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2026-2027 Scholarship Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions below apply to awards initially offered to students for the 2026-2027 academic year. Students who received offers for academic years prior to 2026-2027 must visit the Terms and Conditions pertaining to their original award offer year from the Scholarship selection menu.

Review each scholarship for specific eligibility criteria; including residency classification, campus, location and/or modality. Eligibility varies per scholarship and all scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.

Terms & conditions for additional scholarships will be added soon.

First-Year Merit Tuition Scholarships

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 $2,000 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. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled in at least 6 units per term at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  4. This scholarship is applied to tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. The base tuition amount does not include mandatory fees, college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and 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.

Selection & Award Amount

The Arizona Tuition Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered annually to select non-Arizona high school graduates who are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students. For additional eligibility information, please review the Eligibility section below. 

  1. Priority consideration for merit scholarships is given for University of Arizona Admission applications completed by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships. Please see the application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.
  2. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.
  3. To assess students’ eligibility for both admission and merit aid, the University utilizes a comprehensive review process that considers each student’s full academic history - in the context of where they lived and learned - and other life experiences.
  4. Students selected for this scholarship will receive an offer letter once the student is admitted. Admissions notifications will begin January 15, 2026.
  5. Offers are non-negotiable, 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.
  6. Students admitted for the spring semester are not eligible for this award.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Submit a completed University of Arizona application by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships.

To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by May 1, 2026.  Please see our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

Eligibility

  1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or demonstrate lawful immigration status.
  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 2026 semester.
  6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.
  7. This merit award is not available for use in the University of Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses.
  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 will be reviewed for merit aid based on their complete application, including portfolio/course work. 

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Minimum GPA

  3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

 Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the following academic year.

60 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the following academic year. 

90 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the third award year to renew for the final academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

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 college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and expenses.
  2. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award or National Merit Scholars Tuition Award.
  3. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
  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.
  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. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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 base tuition, mandatory fees and Honors College Fee. This is currently valued at $12,900/yr.

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 2026
  • 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, Flinn Semi-Finalist, or National Merit Scholarship)
    • This award can be used with other financial aid offers and departmental/private cash awards.
  • The Baird Foundation funding, is not tuition specific and can be combined with other merit tuition scholarship offers (e.g., Wildcat Tuition Scholarships, or National Merit Scholars Tuition Award), 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. The tuition award portion of this scholarship 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 application will open December 15, 2025 and closes March 1, 2026 on Scholarship Universe.

Students may contact the UArizona Foundation with questions about this scholarship. For additional information and contact information, visit the Honors College Baird webpage.

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 

$12,168 per academic year

Selection

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

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 2026 serves as the application for this award. Semi-finalists will be selected by the Flinn Foundation.

Deadline 

Submit a completed University of Arizona application by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships.

To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by May 1, 2026.  Please see our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

Eligibility

  1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or demonstrate lawful immigration status.
  2. DACA students are not eligible for this award.
  3. Be classified as an Arizona resident for tuition purposes.
  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. Students must be pursuing their first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
  6. The award must be used beginning Fall 2026 semester.
  7. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.
  8. This merit award is not available for use in the University of Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses.
  9. Applicants with GEDs or High School Equivalency tests are not eligible for first-year awards.
  10. 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.
  11. Homeschool applicants will be reviewed for merit aid based on their complete application, including portfolio/course work. 

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Minimum GPA

 3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

 Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the following academic year.

60 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the following academic year. 

90 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the third award year to renew for the final academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

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 college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and expenses.
  2. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, President's Saguaro Scholars Award, or National Merit Scholars Tuition Award.
  3. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
  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.
  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. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be canceled. 

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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, 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 be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin once the student is enrolled at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

Selection & Award Amount

  1. This Undergraduate tuition award is offered to students who are selected as National Merit Finalists. The Office of Admission will be notified of a student's National Scholar status.  

  2. National Merit Finalist 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

  3. Priority consideration for merit scholarships is given for University of Arizona Admissions application completed by the November 1 Early Action deadline.  Please see the application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

  4. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

  5. To assess students' eligibility for both admission and merit aid, the University utilizes a comprehensive review process that considers each student's full academic history - in the context of where they lived and learned - and other life experiences. 

