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.