College Funding in Utah
Stand Out Among the Crowd and Win Some Cash
The governing body for Utah education is the State of Utah in combination with the Utah Board of Regents. What stands out is the emphasis on academic excellence at the high school level. Two different scholarships provide incentive to highly motivated high school students with the purpose of hyper-preparation for a rigorous college career.
- Utah's Centennial Scholarship rewards competitive and motivated high school seniors. Those that graduate early may earn $250 from the State of Utah for each quarter they shave off their senior year. The total earned award is then disbursed to the Utah state college or university where the student is planning on attending.
- The New Century Scholarships benefit Utah's most academically gifted high school students, by rewarding those who are able to both finish their senior year while simultaneously working toward an Associates degree. Those who manage to maintain a consistent B average or above, plus finish the Associates degree before September 1 following their high school graduation, are eligible to receive up to 75% tuition scholarship at a Utah state college or university.
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Program is a consortium of 15 western states committed to offering reciprocal college and university programs and making them accessible to other students from participating states. Utah students wishing to pursue a program of study at the undergraduate or graduate level in any of the 15 states may qualify for attractive tuition assistance. The WICHE program is also instrumental in identifying areas of professional need, such as education and health care, and making those programs of study most accessible and affordable.
Utah developed the T.H. Bell Teaching Incentive Loan (TIL) to encourage Utah students who may be considering teaching as a career. Students must show academic merit, but the program promises to cover tuition costs for teaching programs in exchange for work in Utah public schools upon graduation. Like many other states, teachers and educators, especially in particular subjects are in critical shortage. The TIL loan program even offers incentives for those teaching students who wish to work outside of Utah after graduation. See other national teaching scholarships.
Go to the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority website for complete application information.