  6. Students admitted for the spring semester are not eligible for this award. 

  7. Offers are non-negotiable, 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.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion.

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

  • Submit a completed University of Arizona application by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships.
  • To secure funding, students must pay their Enrollment Fee by May 1, 2026. Please see our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds. 

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 receive become National Merit Finalists will be awarded the National Scholar award which supersedes and replaces all other merit tuition scholarships offered to a student.
  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 2026 semester.
  6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.
  7. This merit award is not available for use in the University of Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses.
  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 will be reviewed for merit aid based on their complete application, including portfolio/course work.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Minimum GPA

  3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

 Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the following academic year.

60 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the following academic year. 

90 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the third award year to renew for the final academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

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 college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and expenses.
  2. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award, the Arizona Tuition Award, or the Flinn Semi-Finalist Tuition Scholarship.
  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 eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating 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. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include program or fees, surcharges, 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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
  5. 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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request Financial Aid Deferment form to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers including:

  • CEA
  • CIEE
  • DIS
  • Semester at Sea

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.

Selection & Award Amount

The President's Saguaro Scholars Award is designed to recognize stellar academic accomplishments and great potential, and also encourage recipients to remain in-state for their college experience. 

  1. Approximately 100 Arizona, first-year students will receive the scholarship annually through a highly-selective awarding process.
  2. President's Saguaro Scholars receive $15,000 per year (split annually between fall and spring terms).
  3. The President's Saguaro Scholars Award may be given based on a variety of criteria related to academic performance and potential, as well as the desire to distribute awards equitably across AZ counties.
  4. Students will be reviewed on their overall academic performance, the strength of their academic schedule, demonstration of academic excellence through extracurricular involvement, and evidence of their academic potential and career goals.
  5. Award recipients will be notified by email no later than February 1, 2026.
  6. Enrollment Management will partner with the University of Arizona Foundation to strengthen the cohort of scholars and provide opportunities for recognition, networking, and building connections between students, as well as with donors and key campus partners.
  7. Offers are non-negotiable, 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.
  8. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.
  9. Students admitted for the spring semester are not eligible for this award.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (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 & Deadline

Submit a completed University of Arizona application by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for this scholarship. 

Online nomination by a teacher, counselor, high school administrator, clergy, or community member by October 15, 2025.

To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by May 1, 2026.  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 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 2026 semester.
  6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.
  7. This merit award is not available for use in the University of Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses.
  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 will be reviewed for merit aid based on their complete application, including portfolio/course work. 

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Minimum GPA

 3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

 Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the following academic year.

60 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the following academic year. 

90 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the third award year to renew for the final academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

  1. This award can be used toward tuition, fees, and additional educational expenses such as housing, meal plan, books, etc.
  2. This award cannot be combined with the Wildcat Tuition Award or top scholar awards including Flinn Semi-Finalist, Baird, Dorrance, Stamps and the National Merit Scholars Tuition Award.
  3. This award cannot be combined with the Arizona Promise Grant, and the Arizona Native Scholars Grant.
  4. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and 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 cannot be combined with the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers). For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website.
  7. This award may be used together with the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Student Loans, and other scholarships/grants which are not limited to tuition/fees.

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can be applied to undergraduate base tuition, fees, housing, meal plan, books and other educational expenses a student incurs. These expenses may or may not be billed to the student’s Bursar's account.
  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

Selection & Award Amount

The Wildcat Tuition Award is a highly competitive undergraduate tuition scholarship offered annually to select Arizona resident high school graduates who are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students. For additional eligibility information, please review the Eligibility section below. 

  1. Priority consideration for merit scholarships is given for University of Arizona Admission applications completed by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships. Please see the application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.
  2. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.
  3. To assess students’ eligibility for both admission and merit aid, the University utilizes a comprehensive review process that considers each student’s full academic history - in the context of where they lived and learned - and other life experiences.
  4. Students selected for this scholarship will receive an offer letter once the student is admitted. Admissions notifications will begin January 15, 2026.
  5. Offers are non-negotiable, 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.
  6. Students admitted for the spring semester are not eligible for this award.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Submit a completed University of Arizona application by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships.

