The University of Arizona grants scholarship prizes to Arizona Academic Decathlon Association top-scoring decathletes and members of winning teams. For more information please visit: https://www.azacadec.org/

Award Amount

up to $2000 ($8000 for four years)*

*This tuition scholarship will be offered for up to $2000 and can be stacked with other University of Arizona tuition scholarships for the amount up to base tuition only.

Availability

Up to four (4) academic years of continuous enrollment (Fall/Spring only).

Eligibility

This award is offered to the Top Scoring Students of each region who were not members of the winning teams. These are students who are awarded the ten-event medal.

Selection

The Arizona Academic Decathlon Association notifies the University of Arizona of the winning decathletes each year and the universities contact the students to confirm the award.

Renewal Criteria

These awards are combined with any received Wildcat tuition awards up to the cost of base tuition and share the same terms and conditions for renewal. Navigate to the Wildcat Tuition Award section on this page to learn more. 

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

This tuition scholarship can be stacked with other University of Arizona tuition scholarships for the amount up to base tuition only.

This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website.

How the award is applied

1. Each June, the Board of Directors will determine if and in what amounts scholarships will be awarded based on donations received throughout the fiscal year.
2. Each spring, the University of Arizona is notified of the winners and scholarships are awarded to those students following the notification. 
3. This award is automatically applied to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled in at least 12 units at the University of Arizona.
4. This scholarship is applied to tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books, or other expenses.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts 

$4,000 to $20,000 per academic year

Initial first-year merit tuition scholarship offers are based on self-reported grades provided by the student at the time of admission. The scholarship award offers become final and cannot be appealed after the admissions grade verification is complete.

Selection

The Arizona Tuition Award is comprised of the Arizona Excellence Tuition Award and the Arizona Distinction Tuition Award. The Arizona Tuition Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered annually to a select number of non-Arizona high school graduates who are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation). Incoming first-year students who are homeschooled will be evaluated for merit aid based on portfolio/course work submitted by the admission deadline. 

1. For non-resident (domestic, out-of-state) students, maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.
2. First-year applicants are evaluated for merit-based aid depending on when they graduate from high school and begin attendance at the University of Arizona. Applicants who are seniors in high school the year immediately prior to their enrollment at the University of Arizona will be evaluated for admission and merit based on their core unweighted high school GPA through their sixth semester. Applicants who have graduated from high school 1 year or more before enrolling at the University of Arizona Applicants and did not attend any higher education institutions after high school will be evaluated for admission and merit based on their 8th semester (or final high school grades even if the student graduated early) unweighted core GPA.
3. Students selected for this scholarship will receive an offer letter once all completed admissions application materials have been submitted before the deadline.
4. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions and remain the same as the initial offer for continuing students, even if a student improves their GPA at Arizona.
5. Awards are not offered to students admitted for spring.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (eight semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

For non-resident (domestic, out-of-state) students, maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Be classified as a non-Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
3. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
4. Students must be pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
5. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 
7. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
8. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
9. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
10. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, National Scholar Tuition Award, the National Merit Recognition Tuition Award, or the National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award.
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective firsts-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. 

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin and the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away. 
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

The Baird Foundation offers four-year scholarships to exceptional students graduating from Arizona high schools every year. This small and elite group of students will join the community of Baird Scholars at the University of Arizona and the W.A. Franke Honors College. This prestigious award is specific to the Franke Honors and the University of Arizona.

Award Amount

Full Tuition + $12,500/yr

*Full tuition includes tuition, fees and Honors Fee

Availability

Four (4) academic years of continuous enrollment (Fall/Spring only)

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, a student must:

• Be admitted to the University of Arizona for Fall 2025
• Be Arizona residents who have attended an Arizona high school for at least two years preceding admission to the University of Arizona
• Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Have a cumulative unweighted high school GPA of 3.75 or higher

*SAT or ACT scores are NOT required to apply for the Baird Scholarship.

*You do not need to be admitted to the W.A. Franke Honors College to begin your application.

Selection

Admitted students apply and are selected via ScholarshipUniverse.

Renewal Criteria

• 24 cumulative units completed each aid year
  • Must be enrolled full-time each semester in order for award to disburse to student account
• 3.2 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.* 

*Note that GPAs are not rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

The Baird Scholarship consists of two components, the Baird Tuition Scholarship and the Baird Foundation funding. 

• The Baird Tuition Scholarship cannot be combined with other merit tuition scholarship offers (e.g., Wildcat Tuition Scholarships, Arizona Tuition Scholarships, National Merit Semi-Finalists, or National Merit Finalist/Scholar) 
  • This award can be used with other financial aid offers and departmental/private cash awards.  
• The Baird Foundation funding, however, is not tuition specific and can be combined with other merit tuition scholarship offers (e.g., Wildcat Tuition Scholarships, Arizona Tuition Scholarships, National Merit Semi-Finalists, or National Merit Finalist/Scholar). as well as other financial aid offers and departmental/private cash awards.
  • This award can be used with other financial aid offers and departmental/private cash awards.

How the award is applied

1. This scholarship will be applied in two equal disbursements for the Fall and Spring semesters to your Bursar account.

2. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Approximate Timeline 

• The Baird Scholarship will open January 2nd and close March 1st. Students will be notified by March 30th.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts 

$15,000 per academic year

Selection

The Flinn Semi-Finalist Tuition Award is offered to Arizona state resident Flinn Semi-Finalist scholars.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (eight semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award. Semi-finalists will be selected by the Flinn Foundation.

Deadline 

Completed Admission application by May 1, 2025.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or demonstrate lawful immigration status. DACA students are not eligible for this award. 
2. Be classified as an Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
3. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
4. Students must be pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
5. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
6. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
7. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
8. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
9. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, National Scholar Tuition Award, or the National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award. The student will receive the award with the superseding amount. 
2. Students who achieve Designated Flinn Scholar status may keep this award. Please see our Flinn Scholars webpage here for more information.
3. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
4. Students in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
5. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility, the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective first-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once their residency changes for a reevaluation.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away. 
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

The Foster Care Success Tuition award is a scholarship program to support foster youth enrolled at the University of Arizona. The award will fund the full amount of Arizona Resident undergraduate base tuition, fees and course fees, and college/program differential tuition. The value of the Foster Care Success Tuition Award will be reduced by other federal grant aid, scholarships, public grants, and any other public aid received. The award will not be reduced by the amount of federal grant received by the student from the Department of Economic Security (DES) under the Arizona Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program. 

