Is affordable tuition a myth? Not at Utah State

Utah State University recently made changes to two non-resident scholarships that could make it more affordable for your children or grandchildren to become Aggies, too.

Thanks to new legislation from the State of Utah, USU has been able to make changes to the Nonresident Waiver and Legacy Waiver scholarships that may benefit you and your family.

Here are those changes, and what they mean for you.

Nonresident Waiver

The qualifications for the Nonresident Waiver have been expanded. Now out-of-state students with an index score of 113 or greater (see what this means) will be automatically considered for this scholarship, when they apply for admission to Utah State. This award will waive the entire portion of nonresident tuition for one year, saving them approximately $12,000.

And it gets even better. While on the scholarship, your student can earn Utah residency, which only takes one year, meaning they’ll pay the in-state rate for the remainder of their time at USU.

Learn more…

Legacy Waiver

In the past the Legacy Waiver has helped children of graduated Aggies, who live outside Utah, attend USU for the same cost as in-state students. The Legacy Waiver is now available to both children and grandchildren of Aggie graduates. Students on this scholarship do not need to gain residency. The waiver saves them roughly $12,000 per year and applies to their entire tenure at Utah State.

            Learn more…

Both of these scholarships are still available for the Fall 2013 semester by applying for admission.  For more information on how to help your children and grandchildren become Aggies and continue the legacy, contact the Admissions Office at 800-488-8108 or visit us online at www.usu.edu/admissions.

Affording Tuition: The low-down on legacy scholarships

Scholarships.  Everyone wants ‘em.  But sometimes, they seem unattainable and difficult to navigate. Luckily, the process of finding and applying for USU alumni scholarships is easier than one might expect.

There are two scholarships that all alumni should be aware of at Utah State:

           1)    The Alumni Scholarship is offered through the Alumni Association and

           2)    The Nonresident Legacy Waiver is offered through the USU Admissions office 

Here is a brief explanation of each. 

The Alumni Scholarship

This scholarship is available to new incoming students.  If a student has a parent or grandparent who attended USU, they are eligible to apply.  Any incoming student can apply (freshman, transfer, resident, and nonresident).  The deadline to apply for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 is February 1, 2013.

The Alumni Scholarship is funded through the Alumni Association.  All funds awarded are raised through alumni events, private donations, and the Aggie License Plate program.  Applications are available online at www.usu.edu/alumni/scholarships.  On average, the Alumni Association receives between 500-600 applications a year and approximately 175-200 students are selected as recipients.  The average scholarship is a one year award, valued at $1,000.  This scholarship can be combined with any other scholarships and can be used at any USU campus.

The Nonresident Legacy  Waiver

This scholarship is available to new incoming students who are admitted to USU.  To qualify for this scholarship, a student’s parent/guardian must have graduated with a degree from Utah State University.  Once the graduates’ degree if verified, the student will be awarded a nonresident waiver and the student will be charged Utah resident tuition. 

This scholarship is awarded through the Admissions office.  USU is able to participate in this program because of Utah House Bill 364 (signed into law July 1, 2009).  This scholarship is available to all nonresident students who meet the requirements (including freshman, graduate, and international students).

Applications are available online at www.usu.edu/admissions/scholarships.  This scholarship can be combined with other scholarships at USU.  The deadline to apply for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 is August 1, 2013.

Scholarship Advice

Scholarships can cause stress for parents and students.  Everyone experiences the uncertainty of the selection process, the concern over providing the ‘correct’ answers on the application, and the time involved in waiting for results.  Here are a few suggestions that may help reduce some of that stress:

• Read the application.  Yes – it seems simple.  And kind of silly to mention.  But most of the questions you have will be answered in the application.  Read all of the information and perhaps more importantly, visit the appropriate website for information.
• Contact the office who administers the scholarship.  Ask what the time frame is and if they have any suggestions in applying.
• You must approach the application as you would a job application.  Full, complete sentences and grammatically correct statements will only work to your advantage.  Leave text messaging and instant messaging lingo out of your application.  Don’t ramble and exceed the acceptable length of answers.  You must set yourself apart from all other applications.  For this reason, choose your words carefully and explain why you are the most qualified applicant for the scholarship.
• Be yourself.  Let your personality come through and try to connect with those who will be reading your application.  Often, scholarship committees will review many applications and you want them to remember your application.

We encourage you to read and review the applications for the scholarships listed above.  If you then have questions, call the appropriate office (Alumni Relations: 800-291-2586 or Admissions: 800-488-8108) and we’ll be happy to assist you.