USHE’s annual Scholarship Report is now available. The report updates the Utah Legislature on the New Century and Regents’ Scholarships, which are administered by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. While the recipients for the New Century Scholarship has remained constant for several years, the Regents’ Scholarship continues to see increased growth, with a 26 percent increase in awards from last year (average 54 percent annual recipient growth) and it appears to continue to prompt aspirational behavior among high school students, parents and administrators as a model pathway for successful college preparation in high school.

The scholarships are provided in conjunction with Utah’s Step Up to Higher Education efforts, an outreach campaign encouraging Utah youth to dream big about their futures by preparing for and completing college. StepUp’s newly updated website provides tips, tools, and resources on preparing, planning, and paying for college so that obtaining a higher education can be a reality for all Utahns.

Regents’ Scholarship

The Regents’ Scholarship was created in 2008 and is funded by the Utah Legislature to help encourage Utah high school students to prepare for college financially by saving for college and academically by taking a core course of study during 9-12 grades. In order to be eligible for the Regents’ Scholarship, students must take the Utah Scholars Curriculum, a proven set of course to prepare students for college success.

There are three awards applicants can receive in the Regents’ Scholarship: the Base Award, Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, and UESP Supplemental Award. Additionally, students must meet certain academic requirements, such as a minimum GPA and ACT score. The scholarship can be used at any public college or university in the Utah System of Higher Education, as well as at Brigham Young University-Provo, LDS Business College, and Westminster College.

Based on legislative funding, the award amounts for the 2015-2016 college academic year Fall and Spring semesters (Fall and Winter at BYU) are as follows:

• The Base Award will be $1000 one-time.
• The Exemplary Award will be a flat dollar amount of $1,250 per semester for up to four semesters. (Students must renew their award every semester.)
• The UESP Supplemental Award is subject to the amount saved through the UESP program, with the maximum scholarship award being $400 one-time.