Award Amount  

The Foster Care to Success Tuition Award will fund the full amount of the Arizona Resident Undergraduate base tuition, college/program differential tuition, fees and course related fees that are not covered by any other form of federal grant aid (including but not limited to the Federal Pell Grant), scholarships, public grants, and any other public aid received. In order to estimate tuition and fees, use the Bursar's Office tuition and fees calculator online.

Availability

Students will continue to receive the tuition scholarships as long as renewal criteria (see below) are met and until the student receives a Baccalaureate Degree, obtains 144 credit hours, or until the student reaches 23 years of age, whichever comes first. This award can be used during the fall, spring, or summer semesters at Arizona. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs.

Application 

Students must initially apply and be certified through Foster Success portal. The online portal is also the application for the Arizona Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program.

Deadline 

Students must submit the application online via the Foster Success portal prior to the first day of classes for their initial Arizona admission term. Afterward, students will be renewed for the next academic year based on renewal criteria (see below) once a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is on file for the next academic year. The FAFSA priority filing date is March 1st each year. 

Eligibility

1. Must be accepted to the University of Arizona by meeting regular admission requirements.
2. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
3. Be classified as an Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
4. Must have been in foster care when the student was 14 years of age OR adopted from foster care and the adoption was finalized after the person was 14 years of age.
5. Has total personal assets according to the FAFSA that are worth less than $10,000 (assets do NOT include scholarships or grants).
6. Must be under 23 years of age when the tuition scholarship is awarded. 
7. Must complete a FAFSA each academic year (priority filing date is March 1st).
8. Must be verified by the Arizona DES Division of Children, Youth and Families (this verification is done after the student applies through the online portal referenced above).

Renewal Criteria

1. Students must continue to meet all initial eligibility requirements.
2. Submit a FAFSA each academic year (priority filing date is March 1st).
3. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards each semester. Students who fail to meet SAP Standards will be notified of an option to submit a SAP Appeal to regain financial aid eligibility for the following semester. Review SAP Standards. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the SAP renewal criteria by the end of the semester may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal by the deadline. 
4. Students must complete 30 hours of volunteer service each year after the first year the student receives the tuition scholarship.
5. Students may receive the award based on meeting renewal criteria until one of the following conditions are met: 144 credit hours are earned, a Baccalaureate Degree is earned, or until the student reaches 23 years of age.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This value of the Foster Success Tuition Award amount can also include any of the following tuition awards if selected: the National Scholar Award, Wildcat Tuition Award, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, Bridge Tuition Scholarship, or the Phi Theta Kappa Tuition Award. 
2. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

How the award is applied

1. The award will disburse to the Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled. Students may check their "Financial Aid Summary" on the UAccess Student Center for each award requirement. 
2. The total award amount is for the academic year, split between the fall and spring semesters based on semester tuition and fee charges. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amount 

Up to $5,000 per academic year

Selection

The IB Tuition Scholarship is offered to Arizona resident high school graduates who attend college for the first time immediately after high school graduation with an IB Diploma and earn a minimum of 24 IB credits.

1. Award offers are based on rigorous high school IB curriculum and completion of an IB Diploma.
2. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions.
3. Awards are not offered to students admitted for spring.
4. Awards are for undergraduate studies only.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (eight semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Completed admissions application by May 1, 2025. 

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or demonstrate lawful immigration status. DACA students are not eligible for this award. 
2. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
3. Students must be pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
4. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award can be combined with any other merit tuition scholarship. The amount of the IB Tuition Scholarship award (up to $5,000) will vary as the combination between the total offered merit award and this award cannot exceed 100% of the amount of Undergraduate base (regular) tuition. The base tuition amount does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Student A - Eligible to receive the IB Tuition Scholarship

*IB Tuition Scholarship reduced from $5,000 to $3,300 to cover the tuition balance due, covering the 100% cost of base (regular) tuition.

Student B - Not eligible to receive the IB Tuition Scholarship 

**IB Tuition Scholarship reduced from $5,000 to $0 due to the existing tuition scholarships already covering the 100% cost of base (regular) tuition.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amount

1. Arizona: The value of the original Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000 See "Wildcat Tuition Award" for merit review and offer details.
2. Non-Arizona: The value of the original Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000. See "Arizona Tuition Award" for merit review and offer details.

Selection

This Undergraduate tuition award is offered to students selected by and for the following College Board National Recognition Programs: African American, Hispanic, Indigenous, Rural/Small Town, and First Generation. The University of Arizona does not make the selections for this award. 

Availability 

Four consecutive years (8 semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*; based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

Review all application information on the College Board National Recognition Program website. In addition, a completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 is required in order for the University of Arizona to honor this College Board Recognition award. 

Deadline 

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 

Non-resident (domestic, out-of-state) students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Resident students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of May 1, 2025. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Students who become National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces this award.
3. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
4. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
5. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 
7. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
8. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
9. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
10. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. Students offered multiple awards that are designated to cover base tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition amount does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. Students who become a National Merit Semi-Finalists will be awarded the National Merit Semi-Finalists Scholar award which supersedes and replaces the National Recognition Award.
3. Students who become a National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces the National Merit Semi-Finalist/National Recognition Award.
4. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award or the National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award.
5. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
6. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
7. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective first-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Award Amount

1. Arizona Semi-Finalists: The value of the original Wildcat Tuition Award + $1,000. See "Wildcat Tuition Award" for merit review and offer details.
2. Non-Arizona Semi-Finalists: the value of the original Arizona Tuition Award + $1,000. See "Arizona Tuition Award" for merit review and offer details.

Selection

This Undergraduate tuition award is offered to the National Merit Semi-Finalists who qualify by taking the Preliminary SATs (PSATs) in high school.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (8 semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*; based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.

