (resident)
Non-Resident Academic Merit — Presidential
31
Full tuition (non-resident)
Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary
27
$5,000 each year
Non-Resident Academic Merit — Exemplary
27
$6,200 per semester (Fall & Spring)
Border Waiver (Non-Resident)
22
Waives the non-resident portion of tuition (pay resident tuition rates)
Resident Academic Merit — Outstanding
21
$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
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.9+ unweighted HS GPA
SAT
1400
ACT
31
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.
Renewal terms
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.
Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.
Renewal terms
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.
$3,500 each year…$3,500 each year ($1,750 Fall & $1,750 Spring)
Resident Academic Merit — Outstanding
AutomaticRenewable
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
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Utah resident; current high school senior; unweighted GPA used and not rounded. No separate scholarship application required.
Renewal terms
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.
Non-resident; current high school senior; only 10 Non-Resident Presidential scholarships available. Unweighted GPA used and not rounded.
Renewal terms
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.
Non-resident; current high school senior; only 10 Non-Resident Exemplary scholarships available.
Renewal terms
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.
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
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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.
Incoming freshman; Utah resident; publicly recognized Sterling Scholar Region Winner. Requires the scholarship application and award verification by May 15.
Renewal terms
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.
$3,500 each year…$3,500 each year ($1,750 Fall & $1,750 Spring)
Transfer Academic Merit — Outstanding
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.7+ GPA
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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.
Renewal terms
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.
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.
Tuition Awards start at $1,000 per…Tuition Awards start at $1,000 per year
Honors Program Tuition Award
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Must first be admitted to the Honors Program; awarded based on potential for innovation, creativity, and intellectual inquiry. Essay required; separate Honors application.
Renewal terms
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.
Amounts vary depending on the speci…Amounts vary depending on the specific scholarship
Dean's Merit Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
2.5-3.5 (varies by department)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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.
Renewal terms
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.
Waives the non-resident portion of…Waives the non-resident portion of tuition (pay resident tuition rates)
Border Waiver (Non-Resident)
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.5+ unweighted GPA
ACT
22
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
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.
Renewal terms
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.
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.
Lesser-known scholarships at Utah Valley University
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility 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.
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.
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.
AmountAward amounts vary depending on the specific scholarshipEligibilityNEED-BASED. Based on demonstrated financial need via the FAFSA; specific requirements vary by scholarship in ScholarshipUniverse.
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.
How Utah Valley University compares across our verified dataset
99 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
Utah Valley University is in the modest minority (99 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Utah Valley University 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 claim is checked against Utah Valley University’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
