The Regents’ Scholarship is a tiered award system comprised of a Base Award, Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, and a Utah Educational Savings Plan Supplemental Award. This scholarship awards students who complete the Utah Scholars Core Course of Study during high school in grades 9-12. In other words, all required courses must appear on an official high school or official college transcript. Course taken in grades 7 and 8 do not satisfy scholarship requirements.  All of the Regents’ Scholarship requirements must be completed by the date of the student’s high school graduation.

The scholarship is available to Utah high school graduates that choose to continue their education at an institution of higher education in Utah. The scholarship can be used at the following institutions within the Utah System of Higher Education: The College of Eastern Utah, Dixie State College, Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, and Weber State University. It can also be used at the following private, non-profit Utah institutions: Brigham Young University, LDS Business College and Westminster College.

Students must apply for the scholarship during the year that they graduate from high school. The scholarship application and all other requested documents which comprise a complete application file, are due, postmarked, February 1, 2010, for priority consideration the deadline is January 8, 2010. Late applications and supporting documents are not accepted. Incomplete files will not be reviewed and therefore; students who submit incomplete files will not be eligible for the scholarship. The online portion of the application will become available on December 1, 2009. Students must not only complete the online application, but must also submit other supporting documents including: a “signature page”, official transcript(s), verification of an ACT score, and a high school class schedule demonstrating remaining course work that will be completed. For a detailed list of the documents that comprise a complete Regents’ Scholarship Application file, see the Scholarship Checklist of Materials. Students should plan ahead allowing for plenty of time for the school to process their request for a copy of their official transcript. It is highly recommended that the student collect all required documents and submit them to our office in one envelope.

The application process and timeline for review begins with all application materials being submitted by (postmarked) February 1, 2010. Once all application materials are received, the Regents’ Scholarship Review Committee conducts an initial review of the student’s application file. Students who appear to be on-track to meet the requirements of the scholarship are found to be “conditionally approved”, while those who have not met the requirements are deemed non-eligible. Students are notified of their initial application status by May 1, 2010. Those who are “conditionally approved” will receive a request for documentation providing evidence of completing all the requirements, including graduation from a Utah high school. Details outlining the required documents for a final review will be provided in a letter of notifications sent by May 1. The final documentation is due July 15, 2010. The Regents’ Scholarship Review Committee will then conduct a final review and notify the student, by mail, of the final outcome of their Regents’ Scholarship application. The final review process takes 4-6 weeks to complete. Again, students will not receive an award until after the final review has been conducted.  

The following is a summary of the scholarship requirements for the class of 2010.

Base  Award Requirements worth up to $1000* (one-time payment):

• Complete the Utah Scholars Core Course of Study during grades 9-12, which is comprised of the following courses:
• 4 years/credits of English
• 4 years/credits of Math taken in a progressive manner (at minimum a student must complete Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and one class beyond Algebra 2)
• 3.5 years/credits of Social Science
• 3 years/credits of Science courses, must include one each of Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• 2 years/credits of the same Foreign Language, other than English, taken in a progressive in grades 9-12.

For information regarding courses that will satisfy the scholarship requirements see the 2009-2010 Required Core Courses.

• Have a cumulative weighted 3.0 GPA;
• Have no individual grade lower than a “C”** in required core courses;
• Have at least one reported ACT test score (SAT is not accepted);
• Be a United States citizen, or a noncitizen eligible for federal student aid;
• Have no criminal record except misdemeanor traffic citations;
• Enroll full-time (12 or more credit hours) at an eligible Utah institution of higher education within 12 months of high school graduation unless an approval from the Regents’ Scholarship Committee for a deferral or leave of absence is obtained.

Exemplary Academic Achievement Award Requirements (renewable payment)

In order to qualify for the Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, a student must meet the Base Award requirements, plus the following requirements:

• Have a cumulative 3.5 GPA;
• Have no individual grade lower than a “B”** in the required core courses;
• Have an ACT score of 26

The Exemplary Academic Achievement Award may be renewed for up to two years, 65 credits or completion of a bachelor’s degree (whichever is shorter).To maintain the scholarship a student must:

• Submit proof of completion of each semester, maintaining a “B” average;
• Provide proof of full-time enrollment (12 or more credits) of each semester that the student seeks to renew the award;
• Proof of enrollment for Fall Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by September 30.
• Proof of enrollment for Spring Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by February 15.
• Proof of enrollment for Summer Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by June 30.

For students attending Brigham Young University

• Proof of enrollment for Winter Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by February 15.
• Proof of enrollment for Spring Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by May 30.
• Proof of enrollment for Summer Semester and proof of completion of the previous semester must be submitted by July 30.
• Make reasonable progress toward completion of an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Utah Educational Savings Plan Supplemental Award worth up to $400* (one-time payment)

The Regents’ Scholarship also encourages college savings. A student who qualifies for the Regents’ Scholarship may also receive a Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Supplemental Award of up to $400. The UESP Supplemental Award is based on yearly contributions to the student’s Utah Educational Savings Plan Trust account. In order to receive this award a student must:

• Meet the qualifications for a Regents’ Scholarship Award;
• Have a Utah Educational Savings Plan Trust account with the student named as the beneficiary showing contributions of $100 or more during the students 14, 15, 16, 17 year of age. In order to maximize the award, a contribution of $100 or more would be made during each year (year is based on birth date not calendar).

Visit www.uesp.org for more information regarding the Utah Educational Savings Plan.

* Award amounts are subject to the availability of funds.
**Additional weights may be given for advanced placement courses and college courses.