Non-resident (domestic, out-of-state) students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Resident students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of May 1, 2025. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Students who become National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces this award.
3. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
4. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
5. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 
7. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
8. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
9. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
10. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. Students offered multiple awards that are designated to cover base tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition amount does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. Students who become National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces the National Merit Semi-Finalist Award.
3. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, the National Merit Recognition or National Merit Finalist Tuition Award.
4. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
5. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
6. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective first-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.

• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 

• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

  3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

  • Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Award Amount

National Scholars include: 

• National Merit Finalists

The National Finalist Merit Scholarship award includes the college-sponsored, corporate-sponsored, or National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)-sponsored awards in the total offered amount. Students must respond to NMSC by their established dates to accept these awards.

1. Arizona Residents: $18,000 per academic year
2. Non-Arizona Residents: the value of the original Arizona Tuition Award + $3,000 National Scholar Award. See "Arizona Tuition Award" for merit review and offer details.

Selection

This award is offered to the National Scholars who qualify by taking the Preliminary SATs (PSATs) in high school. The Office of Admission will be notified of a student's National Scholar status.  

If you are a National Merit Finalist, you must declare the University of Arizona as your first school of choice with National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) by their deadline. Visit the NMSC website. 

Availability 

Four consecutive years (8 semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*; based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs. 

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.

Non-resident (domestic, out-of-state) students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Resident students: Maximum scholarship consideration, pending availability of funds, is given to applicants who apply by the priority date of May 1, 2025. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up to date information.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status, or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
3. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
4. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
5. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 
6. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
7. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
8. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
9. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. Students offered multiple awards that are designated to cover base tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition amount does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. Students who become National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces the National Merit Semi-Finalist Award.
3. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, the National Merit Recognition Award or the National Merit Semi-Finalist Tuition Award.
4. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
5. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
6. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective first-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.

• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 

• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

  3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

  • Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

The ROTC Room & Board Scholarship is intended to cover the costs of room and board up to $13,414/year for four (4) years to competitive University of Arizona ROTC students. The scholarship will be offered in two tiers based on the merit tuition scholarship already offered to the student. This award replaces any existing Wildcat or Arizona Tuition award offered to the recipient and is offered for the amount of the initial scholarship, up to a maximum of $13,414.

Award Amount

Tier I - Partial Room and Board Scholarship is swapped, dollar for dollar, with the initial Wildcat or Arizona tuition award offered, if less than $13,414

Tier II - Full Room and Board Scholarship awarded for $13,414/year, replaces the initial Wildcat or Arizona tuition award offered 

*This award covers the equivalent rate of the Cochise residence hall and the required 12-swipe meal plan.  If the student chooses to live in a different residence hall (e.g., Honors Village), they will be responsible for paying the difference in their housing expenses. 

Availability

Four (4) academic years of continuous enrollment (Fall/Spring only)

Eligibility

1. This award is available to first-year incoming undergraduate students only with a 3.25 or better 6th semester core unweighted GPA. Transfer students are not eligible.  
2. The student must be admitted to and used at the Arizona Main Campus beginning the fall semester in which the award was initially offered.  
3. Enroll full-time (12+ units) each semester at Arizona as an undergraduate degree-seeking student.
4. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online or Near You Network campus programs. 

• This award cannot be deferred for future use and cannot be extended beyond the availability time frame based on a student's degree program.  
• This award is only for ROTC students pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona.

Selection

  Please connect with your ROTC representative to be considered for this award. 

• The deadline for OSFA to receive notice of awardees is the first day of classes each semester. 

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year in order to receive the award for the next academic year. 

Standard Renewal:  

1. GPA: 3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.* 

*Note that GPAs are not rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes. 

2. Units:  

• Year 1: 30 cumulative Arizona (passing) units completed by the end of the 1st award year to receive Year 2 of award
• Year 2: 60 cumulative Arizona (passing) units completed by the end of the 2nd award year to receive Year 3 of award
• Year 3: 90 cumulative Arizona (passing) units completed by the end of the 3rd award year to receive Year 4 of award
• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

This award cannot be combined with other merit tuition scholarship offers (e.g., Wildcat Tuition Scholarships, Arizona Tuition Scholarships, National Merit Semi-Finalists, or National Merit Finalist/Scholar) and instead will be used in lieu of these awards due to the Department of Defense (DoD) covering the costs of tuition and fees for ROTC students.   

This award can be used with other financial aid offers and departmental/private cash awards.

This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

How the award is applied

1. OSFA will replace the student’s existing merit tuition scholarship with the ROTC Room & Board Scholarship at the beginning of the academic year (typically in late July/early August).  
2. The award is split into two even disbursements, one for the fall and one for the spring semester.
3. The award will be disbursed to a student's bursar account approximately ten days before classes begin for that term and the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term). 
4. This award can only be applied to dorm and meal plan charges on the Bursar student account. If those charges are less than the amount of this scholarship, the scholarship will be reduced. If those charges are more than the amount of the scholarship, the remaining balance is the student’s responsibility to pay.

Withdrawal Policy

Students who withdraw on or after the first day of classes must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts

$2,000 to $11,000 per academic year

Initial first-year merit tuition scholarship offers are based on self-reported grades provided by the student at the time of admission. The scholarship award offers become final and cannot be appealed after the admissions grade verification is complete.

Selection

The Wildcat Tuition Award is comprised of the Wildcat Excellence Tuition Award and the Wildcat Distinction Tuition Awards. The Wildcat Tuition Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered annually to a select number of Arizona resident high school graduates who are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation). Incoming students who are homeschooled will be evaluated for merit aid based on portfolio/course work submitted by the admission deadline.

1. First-year applicants are evaluated for merit-based aid depending on when they graduate from high school and begin attendance at the University of Arizona. Applicants who are seniors in high school the year immediately prior to their enrollment at the University of Arizona will be evaluated for admission and merit based on their core unweighted high school GPA through their sixth semester. Applicants who have graduated from high school 1 year or more before enrolling at the University of Arizona Applicants and did not attend any higher education institutions after high school will be evaluated for admission and merit based on their 8th semester (or final high school grades even if the student graduated early) unweighted core GPA.
2. Students must submit their complete their Fall 2025 University of Arizona Admissions application no later than May 1, 2024.  
3. Students selected for this scholarship will receive an offer letter once all completed admissions application materials have been submitted before the deadline.
4. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions and remain the same as the initial offer for continuing students, even if a student improves their GPA at Arizona.
5. Awards are not offered to students admitted for spring.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (eight semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. Completed application by May 1, 2025.  