To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by May 1, 2026.  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 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 2026 semester.
  6. Scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.
  7. This merit award is not available for use in the University of Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses.
  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 will be reviewed for merit aid based on their complete application, including portfolio/course work. 

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, students must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Minimum GPA

 3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

 Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the following academic year.

60 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the following academic year. 

90 cumulative Arizona units

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the third award year to renew for the final academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

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 college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and expenses.
  2. This award cannot be combined with the Arizona Tuition Award, President's Saguaro Scholars Award, Flinn Semi-Finalist, Flinn Foundation Scholarship, or National Merit Scholars Tuition Award.
  3. This award cannot be combined with ROTC tuition awards, the GI Bill, and departmental tuition awards depending on type and amount.
  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.
  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. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

Transfer Tuition Scholarships

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, demonstrate lawful immigration status or be a qualifying, non-citizen Arizona high school graduate who is receiving in-state tuition through Proposition 308.
  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 within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring, and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, units from qualifying repeated courses.
    • Non-Qualifying units: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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 designated for regular base tuition cannot receive more than 100% of the cost of base tuition from the combination of the awards. The base tuition amount does not include mandatory fees, college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and 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. For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website
QTR Example 
Base Tuition (based on full-time enrollment for an Arizona Resident)$12,168
QTR (75% reduction)-$9,126
Tuition Due$3,042
All-AZ Academic Award **-$3,042
Remaining Base Tuition Due$0

**All-Arizona Academic Team Tuition award reduced to $3,042 to cover the base tuition balance due, covering the 100% cost of base tuition, after the QTR coverage is applied.

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the ten semesters (or up to 60 units) of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled in at least 6 units per term at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  2. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

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.

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 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.

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.

Scholarship Deferments

  1. Eligibility for this scholarship is a total of 60 units or 10 semesters, interrupted only by  an approved Scholarship Deferment Request from OSFA.
  2. Students must be meeting renewal requirements in order to apply for a scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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, 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 be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin once the student is enrolled at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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. 

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 do not count towards the completed unit requirement and do not affect eligibility.
  4. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

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 Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Students applying for Summer/Fall 2026: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by June 1, 2026. To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by June 1, 2026. 

Students apply for Spring 2027: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by December 1, 2026.

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 an 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 2026, Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semester.
  6. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

 Year 1 Year 2 
Minimum GPA3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average   
 Note, Cumulative GPA cannot be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.   
Minimum UnitsFall & Spring Enrollment 12 cumulative Arizona units by the end of the spring semester to receive Year 2 of the award.Fall and Spring Enrollment24 cumulative Arizona units by the end of the spring semester to receive Year 2 of the award. 
 Fall, Spring & Summer EnrollmentIf the student chooses to enroll in summer courses, the student must complete an additional 6 Arizona units by the end of the summer semester to receive Year 2 of the award.Fall, Spring & Summer EnrollmentIf the student chooses to enroll in summer courses, the student must complete an additional 6 Arizona units by the end of the summer semester to receive Year 3 of the award.
Continuous EnrollmentStudents are expected to maintain half-time enrollment (at least 6 units) during both fall and spring semesters.   
 Note: Any break in enrollment must be approved through a Scholarship Deferment Request.   
  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring, and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first semester at Arizona, units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

  1. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. The base tuition amount does not include college fees, surcharges, room and board, or other fees and expenses.
  2. 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.
  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 eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program are not eligible for this award.
  5. This award may be adjusted if the Qualified Tuition Reduction (QTR, a benefit for faculty and staff) or other tuition reduction programs (or waivers) are utilized.  For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (6+ units per term) at Arizona Online campus, and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds. 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 can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

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.
    1. Scholarships are only eligible for reinstatement for a maximum of three (3) consecutive years (nine (9) semesters total).
    2. Students must contact OSFA by the last day of the semester in which they are requesting reinstatement.
    3. 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.
    1. 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 maximum 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. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
    1. 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 in which they are currently enrolled, the student will be reevaluated to retain 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 first need to be meeting renewal criteria as stated above. Once campus change is completed, the student must meet 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers including:

  • CEA
  • CIEE
  • DIS
  • Semester at Sea

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 - $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 do not count towards the completed unit requirement and do not affect 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).
  5. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion.

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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.

