Students understand college can be an expensive decision, but BYU–Hawaii Financial Aid workers share getting good grades pays off. BYUH students can get their tuition paid for based on their college Grade Point Average (GPA) through the University Merit Scholarship.
The University Merit Scholarship automatically puts students into consideration for having good grades. According to the BYUH website, the University Merit Scholarship Policy is:
“A student will automatically be eligible for scholarships after completing one semester at BYU–Hawaii. For a student to receive a scholarship, the student must be enrolled in at least 14 credits for the Fall and Winter semesters, and nine credits for the Spring term. The amount of scholarship available will be determined by the student’s cumulative GPA.”
The GPA requirements for the University Merit Scholarship beginning in Fall 2019 are:
3.650 - 3.749 = 1/4 Tuition
3.750 - 3.849 = 1/2 Tuition
3.850 - 3.949 = 3/4 Tuition
3.950 - 4.0 = Full Tuition
Currently, according to BYUH’s website, tuition at BYUH is $2,780 per semester. With good grades and taking at least 14 credits per regular semester and nine credits per spring semester, students with a 3.650 cumulative GPA are automatically given anywhere from one-fourth of their tuition to their entire tuition paid for depending where the GPA falls on the scale.
According to the Financial Aid Office, the scholarship is available because of donors and previous alumni of BYUH. Along with students receiving scholarships based on GPA, students are also eligible for financial aid and Pell Grants based on their income and family income. Students interested in applying for federal student aid are invited to apply for FAFSA.
Student workers in the Financial Aid Office said, “Students are also invited to apply for external scholarships, and we encourage students to find scholarships on their own.”
They also shared the Financial Aid Office had a link of external scholarships on their website. Eddy Tsing is a financial aid counselor, and students are encouraged to go and talk with him for help finding scholarships.
Several academic programs at BYUH offer scholarships for students in their major, and these scholarships are open to all eligible students.
The academic program scholarship postings are sent out on the BYUH bulletin at the beginning of each semester and listed on posters around the BYUH campus at the beginning of each semester.
Karlie Dotson, a junior from Utah studying communications, received the communications program scholarship in the Winter 2019 Semester.
“Receiving the communications scholarship really helped me, especially because I am paying for school by myself. It gave me the opportunity to remain debt free, and it definitely eased the stress I felt about paying for my education, which I am so grateful for.”
For more information about the merit scholarship visit the BYUH Financial Aid Office.