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Be classified as a Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
3. Enroll in courses at Arizona as a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including Community Colleges, Universities, or International post-secondary education schools after high school graduation).
   • Summer enrollment immediately before attending fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs during and post high school do not impact eligibility. All attempted post-secondary credit at accredited and non-accredited institutions post-high school does impact eligibility.
4. Students must be pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
5. The award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 
7. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
8. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
9. Applicants who attend high school that do not utilize grades (ex. Mastery Transcript) may be eligible for first-year awards upon additional review. Review may require additional information.
10. Homeschool applicants are eligible for first-year awards based on the same unweighted core GPA described above for applicants graduating from a high school.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. Students offered multiple awards that are designated to cover base tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition amount does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's first year. If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective first-year cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.

• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 

• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

  3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

  • Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment.
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Award Amount 

This award covers Arizona Resident base tuition or the equivalent amount towards Non-Resident base tuition. 

Selection

The All-Arizona Academic Team Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to a select number of community college transfer students planning to attend one of the three state Universities and pursuing their first Bachelor degree. Students are nominated by their community college and submit their applications directly to the Phi Theta Kappa International Honorary organization.

Community college students are encouraged to visit the All-USA Academic Team section of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) website to apply and learn more about the program.

Students using the award at one of the other State Universities may transfer the award to the University of Arizona, but the student must be meeting the renewal criteria of the scholarship. See "Transferring the Scholarship" below.

Availability 

Ten consecutive undergraduate semesters or 60 undergraduate units, for fall and spring semesters only, based on semester renewal requirements. This award is available for use in all University of Arizona campuses, including Arizona Online programs.

Deadline 

Admitted to the University of Arizona within one calendar year of the original offer letter.

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or demonstrate lawful immigration status.
2. The award must be used at Arizona within one year of the original offer.
3. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
4. Be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units each fall and spring semesters at Arizona.
5. Students must be incoming transfer students.

Renewal Criteria

1. Maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative Arizona grade point average each semester.
2. Complete at least 6 units per semester at Arizona. 
   • Qualifying units include: passing units from pass/fail courses, and Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
   • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grades, incomplete grades, prior academic years, New Start, consortium, correspondence, audit courses, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (i.e. AP, CLEP), transfer units and units* from other institutions while attending the University of Arizona do not count toward the 6 units per semester.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. Students offered multiple awards designated for regular tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of base tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition does not include differential tuition, fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other expenses.
2. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

**All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition award reduced from $10,000 to $2,500 to cover the tuition balance due, covering the 100% cost of base tuition.

How this award is applied

1. This award is automatically applied to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes once the student is enrolled in 6 units at the University of Arizona.
2. This scholarship is applied to tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books, or other expenses.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to contact OSFA before semester(s) of eligibility are over, lose the semester(s) of eligibility.
2. Students with extenuating circumstances beyond their control preventing them from meeting the renewal requirements may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeal Committee.

Transferring the Scholarship

Students transferring from the University of Arizona must contact the other State Universities about the transfer process. Students transferring from one of the State Universities to the University of Arizona must submit the following two items for review prior to the start of the semester in which the student intends to enroll at Arizona:

1. Official transcript* from the school the student is transferring from.
2. Copy of the All-Arizona Academic Team offer letter.

*Units completed at one of the other State Universities while utilizing the All-Arizona Academic Team tuition award will count toward the total 60 units covered by the award.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this scholarship is a total of 60 units or 10 semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request by OSFA.
2. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information on this process.
3. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

The Foster Success Tuition award is a scholarship program to support foster youth enrolled at the University of Arizona. The award will fund the full amount of Arizona Resident undergraduate base tuition, college fees, and course fees. The value of the Foster Success Tuition Award will be reduced by other federal grant aid, scholarships, public grants, and any other public aid received. The award will not be reduced by the amount of federal grant received by the student from the Department of Economic Security (DES) under the Arizona Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program. 

Award Amount  

The Foster Success Tuition Award will fund the full amount of the Arizona Resident Undergraduate base tuition,  college fees, and course fees that are not covered by any other form of federal grant aid (including but not limited to the Federal Pell Grant), scholarships, public grants, and any other public aid received. In order to estimate tuition and fees, use the Bursar's Office tuition and fees calculator online.

Availability

Students will continue to receive the tuition scholarships as long as renewal criteria (see below) are met and until the student receives a Baccalaureate Degree, obtains 144 credit hours, or until the student reaches 23 years of age, whichever comes first. This award can be used during the fall, spring, or summer semesters at Arizona. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs.

Application 

Students must initially apply and be certified through Foster Success. The online portal is also the application for the Arizona Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program.

Deadline 

Students must submit the application online via the Foster Success portal prior to the first day of classes for their initial Arizona admission term. Afterward, students will be renewed for the next academic year based on renewal criteria (see below) once a student's Free Application for Federal Student AId (FAFSA) is on file for the next academic year. The FAFSA priority filing date is March 1st each year. 

Eligibility

1. Must be accepted to the University of Arizona by meeting regular admission requirements.
2. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
3. Be classified as an Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
4. Must have been in foster care when the student was 14 years of age OR adopted from foster care and the adoption was finalized after the person was 14 years of age.
5. Has total personal assets according to the FAFSA that are worth less than $10,000 (assets do NOT include scholarships or grants).
6. Must be under 23 years of age when the tuition scholarship is first awarded. 
7. Must complete a FAFSA each academic year (priority filing date is March 1st).
8. Must be verified by the Arizona DES Division of Children, Youth and Families (this verification is done after the student applies through the online portal referenced above).