*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 2026 or Spring 2027 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Students applying for Summer/Fall 2026: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by June 1, 2026. To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by June 1, 2026. 

Students apply for Spring 2027: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by December 1, 2026.

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. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semester.
  4. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

Students Admitted in the Fall Semester

 

Year 1

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

Students Admitted in the Spring Semester

 

Year 1

Year 2

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

15 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second semester.

45 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the fourth (and final) semester.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 units) during both fall and spring semesters. 

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring, and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first semester at Arizona, units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

  1. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. The base tuition amount does not include college fees, surcharges, room and board, or other fees and expenses.
  2. 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.
  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 eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating 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.  For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

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 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), unless otherwise noted above.
  • Students must contact OSFA to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.
  • 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. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
    1. 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers including:

  • CEA
  • CIEE
  • DIS
  • Semester at Sea

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 do not count towards the completed unit requirement and do not affect eligibility.
  4. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion.

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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.

*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 2026 or Spring 2027 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline

Students applying for Summer/Fall 2026: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by June 1, 2026. To secure funding, students must complete their Enrollment Fee by June 1, 2026. 

Students apply for Spring 2027: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by December 1, 2026.

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. The award must be used beginning the term it was offered for, either the Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semester.
  4. This scholarship is subject to the availability of funds.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

Students Admitted in the Fall Semester

 

Year 1

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

Students Admitted in the Spring Semester

 

Year 1

Year 2

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

15 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second semester.

45 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the fourth (and final) semester.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 units) during both fall and spring semesters. 

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring, and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first semester at Arizona, units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

Multiple Awards and Tuition Programs

  1. Students offered multiple awards designated for base tuition, cannot receive more than 100% of base tuition. The base tuition amount does not include college fees, surcharges, room and board, or other fees and expenses.
  2. 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.
  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 eligible for the High School 150% Resident Tuition Rate or participating 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.  For more information about tuition rates, please visit the Bursar's website

Residency Change

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

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 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), unless otherwise noted above.
  • Students must contact OSFA to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.
  • 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. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  4. Students must visit the Office of the Registrar website in order to determine enrollment eligibility upon return to the University of Arizona.
    1. 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers including:

  • CEA
  • CIEE
  • DIS
  • Semester at Sea

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.

International Tuition Scholarships

Amounts

Phi Theta Kappa Members receive $2,000, added to their Global Wildcat Transfer 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 a minimum of 36 units from a community college at the time of admission to Arizona.
    • Total attempted college units include 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).
  4. Scholarship is subject to the availability of funds. 

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 three consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Summer/Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Students applying for Summer/Fall 2026: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by May 1, 2026. 

Students apply for Spring 2027: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by November 1, 2026.

Please see our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

Eligibility

  1. International student status.
  2. Students must be pursuing a first Bachelor's Degree for Undergraduate studies.
  3. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

Students Admitted in the Fall Semester

 

Year 1

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

Students Admitted in the Spring Semester

 

Year 1

Year 2

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

15 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second semester.

45 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the fourth (and final) semester.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 units) during both fall and spring semesters. 

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

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 4 consecutive semesters may use the remaining semester(s) toward full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 three consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for the original Summer/Fall semester the student was originally admitted for served as the application for this award. 

Deadline 

Students must have met the deadline for the prior Summer/Fall semester in which they were originally admitted and awarded this scholarship.

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. The award must be used the semester in which the student is enrolling at the University, after an an approved admissions deferment.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

Students Admitted for the Fall Semester

 

Year 1

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

Students Admitted for the Spring Semester

 

Year 1

Year 2

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

15 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second semester.

45 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the fourth (and final) semester.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 units) during both fall and spring semesters. 

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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 covers a portion of non-resident tuition only. The base tuition amount does not include college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and expenses.
  2. This award may not be combined with any other tuition award including National Merit Finalist, 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

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

Amounts

$2,500 - $10,000

Selection

The Global Wildcat Transfer Tuition 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. Four-year University attendance disqualifies students for this award, but dual enrollment during high school is allowed.
  4. Offers are non-negotiable and are not increased to match offers from other institutions.
  5. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.
  6. Awards are not offered for any summer term.
  7. Scholarship is subject to the availability of funds. 

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 full-time graduate tuition (only) at Arizona in the semester immediately following undergraduate degree completion. 

