National Scholars Award

Scholarship Sponsored by The University of Arizona

Read this carefully — these are the rules that apply to scholarships offered for the 2025–2026 academic year. If you received a scholarship offer in an earlier year, look up the terms that correspond to that original offer year in the Scholarship selection menu.

What to check first
- Each scholarship has its own eligibility rules (residency classification, campus, location, modality). Read the specific scholarship description — eligibility varies and all awards are subject to available funding.

Who this summary covers
- National Scholars (for these terms, that includes National Merit Finalists).

Award amounts (National Finalist Merit Scholarship)
- This award combines any college-sponsored, corporate-sponsored, or National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)-sponsored components offered to you.
- Arizona residents: $18,000 per academic year.
- Non‑Arizona residents: the value of the original Arizona Tuition Award plus a $3,000 National Scholar Award. (See the Arizona Tuition Award description for details about merit review and offer amounts.)
- Important: if you have a National Merit offer, you must respond to NMSC by their deadlines to accept those NMSC-sponsored awards.

How scholars are selected
- National Scholar status is determined by performance on the PSAT/NMSQT taken in high school. The Office of Admission will be notified if you qualify.
- If you are a National Merit Finalist, you must designate the University of Arizona as your first-choice school with NMSC by NMSC’s deadline. Check the NMSC website for deadlines and instructions.

How long the award lasts (availability and use)
- Typical duration: four consecutive years (eight semesters) — fall and spring semesters only — subject to renewal requirements and availability of funds.
- Not available for Arizona Online programs.
- If you complete your bachelor’s degree in fewer than eight consecutive semesters, you may be able to apply any remaining semester(s) of merit tuition toward graduate tuition at the University of Arizona in the semester immediately after graduating, provided you are admitted to an Arizona graduate program and enrolled full-time. Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) for details and to confirm eligibility.
- Students who enter certain professional programs that do not require a bachelor’s degree (for example, the PharmD program) may also qualify to use remaining semesters toward that professional program after completing undergraduate coursework and being admitted to the professional program. Contact OSFA for full requirements.
- Exception: students enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture 5-year Bachelor of Architecture program receive five consecutive years (ten semesters) — fall and spring only — subject to renewal rules.

How to apply
- Submitting a completed University of Arizona Admission Application for Fall 2025 serves as your application for this scholarship.

Deadlines and priority dates
- All scholarships depend on available funds.
- Non‑resident (out‑of‑state) applicants: for maximum scholarship consideration (pending available funds), apply by the priority date of December 2, 2024. Check our application deadline pages for any updates.
- Resident applicants: for maximum scholarship consideration (pending available funds), apply by the priority date of May 1, 2025. Check our application deadline pages for the most up-to-date information.

Eligibility checklist (you must meet all that apply)
1. U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, lawful immigration status, or a qualifying non‑citizen Arizona high school graduate receiving in‑state tuition under Proposition 308.
2. Pursuing a first bachelor’s degree (undergraduate).
3. First-time, full-time, degree-seeking student at the University of Arizona (you did not attend any higher education institution — community college, university, or international post‑secondary institution — after high school graduation).
- Notes: Summer enrollment immediately before your first fall term at Arizona does NOT affect eligibility. Dual enrollment (college courses while in high school) and participation in non‑credit programs during or after high school do NOT affect eligibility. However, any attempted post‑secondary credit at accredited or non‑accredited institutions after high school graduation DOES affect eligibility.
4. Award must be used beginning Fall 2025 semester.
5. Scholarships are offered only while funds are available.
6. Arizona Online and Near You Network campuses are excluded from first-year awards.
7. Applicants with a GED or other high school equivalency credential are not eligible for first-year awards.
8. Applicants from high schools that do not use traditional grades (for example, schools using a Mastery Transcript) may still be considered, but eligibility requires additional review and possibly extra documentation.
9. Homeschooled applicants are eligible; their eligibility will be evaluated using the same unweighted core GPA standards applied to traditional high school graduates.

Questions or need help?
- Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) or the Office of Admission for clarification or to confirm your specific eligibility and next steps. If you’re a National Merit Finalist, be sure to check the NMSC website for deadlines and instructions about designating a first-choice school.