Renewal Criteria

1. Students must continue to meet all initial eligibility requirements.
2. Submit a FAFSA each academic year (priority filing date is March 1st).
3. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards each semester. Students who fail to meet SAP Standards will be notified of an option to submit a SAP Appeal to regain financial aid eligibility for the following semester. Review SAP Standards. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the SAP renewal criteria by the end of the semester may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal by the deadline. 
4. Students must complete 30 hours of volunteer service each year after the first year the student receives the tuition scholarship.
5. Students may receive the award based on meeting renewal criteria until one of the following conditions are met: 144 credit hours are earned, a Baccalaureate Degree is earned, or until the student reaches 23 years of age.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This value of the Foster Success Tuition Award amount can also include any of the following tuition awards if selected: the National Scholar Award, Wildcat Tuition Award, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, Bridge Tuition Scholarship, or the Phi Theta Kappa Tuition Award. 
2. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

How the award is applied

1. The award will disburse to the Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled. Students may check their "Financial Aid Summary" on the UAccess Student Center for each award requirement. 
2. The total award amount is for the academic year, split between the fall and spring semesters based on semester tuition and fee charges. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

Students who withdraw on or after the first day of classes must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts

Main Campus: 

Arizona Residents - $5,000 per academic year
Non-Arizona Residents - $12,000  per academic year

Distance Campus: 

Arizona and Non-Arizona Residents - $3,000 per academic year

Selection

The Phi Theta Kappa Tuition Scholarship is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to community college (2 year) transfer students who are pursuing their first bachelor's degree.

1. Students must have only attended community college(s) after their high school graduation. Any students that have enrolled at a four-year (college or university) institution after graduation from high school are not eligible.
2. Have a minimum 3.50 combined cumulative college GPA from all post-secondary institutions attended.
3. Completed minimum of 36 units from a community college at the time of admission to Arizona.
   • Total attempted college units includes all attempted coursework from accredited institutions post-high school and dual enrollment units. Unaccredited and non-credit college attendance does not impact eligibility.
4. Phi Theta Kappa designation must be present on the student's community college transcript.
   • If the community college does not include Phi Theta Kappa information on their transcript, please send a copy of your Phi Theta Kappa certificate to the Undergraduate Admissions Office (admissions@arizona.edu). 

Availability

Two consecutive years (four semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs. This award is available to Main Campus and Distance Campus students, including domestic students with international credentials. Microcampus students are not eligible.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 4 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive 3 consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed Arizona Transfer Admission Application for Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. Completed admission application by July 1, 2025 for Summer/Fall 2025 admits. 

Completed admission application by December 2, 2025 for Spring 2026 admits. 

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
3. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Example 1: Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Fall Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award cannot be combined with any other tuition award including the All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition Award, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, Arizona Tuition Award, or Wildcat Tuition Award.
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's admitted term. If during the four semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective incoming cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts may be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for two (2) consecutive years (four (4) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3.Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of four (4) consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts

Main Campus:

Arizona Residents - $3,000 per academic year
Non-Arizona Residents - $5,000-$10,000 per academic year

Distance Campus: 

Arizona and Non-Arizona Residents - $2,000 per academic year

Selection

The Transfer Tuition Scholarship is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to community college (2 year) transfer students who are pursuing their first bachelor's degree.

1. Students must have only attended community college(s) after their high school graduation. Any students that have enrolled at a four-year (college or university) institution after graduation from high school are not eligible.
2. Arizona Residents: Have a minimum 3.00 combined cumulative college GPA from all post-secondary institutions attended.
   Non-Arizona Residents: Have a minimum 3.50 combined cumulative college GPA from all post-secondary institutions attended.
3. Completed minimum of 36 units, and no more than 80 units, from a community college at the time of admission to Arizona
   • Total attempted college units includes all attempted coursework from accredited institutions post-high school and dual enrollment units. Unaccredited and non-credit college attendance does not impact eligibility. 

Availability

Two consecutive years (four semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online programs. This award is available to Main Campus and Distance Campus students, including domestic students with international credentials. Microcampus students are not eligible.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 4 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive 3 consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed Arizona Transfer Admission Application for Summer/Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. Completed admission application by July 1, 2025 for Summer/Fall 2025 admits. 

Completed admission application by December 2, 2025 for Spring 2026 admits. 

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
3. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Example 1: Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Fall Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award cannot be combined with any other tuition award including the All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition Award, or PTK Tuition Scholarship.
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating  in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency during the student's admitted term. If during the four semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student still qualifies for renewal, the student will be reevaluated based on the merit review of the respective incoming cohort for a potential resident merit award. Students should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once residency changes for a reevaluation. Non-Resident students who have earned an Arizona high school degree or General Education Diploma and qualify for 150% of Undergraduate Resident Tuition Rate do not qualify for this award.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for two (2) consecutive years (four (4) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3.Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of four (4) consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Campus Change

If during the semesters of eligibility, the student changes their campus and the student is meeting the renewal requirements for the current campus, the student will be reevaluated to maintain the scholarship at the new campus. The student will then be subject to the award requirements pertaining to the student’s new campus, including minimum number of units required for disbursements, scholarship award amounts and renewal criteria. 

Example 1: 

A student who changes from the Main Campus to the Distance Campus will continue to be be held to the same terms and conditions for the Transfer Tuition Scholarship stated here in this section, however; this student's Transfer Tuition Scholarship award amount will change to match the award amount specified for the new campus for the terms moving forward. If the student changes back to Main Campus, the student could then have their Main Campus award amount reinstated for the terms moving forward.  

Example 2:

A student who changes from the Main Campus to the Arizona Online Campus will be held to all Arizona Online Campus terms and conditions for the Online Transfer Tuition Scholarship, including the requirement to be enrolled in 6 or more units per term and the award amount will change to match the award amount specified for Arizona Online Campus for the terms moving forward. If the student changes back to the Main Campus, the student would then be held to the Main Campus Transfer Tuition Scholarship terms and conditions and the Main Campus award amount would be reinstated for the terms moving forward. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts 

Arizona Residents Only - $1,000 

*Minimum Online Transfer Tuition Scholarship is $500 per semester for a minimum of 6 units, to be increased by OSFA when student is enrolled in more than 6 units. Contact Arizona Online for more information, 520-621-0898.

Selection

The Online Transfer Tuition Tuition Scholarship is a competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to a select number of transfer students  pursuing their first bachelor's degree at the Arizona Online Campus.

