The University of Arizona is a public university located in Tuscon, Arizona. The university currently enrolls approximately 35,000 undergraduate students and 8,000 graduate students. These students study in a variety of majors from mechanical engineering to dance. In this article, we will be discussing the University of Arizona Scholarships and financial aid that is offered to prospective students.
Cost of Attendance
Before we discuss scholarships, let’s cover how much you will be paying before any financial aid. Since the University of Arizona is a public university, the cost of attendance varies by your residency. For students who are Arizona residents, the cost of attendance is approximately $30,000 a year, and that includes $12,000 in tuition, $13,000 in room and board, and rest are fees and personal expenses such as books. Cost of attendance for students who are residents of another state is $54,100 a year, and the increase in cost of attendance comes from the non-resident tuition fees.
University of Arizona Scholarships
The University of Arizona does offer very generous scholarships to prospective students. Here are some of the scholarships that they offer.
1. Automatic Scholarships based on GPA and SAT Scores
This automatic scholarship at the University of Arizona can cover full tuition and more for prospective students. The maximum amount of scholarship for students from Arizona is $15,000 a year, and that requires 4.0 GPA and ACT score over 32 or SAT score over 1420. The scholarship for students outside of Arizona is $35,000 a year for the same statistics. For test scores and GPA’s lower than the these, there are different scholarships based on your GPA and test scores. You can view these scholarships at Merit Scholarships at the University of Arizona Page.
2. Arizona Presidential Award
This award is a maximum of $5,000 scholarship for students outside of Arizona that can be stacked on top of the automatic scholarship mentioned above. With the combination of these two scholarships, you will have full tuition as well as some money for room and board paid off.
3. National Merit Finalist Award
This scholarship is for national merit finalist who has chosen the University of Arizona as their first-choice institution. The scholarship basically covers tuition as well as money left over to cover some of the room and board costs for both Arizona residents and residents living outside Arizona. Please note that this cannot be stacked with automatic scholarship mentioned above and that your total award cannot exceed tuition, room and board, and personal expenses.
There are dozens of more scholarships that are offered at the University of Arizona. The major scholarships have been covered, but you can check smaller awards at UA Scholarships Page!
How to Apply for University of Arizona Scholarships
The majority of merit scholarships at Arizona do not require a separate application. You just need to submit the application to the university via Common App, and they will automatically award you with scholarships based on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
If you are a National Merit Finalist, however, you will need to submit extra paperwork stating that the University of Arizona is your first-choice university if you want to receive National Merit Scholarships at the University of Arizona.
Need-Based Aid at University of Arizona
The University of Arizona also offers need-based aid to prospective students. These awards are based on need and not merit. However, you do need to be an academically qualified student to be eligible.
1. Arizona Assurance Program
Arizona Assurance Program is a need-based program for Arizona Residents. It provides need-based aid for students from low-income families. Additional benefits include financial mentoring sessions.
2. Achievement Award
This award is given to students who are not residents of Arizona and is need-based. Students who meet certain criteria will be invited to apply to this award. The deadline to submit the separate application is in April.
3. Pell Grants
This is a federally administered grant for students from low-income families. The maximum amount is $6,000 a year. The award depends on how much need you have.
4. Engineering Grant
This $1,000 a year award is given to students who apply to the College of Engineering. This award is need-based and is first-come, first-served. So, you will need to apply as early as possible to maximize your chances of receiving this scholarship.
There are other grants in the University of Arizona that are available for undergraduate students. You can see the complete list here!
How to Apply for Grants
To apply for need-based grants offered at the University of Arizona, you just need to file FAFSA by March 1. It becomes available online on October 1, so it is a good idea to file early since other universities and colleges that you are applying might have an early deadline. Some require as early as January for your reference.
If you are eligible for aid that requires additional information, you will be contacted to submit extra forms.
Additional Forms of Financial Aid that are Available at the University of Arizona
Depending on your circumstances, you might receive student loans and work-study along with grants and scholarships in your financial aid package. If you do need student loans, it is best that you take what the university offers instead of getting a private loan. The loans offered by the university will have better terms than most, if not all, private loans out there. If you don’t need the loans in your financial aid package, you have a choice of not accepting the loan.
Another form of financial aid is work-study. This is usually is anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 a year award that students earn by working part-time. If you plan on working, you should accept work-study because it is very flexible with your schedule, and you don’t have to travel far with a car, which saves gas. Off-campus jobs might not be as flexible around your class schedule, and also, you have to leave the campus.
I hope that this article on University of Arizona Scholarships and Financial Aid was helpful. If you are from Arizona, I suggest that you visit the Arizona Scholarships Category since these universities will most likely be affordable. If you are not from Arizona, consider going to Authority Scholarship Website and looking at the universities in your state. These will be most likely to be affordable to your family.
