Scholarship Deferment Policy and Form

2020-2021 Scholarship Deferment Submission

Fall Priority Deadline: August 24, 2020
Spring Priority Deadline: January 13, 2021

The University of Arizona requires that, for the award programs listed below, students must maintain continuous fall and spring semester enrollment at the University of Arizona. Students who will not be continuously enrolled at Arizona must submit a Scholarship Deferment request form to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) at least one month prior to a scheduled leave, or as soon as reasonably possible when an unanticipated leave is required due to mental or physical illness or injury or disability. A deferment is used when a student is not enrolled at the University of Arizona for one or more fall/spring semesters in which a scholarship is offered. Students who have approved deferments may not be enrolled in any institution for credit during the deferred semester(s). A deferment does not extend a merit scholarship beyond the original semesters of eligibility (8 semesters for first-year students and 4 semesters for transfer students). 

Important: Scholarship Deferments are only available for students who are currently eligible for and receiving a merit scholarship. This means that students must be meeting the renewal requirements of their scholarship in order to qualify for a deferment. 

New Students: The student must have enrolled and successfully completed at least one semester at the University of Arizona in order to apply for a deferment. This means the student should have completed a minimum of 15 units and have a 3.00 cumulative GPA at Arizona in order to qualify. Pre-enrollment deferments will not be considered. New incoming students inquiring about deferring their Admission and/or Scholarships (who have not attended Arizona for at least 1 semester) may visit the admissions website for more information on that process.

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Eligible Awards

This process relates to the following programs.  For any scholarship awards not listed here, contact the granting organization, department, or donor to learn about deferment policies. See Exception Programs below.  

• Academic Recognition Scholarship
• All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship
• Arizona Presidential Scholarship
• Arizona Tuition Scholarship (Recognition | Excellence | Distinction)
• Baird Scholarship
• Fine Arts Tuition Award (Art, Dance, Music, TFTV)
• Global Partner Tuition Scholarship
• IB Tuition Scholarship
• International Excellence Tuition Scholarship
• International Tuition Scholarship
• National Merit Finalist Tuition Scholarship* 
• National Merit Semifinalist Tuition Scholarship
• National Scholar Tuition Scholarship
• Phi Theta Kappa Tuition Scholarship
• Raise.Me Wildcat Excellence Scholarship
• Red & Blue Excellence Scholarship
• Sonoran Tuition Scholarship
• Spirit of Excellence Scholarship (Flinn Scholars)
• Transfer Tuition Scholarship
• UA Alumni Club Tuition Scholarship (UAHA, UABA, AASFAA, AIA)
• UA Bridge Tuition Scholarship
• Wildcat Tuition Scholarship (Recognition | Excellence | Distinction)

*National Merit Finalist Scholars must request a leave of absence from The National Merit Scholarship Corporation in addition to completing the UA’s deferment process.

For Arizona Assurance Deferments, please use the Arizona Assurance Deferment form found here. For any scholarship not listed here, contact the awarding department/donor to learn about their deferment policies.

Approvals

Approvals extend semesters of eligibility only. They do not increase the amount of the award in any semester. Students must be maintaining the renewal requirements (GPA and units) for continuation of their award to be eligible for a deferment. One semester deferment approvals require a student to complete half of the total units required for the renewal of the scholarship within the academic year of the approved deferment.  Students do not have to notify OSFA of their return, but students must return to UA in the semester immediately following the completion of the approved deferment.  

Withdrawals

A deferment request cannot be approved if the student withdraws after the Bursar's 100% refund deadline. This includes medical withdrawals. If a scholarship disburses fully or partially to a student's Bursar's Account and the student does not receive a 100% (or complete) tuition refund, it counts toward the student's total used semesters of eligibility. A 100% refund does not guarantee a deferment approval. If the student is not eligible for a deferment due to a withdrawal, they may have an option to file a Scholarship Appeal for the next academic year. 

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.

Extensions

Students who request any changes or extensions to a previously granted deferment must complete another deferment request prior to the semester in which they were required to return.

Programs Exempt from Process 

The following programs do not require a Deferment Request submission to OSFA.

• UA-Sponsored Study Abroad Programs – Automatic deferment will be given to students who are participating in eligible study abroad programs and they are meeting renewal requirements. Please review the list of eligible programs in the Terms and Conditions for the scholarship. 

Reasons for Deferment

OSFA considers each deferment request independently according to the circumstances of that request.   Common examples of situations giving rise to a request for deferment include, but are not limited to:  

• Religious missions, with a letter of service dates
• Involuntary U.S. military service (in the event of a military crisis or when draft is in effect)
• Non-UA-Sponsored Study Abroad (International Student Exchange) programs with a letter of support from your academic advisor
• Internships related to major, future career goals and circumstances unique to college students only, wherein the student will receive transferred credit toward the degree, with a letter of support from your academic advisor
• **Student’s own medical or physical illness or injury or disability –see process below
• Other extenuating circumstances that are beyond the student’s control

Requirements for Seeking Deferments

If the reasons for requesting the deferment are other than the student’s own mental or physical illness or injury or disability:
Students seeking a deferment based on circumstances other than their own mental or physical illness or injury or disability must:

• Attach a personal statement explaining the circumstances of the request, which should be no longer than one page in length;
• Attach supporting documentation (e.g., letter from religious leader related to religious missions, letter of support from your academic advisor, letter of acceptance into non-UA-study abroad program, call to active duty, letter from attorney or other individual confirming circumstances beyond the student’s control, etc.).
• Complete the Scholarship Deferment request form in its entirety  

**If the reasons for requesting a deferment relate to the student’s own mental or physical illness or injury or disability:
Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid realizes that it will not always be feasible for students to collect medical documentation associated with their Scholarship Appeal request. Effective 3/23/2020, the requirement for students to include any medical documentation will be waived until further notice.

If you check this box on the Scholarship Deferment form, you must:

• Provide a personal statement without describing the condition itself. The personal statement should address all items listed below:
  • How the condition will prevent your ability to enroll for the term(s) listed on your deferment form. 
  • If this condition will span more than one semester, you must indicate what steps you are taking to improve your condition. 

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid reserves the right to modify this process at any time.  Submission of a deferment request does not guarantee approval.