1. Students must have only attended community college after their high school graduation. Any students that have enrolled at a four-year (college or university) institution after graduation from high school are not eligible.
2. Have a minimum 3.0 combined cumulative college GPA from all post-secondary institutions attended.
3. Completed minimum of 36 units, and no more than 80 units, from a community college at the time of admission to Arizona
   • Total attempted college units includes all attempted coursework from accredited institutions post-high school and dual enrollment units. Unaccredited and non-credit college attendance does not impact eligibility. 

Availability

Up to three consecutive years (nine semesters total) for fall, spring and summer semesters or completion of 60 units (whichever comes first) at the University of Arizona, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is available to Arizona Online Campus students only, including domestic students with international credentials. Microcampus students are not eligible.

Application 

A completed Arizona Transfer Admission Application for Summer/Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award. 

Deadline 

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. Completed admission application by July 1, 2025 for Summer/Fall 2025 admits. 

Completed admission application by December 2, 2025 for Spring 2026 admits. 

Eligibility

1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
2. Be classified as a Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
3. Be enrolled in the Arizona Online Campus. 
4. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
5. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Summer 2025, Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester. 

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the next academic year.

1. GPA: 3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average. Note that GPAs are not rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.
2. Units:
   • 12 cumulative Arizona units completed by the end of the 1st award year to receive Year 2 of award 
     • Spring semester admitted students: 6 cumulative Arizona units completed at the end of the semester.
   • 24 cumulative Arizona units completed by the end of the 2nd award year to receive Year 3 of award

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. Students not meeting renewal criteria by the end of the spring semester see Reinstatement section below.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. This award cannot be combined with any other tuition award including the All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition Award, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, or Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship.
2. This award cannot be combined with any other tuition benefit, including the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers), deferred billing, Tuition Assistance or the Arizona Online Corporate Partner discount. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 
3. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.

How the award is applied

1. The award will disburse to a Bursar's student account as early as ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled in 6+ units per term in the Arizona Online campus. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough University of Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within three years (9 semesters total), the maximum period this award covers.
2. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges. 
3. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up missing Arizona units. Mid-year reinstatements require students to be on track with an average of 6 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
   • Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for three (3) consecutive years (nine (9) semesters total).
   • Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
   • Students who request reinstatement prior to the first day of classes will be more likely to avoid late fees.
2. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of nine consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Campus Change

If during the semesters of eligibility, the student changes their campus and the student is meeting the renewal requirements for the current campus, the student will be reevaluated to maintain the scholarship at the new campus. The student will then be subject to the award requirements pertaining to the student’s new campus, including minimum number of units required for disbursements, scholarship award amounts and renewal criteria.

Example: a student who changes from the Arizona Online campus to the Main Campus will be held to all Main Campus terms and conditions for the Transfer Tuition Scholarship, including the requirement to be enrolled in 12 or more units per term for the terms moving forward. If the student changes back to Arizona Online, the student would then be held to the Online Transfer Tuition Scholarship terms and conditions and the Arizona Online Campus award amount would be reinstated for the terms moving forward. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts 

Review the First Year Global Wildcat Award Merit Chart here! 

Selection 

The Global Wildcat Tuition First-Year Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered annually to a select number of international students attending Arizona.

1. Students selected for this scholarship will receive an email. 
2. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions.
3. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.
4. Awards are not offered for any summer term.

Availability 

Four consecutive years (eight semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Distance Campus, Arizona Online programs, Global Partner Programs or for Global Microcampus program use.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 8 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive five consecutive years (ten semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Completed admission application by  May 1, 2025 for Fall 2025 admits. 

Eligibility

1. See full merit chart with award amounts and GPA requirements here.
2. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions and remain the same as the initial offer for continuing students, even if a student improves their GPA at Arizona.
3. Awards are for undergraduate studies only.
4. Conditionally admitted students who enroll in the CESL U-Track Pathway and successfully complete one semester in the program AND enroll full-time at the University of Arizona the following semester will be awarded the scholarship they would have qualified for originally.
5. If a student is classified as an Arizona resident, this scholarship will be adjusted to cover a proportional amount of resident tuition, if eligible.
6. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat - Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat - Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Tuition Awards

1. This award covers a portion of non-resident tuition only. Tuition does not include fees, surcharges, room and board, books or other expenses.
2. This award may not be combined with any other tuition award including National Merit Finalist, National Scholar, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, some ROTC Tuition Awards, the Arizona-Sonoran Tuition Award, any Sponsored students, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. This scholarship may be reduced each year the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) (a benefit for faculty and staff) is utilized or other tuition reduction programs are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 
4. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating  in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program are not eligible for this award.

Residency Change

When an international student is classified as an Arizona Resident (for tuition purposes), they will be billed the Arizona Resident tuition rate. As a result of the lower tuition, the original amount of the Global Wildcat Tuition Scholarship will be prorated and adjusted so that it covers the equivalent portion of in-state tuition charges. 

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

• Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units (an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility).
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for four (4) consecutive years (eight (8) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts 

Review the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Transfer Global Wildcat Award Merit Chart here! 

Selection 

The Global Wildcat Tuition Transfer Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to international transfer students who are pursuing their first bachelor's degree.

1. Students must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative college grade point average.
2. Completed minimum of 12 or more transferable units at the time of admission application from an accredited post-secondary institution.
3. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions.
4. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.
5. Awards are not offered for any summer term.

Students who have graduated from high school and are currently in their first semester of an accredited college (excludes non-accredited colleges) will NOT qualify for the First Year Global Wildcat Award. However, they will be considered for the Transfer Global Wildcat Award before the start of the semester upon receipt of their first semester grades, if received prior to the start of the first semester at the University of Arizona. 

Students who have a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree can be considered for this award.  

Availability 

Two consecutive years (four semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Distance campus, Arizona Online programs, Global Partner Programs or for Global Microcampus program use.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 4 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive 3 consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed Admission Application for Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Completed admission application by May 1, 2025 for Summer/Fall 2025 admits. 

Completed admission application by December 2, 2025 for Spring 2026 admits. 