Similarly, undergraduate students who have completed some undergraduate coursework at Arizona and 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 three consecutive years (six semesters total) for fall and spring semesters only, based on academic year renewal requirements. 

Application 

A completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Summer/Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 serves as the application for this award.

Deadline 

Students applying for Summer/Fall 2026: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by May 1, 2026. 

Students apply for Spring 2027: Submit a completed University of Arizona transfer application by November 1, 2026.

Please see our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

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. The award must be used the semester for which it was first offered.

Renewal Criteria

To renew the scholarship for future academic years, student must meet the following renewal requirements by the conclusion of the academic year (fall, winter, spring and summer semesters):

Students Admitted in the Fall Semester

 

Year 1

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

30 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, winter, spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second academic year.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain enrollment during both fall and spring semesters.

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

Students Admitted in the Spring Semester

 

Year 1

Year 2

Minimum GPA

3.00 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.

Note: Cumulative GPA can not be rounded or recalculated for scholarship purposes.

Minimum Units

15 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the spring or summer semesters of the first award year to renew for the second semester.

45 cumulative Arizona units 

Note: Units can be completed in the fall, spring or summer semesters of the second award year to renew for the fourth (and final) semester.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 units) during both fall and spring semesters. 

Note: Any breaks in enrollment must be approved through a Deferment Request.

 

    
  
    
  
  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona fall, winter, spring and summer courses with passing grades, passing units from pass/fail courses, and units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units include: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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 covers a portion of non-resident tuition only. The base tuition amount does not include college fees, surcharges, room and board, books, or other fees and 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

This merit award was offered based on residency at the time the student was admitted.  If during the eight semesters of eligibility the student's residency changes and the student is meeting all renewal criteria for the award, the merit award will be adjusted to account for the updated residency status.

How the award is applied

  1. The award will be disbursed to the Bursar's student account approximately one week before classes begin if the student is enrolled full-time (12+ units per term) at Arizona and has no open Scholarship related To Do items and/or holds.
  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 may be adjusted to cover the lower base tuition charges during this final semester.
  3. This scholarship can only be applied to undergraduate base tuition charged through the Bursar's Office at the University of Arizona. Base Tuition does not include college or program fees, surcharges,  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 spring portion of the award.

Reinstatement

  1. Students failing to meet the 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 and meeting the minimum, cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.
  • 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 to request reinstatement no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the semester following the semester in which the student regained eligibility. Students who submit their request after this date may not have their merit award reinstated before tuition is due and may incur late fees.
  1. 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.

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.

Scholarship 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 scholarship deferment.
  3. Students must have enrolled for at least one semester at Arizona in order to request a Scholarship deferment. Newly admitted students do not qualify for a Scholarship Deferment.
  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 programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

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.

Other Scholarships

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.

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 mandatory 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

To qualify, the student must be meeting the renewal requirements: 

  • 12 completed Arizona units per semester*
  • 3.0 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average.**

*Qualifying Units:

  • Qualifying units within the academic year include: Arizona winter and summer courses, passing units from pass/fail courses, units from qualifying repeated courses.
  • Non-Qualifying units: failed, E grade, incomplete or I grades, consortium, attempted but not completed units, courses excluded from record by repeating a course, non-credit certification programs, 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.
  • For students who choose to enroll in summer courses before their first-year (for example: New Start students), units completed during the summer will be counted towards both your cumulative GPA and cumulative units renewal requirements.

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

Probationary Semester:

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 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 one-week 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 one-week before the start of the Spring semester.

Study Abroad 

  1. Students may use this tuition award on specific University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad programs 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 Scholarship Deferment Request to request the deferment of their scholarship. Review the Scholarship Deferment section above for additional information.
  4. Renewal: Students who participate in an eligible study abroad program during the Fall and/or Spring semester(s) 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 a 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.

ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA-SPONSORED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

INELIGIBLE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Exchange 

National Student Exchange, Plan B

AZ Abroad Locations

Direct Enroll

Arizona Faculty Led

All 3rd Party Providers:

CEA

CIEE

DIS

Semester at Sea

Withdrawal Policy

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

The Terms and Conditions listed on this page may be updated in order to further clarify policies and/or the use of each award.