Eligibility

1. International student status. 
2. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions and remain the same as the initial offer for continuing students, even if a student improves their GPA at Arizona.
3. Awards are for undergraduate studies only.
4. Conditionally admitted students who enroll in the CESL U-Track Pathway and successfully complete one semester in the program AND enroll full-time at the University of Arizona the following semester will be awarded the scholarship they would have qualified for originally.
5. If a student is classified as an Arizona resident, this scholarship will be adjusted to cover a proportional amount of resident tuition, if eligible.
6. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Example 1: Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Fall Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Tuition Awards

1. This award covers a portion of non-resident tuition only. Tuition does not include fees, surcharges, room and board, books or other expenses.
2. This award may not be combined with any other tuition award including National Merit Finalist, National Scholar, Transfer Tuition Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, some ROTC Tuition Awards, the Arizona-Sonoran Tuition Award, any Sponsored students, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. This scholarship may be reduced each year the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR) (a benefit for faculty and staff) is utilized or other tuition reduction programs are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 
4. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating  in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program are not eligible for this award.

Residency Change

When an international student is classified as an Arizona Resident (for tuition purposes), they will be billed the Arizona Resident tuition rate. As a result of the lower tuition, the original amount of the Global Wildcat Tuition Scholarship will be prorated and adjusted so that it covers the equivalent portion of in-state tuition charges.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts may be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.
2. Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 2-4 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for two (2) consecutive years (four (4) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees. 

3.Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of eight consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
   • Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

Award Amounts

Main Campus: 

Phi Theta Kappa Members receive $2,000, added to their Transfer Global Wildcat Award 

Selection

The Global Phi Theta Kappa Tuition Scholarship is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered to community college (2 year) transfer international students who are pursuing their first bachelor's degree.

1. Have a minimum 3.50 combined cumulative college GPA from all post-secondary institutions attended.
2. Completed minimum of 36 units from a community college at the time of admission to Arizona.
   • Total attempted college units includes all attempted coursework from accredited institutions post-high school and dual enrollment units. Unaccredited and non-credit college attendance does not impact eligibility.
3. Phi Theta Kappa designation must be present on the student's community college transcript.
   • If the community college does not include Phi Theta Kappa information on their transcript, please send a copy of your Phi Theta Kappa certificate to the Undergraduate Admissions Office (admissions@arizona.edu). 

Students who have graduated from high school and are currently in their first semester of an accredited college (excludes non-accredited colleges) will NOT qualify for the First Year Global Wildcat Award. However, they will be considered for the Transfer Global Wildcat Award before the start of the semester upon receipt of their first semester grades, if received prior to the start of the first semester at the University of Arizona. 

Availability

Two consecutive years (four semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only*, based on academic year renewal requirements. This award is not available for use in Arizona Online and Global programs. This award is available to Main Campus and Distance Campus students, including domestic students with international credentials. Microcampus students are not eligible.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in less than 4 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. Students who meet the aforementioned criteria may notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) once admitted to an Arizona Graduate Degree-Seeking program and enrolled as a full-time graduate student. Students who are accepted into certain professional programs such as Pharmacy, which do not require the completion of a Bachelor’s degree, may qualify to use their remaining semester(s) of their merit tuition award towards this program after completing their undergraduate coursework and are admitted into the PharmD program at Arizona. Please contact OSFA to inquire about full eligibility requirements.

*Students who are enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture’s 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program will receive 3 consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed Arizona Transfer Admission Application for Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Completed admission application by July 1,2025 for Summer/Fall 2025 admits. 

Completed admission application by December 2, 2025 for Spring 2026 admits. 

Eligibility

1. International student status.
2. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
3. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester.
4. If a student is classified as an Arizona resident for tuition purposes, this scholarship will be adjusted to cover a proportional amount of resident tuition, if eligible.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples

Example 1: Wilma Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Fall Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 1 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

Example 2: Wilbur Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal (Spring Admits Only)

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

1. The Global Phi Theta Kappa award is combined with the Global Transfer Award, but cannot be combined with any other tuition awards including the All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition Award. 
2. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and some departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
3. Students eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating  in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
4. This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

Residency Change

When an international student is classified as an Arizona Resident (for tuition purposes), they will be billed the Arizona Resident tuition rate. As a result of the lower tuition, the original amount of the Global Wildcat Tuition Scholarship will be prorated and adjusted so that it covers the equivalent portion of in-state tuition charges.

How the award is applied

1. The award will be disbursed to a Bursar's student account as early as ten days before classes begin, once the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona. Students are strongly encouraged to complete enough Arizona units each academic year to remain on track to graduate within four years, the maximum period this award covers.
2. For students who are in their final semester before graduation and do not need to be enrolled full time (due to completion of their academic plan), OSFA will work with the Office of the Registrar to verify a graduation date on file and then allow this merit scholarship to be disbursed. Tuition costs for a student who is enrolled less than full time may be lower, therefore the scholarship amount will be adjusted to cover the lower tuition charges during this final semester.
3. This scholarship is applied to undergraduate tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at Arizona. Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, differential tuition, room and board, books or other expenses. If your program does not charge tuition through the Bursar's student account, you are ineligible to use this award toward your tuition charges.
4. The total award amount is for the academic year which is evenly split between the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate in December are not eligible to receive the full academic year amount for one semester.
5. Award amounts will be split into two portions that add up to the grand total amount offered.

Reinstatement

1. Students failing to meet the standard renewal criteria by the conclusion of the spring semester but who are enrolled in the summer semester will automatically be reviewed by OSFA after the conclusion of the summer semester.

Students failing to meet the renewal criteria by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters) will not be renewed for the upcoming year.

Students in the scenario above may become eligible for reinstatement if they raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum 3.00 and make up all missing Arizona units.

• Mid-year reinstatements during years 1-2 require students to be on track with an average of 15 Arizona units completed per fall and spring semesters of award eligibility.
• Students eligible for reinstatement will be awarded 100% of their original offered tuition scholarship for the term(s) following the semester(s) in which they regained eligibility. Note, the award amount for a single semester is never to exceed 50% of the original offered tuition scholarship.
• Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for two (2) consecutive years (four (4) semesters total).
• Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement. 
• The priority deadline to contact OSFA and request reinstatement is 30 days prior to the start date of the semester. Students who submit their request before the priority deadline will be processed prior to the first day of classes, which may prevent late fees.

3. Students with extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the standard renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year may submit a Scholarship Appeal Form and supporting documents (by the deadline) for review by the Scholarship Appeals Committee.

• Students with an approved Scholarship Appeal will be eligible to receive 80% of their original offered tuition scholarship award for the academic year following the year in which they were not renewed.

Deferments

1. Eligibility for this tuition award is a total of four (4) consecutive semesters, interrupted only by an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a deferment. 
3. The student must be enrolled at least one semester at Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information.
4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.

Students who qualify for Back2UA but do not have an approved Scholarship Deferment from OSFA will not qualify for reinstatement of their merit award upon return to Arizona. 

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of scholarship eligibility. This scholarship may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the original semesters of eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.

The Sonoran Tuition Scholarship is intended to cover the gap between Non-Resident and Resident base tuition, so that the student is only responsible for paying the amount equivalent to Resident base tuition. This award is available for up to five (5) years to University of Arizona students that have received a letter from the Arizona-Mexico Commission for each semester. For more information please visit, https://mexico.arizona.edu/academics/scholarships.

Award Amount

The award amount is equivalent to the gap between Non-Resident and Resident base tuition, meaning that the recipient is only responsible for paying the equivalent of Resident base tuition. Note, this does not cover any additional tuition-related charges including fees, course fees, program fees, etc. 

Availability

The Sonoran Tuition Scholarship is available for up to five (5) years of continuous enrollment (Fall/Spring only) for undergraduate students, granted the student is renewed by and receives a letter from the Arizona-Mexico Commission each semester. 

Students enrolled in a master's degree program will be eligible to receive the waiver for a total of 6 semesters. Students enrolled in a doctoral degree program will be eligible to receive the waiver for a total of 10 semesters.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must have:

1. Received a letter from the Arizona-Mexico Commission for the upcoming semester and 
2. Must be meeting the renewal requirements of 12 completed Arizona units per semester and a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Selection

University of Arizona students will have received a letter from the Arizona-Mexico Commission that indicates that they have been selected for the scholarship. It is not guaranteed that the awardees will be the same students as the previous semester. 

If the student does not receive a letter, they will not be funded.

Renewal Criteria

Students must meet the standard, minimum renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters) in order to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.

Standard Minimum Renewal Requirements are as follows:

In addition to unit and GPA requirements, students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. 

Examples:

Wilma Wildcat - Year 1 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat – Year 2 Renewal

Wilma Wildcat - Year 3 Renewal

• Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) units, prior academic year units (this includes non-degree seeking terms and terms before the student started their current program) and New Start courses.
• Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, Outreach College courses, correspondence, audit, study abroad units taken during the summer, course credit received from testing (including AP and CLEP credits) transfer units and units from other institutions.

Students who are not meeting the renewal criteria are allowed to have one probationary semester. The student does not have to submit a scholarship appeal to be reviewed for the probationary semester as OSFA will review each student at the beginning of each term, after receiving the updated letters from the Arizona-Mexico Commission. 

After a probationary semester, if a student is still not meeting renewal requirements, the scholarship will not be renewed and will be canceled. Students in this situation have the option to submit a Scholarship Appeal to appeal the loss of the scholarship. 

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

This award cannot be combined with the International Tuition Scholarship or Global Wildcat Tuition Scholarship. If offered multiple University of Arizona tuition scholarships, OSFA will award the higher paying tuition award. 

This award will be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website. 

How the award is applied

The award amount is calculated based on the Non-Resident base tuition charged to the student’s Bursar student account and the Resident base tuition based on the student's tuition cohort. 

Approximated Timeline:

July – August: 

• OSFA will receive the letters from the Arizona-Mexico Commission. These letters identify the student award recipients for the upcoming Fall semester. 
• OSFA will review each student, calculate the award and then add the tuition award for the Fall semester. This will be done, granted OSFA receives the letters from the Arizona-Mexico Commission by mid-July, no later than the first day of Fall classes. 
• OSFA will also add a placeholder for the upcoming Spring semester for the calculated amount. This placeholder is a tentative award as renewal for the Spring term is determined after the Fall term ends.
• The award will be released to the Bursar student account no earlier than ten days before the start of the fall semester.

December – January: 

• The same process occurs as detailed above. 
• For continuing students who are renewed after the Fall or eligible for the one-time probationary period, the placeholder will be removed and the actual tuition award will be added.
• The award will be released to the Bursar student account no earlier than ten days before the start of the Spring semester.

Study Abroad 

1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program for a maximum of 1 year (two consecutive semesters) during the fall and spring semesters only. Students must be meeting the renewal criteria in order to qualify and participate in an eligible Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad program.
   • Students participating in programs longer than one year or in two non-consecutive semesters must contact OSFA to inquire about their merit eligibility.
   • For a list of which programs qualify for different types of financial aid, including this tuition award, view this chart.
2. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program, that is sponsored by the University of Arizona, will receive automatic scholarship deferments from OSFA as long as the student is meeting renewal requirements. Students participating in these programs will be notified by email of their scholarship deferment status prior to the start of the semester they plan to be away.
3. Students participating in an ineligible Study Abroad program not sponsored by the University of Arizona, will need to complete a Financial Aid Deferment form to defer their award. To be eligible for a deferment, students will need to be meeting renewal requirements at the time of the request.
4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program are still required to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA. Students receiving either direct or transfer credit from their study abroad program will have 15 units per semester waived for scholarship renewal purposes for each term(s) that they are in the program. Please note, units taken during the Study Abroad Summer semester will not be waived and not count toward your total unit requirement for the academic year.
5. This tuition award can only apply towards Study Abroad tuition charges for Arizona sponsored programs. If the Study Abroad tuition charges are less than the amount of this tuition award, this award will be adjusted to the amount of Study Abroad tuition charges. Any unused funds cannot be used for other expenses or be applied to future terms. 
6. Students on Non-Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs must have an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.

Withdrawal Policy

Students who withdraw on or after the first day of classes must review the withdrawal policy here.