Two dates decide most of the scholarship money at Provo's two universities for next year: Saturday, January 2, 2027 at BYU and Monday, February 1, 2027 at UVU. Miss them and the merit awards are gone for the year.
Everything below is from BYU Enrollment Services' scholarship pages and UVU Financial Aid's scholarship pages, read Nov. 7, 2026.
The deadlines side by side
| BYU | UVU | |
|---|---|---|
| Main scholarship deadline | Jan. 2, 2027 | Feb. 1, 2027 |
| Where to apply | BYU scholarship application (separate from admissions) | Scholarship Universe, opened Nov. 1 |
| FAFSA | Due Jan. 2 for need-based awards | Needed for Greenlight and need-based awards |
| Freshman merit | Automatic consideration, but BYU urges everyone to apply | Automatic if admissions, transcript and test scores are in by Feb. 1 |
| Notifications | End of February | Not posted |
BYU
The Jan. 2 deadline covers four terms
BYU's 2027-28 update says: "The deadline to complete the scholarship application and FAFSA is January 2, 2027." That one date covers Spring 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027 and Winter 2028. BYU's FAQ adds that late applications aren't considered.
The scholarship application is separate from the admissions application, BYU's FAQ says. Its applying page says incoming freshmen and continuing students with 12 or more BYU credits are automatically considered for academic scholarships, and still "strongly encourage[s]" everyone to file. The safe move is to file both the scholarship application and the FAFSA by Jan. 2. The freshman admissions deadline is Dec. 15; see applying to BYU for Fall 2027.
What BYU awards new freshmen
| Scholarship | What it pays | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential (Dallin H. Oaks) | 150% of Latter-day Saint tuition, 8 semesters | 50 new freshmen a year, chosen on character and leadership as well as academics |
| Heritage | Full Latter-day Saint tuition, 8 semesters | Academic |
| BYU-sponsored National Merit | Full Latter-day Saint tuition, up to 8 semesters | Finalists who list BYU first and qualify for Presidential or Heritage |
| Sterling Scholar | Full Latter-day Saint tuition, 2 semesters | Regional and final-level category winners |
| University, private and need-based | Typically half or full Latter-day Saint tuition | Academics, rigor and need; need-based awarded "primarily" on need |
Latter-day Saint tuition for 2026-27 is $3,548 a semester, so a Heritage award is worth that much each semester and a Presidential award about $5,322 at this year's rate. Our BYU tuition guide has the full rate table.
BYU doesn't publish a GPA or test-score cutoff. Its FAQ says "GPA cutoffs change from year to year," depending on the applicant pool and the money available. Most departments don't offer scholarships to new freshmen.
The FAFSA at BYU
BYU's FAQ says the FAFSA is required only for need-based scholarships, Cougar Pell Promise and Cougar Pell Elevated. It isn't required for merit awards. The 2027-28 FAFSA is open now at fafsa.gov. BYU warns that a submitted FAFSA "will not update to 'Received' at BYU," and says it hopes students can see whether BYU has it by mid-November.
Transfer and returning students
New transfer students can be considered for private donor scholarships right away; merit scholarships open up after 12 BYU credit hours. Returned missionaries are judged on their BYU GPA after at least 12 BYU credits. For Winter 2027, the deadline for returning missionaries was Aug. 1, 2026.
UVU
Academic merit for Utah residents
UVU considers freshmen automatically if, by Feb. 1, 2027, they've filed the UVU admissions application and sent an official senior-year transcript and ACT or SAT scores. GPA is unweighted and not rounded.
| Award | ACT/SAT and GPA | Pays | To keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential | 31 ACT or 1400 SAT, and 3.9+ GPA | Full tuition and general student fees | 3.6 GPA, 15 credits a semester, up to 8 semesters |
| Exemplary | 27-30 ACT / 1280-1370 SAT with 3.9-4.0, or 27+ ACT / 1280+ SAT with 3.7-3.8 | $5,000 a year | 3.5 GPA, 15 credits a semester, up to 8 semesters |
| Outstanding | 21-26 ACT / 1080-1240 SAT with 3.8+, or 3.6-3.7 with 24+ ACT / 1180+ SAT | $3,500 a year | 3.2 GPA, 12 credits a semester, 2 years; 2 more with a 3.5 |
Awards are paid each semester, and you owe whatever tuition is left. For scale, UVU's full-time resident tuition and fees are $6,873.10 for 2026-27; see UVU tuition 2026-27.
Greenlight, Sterling Scholar and the rest
- Greenlight covers the tuition left after grants and scholarships for Utah residents who are full-time, admitted and Pell Grant eligible each year through the FAFSA. Priority goes to students with a complete file by Feb. 1. It doesn't cover general student fees.
- Sterling Scholar awards are due May 15: $2,000 a semester for region winners, $1,750 for region runners-up and $1,000 for one semester for high school winners.
- Dean's Merit scholarships are by major, with GPA floors from 2.5 to 3.5, through Scholarship Universe.
- Honors Program tuition awards start at $1,000 a year, and its housing awards cover about half of rent.
- Private scholarships need at least a 3.0 GPA and are also in Scholarship Universe.
Nonresidents and WUE
UVU's nonresident merit awards use the same Feb. 1 deadline and test bands, with only 10 Presidential and 10 Exemplary awards available:
| Award | Pays | Renewable? |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential | Full tuition | Yes, 3.6 GPA and 15 credits, up to 4 years |
| Exemplary | $6,200 a semester | Yes, 3.5 GPA and 15 credits, up to 4 years |
| Non-Resident Waiver | $5,000 a semester for two semesters | No |
| Border Waiver (within 100 highway miles, incl. some Wyoming high schools) | Nonresident portion of tuition | Up to 8 semesters; needs 3.5 GPA and 22 ACT |
| WUE | $4,801 a semester (2026-27) | Up to 10 semesters; 2.75 GPA to apply, 3.0 to keep |
UVU notes that time spent in Utah on a WUE award doesn't count toward residency. If you're aiming to switch to the resident rate instead, read our Utah residency guide first.
A short checklist
- File the 2027-28 FAFSA now. It's open at fafsa.gov, and both schools use it for need-based money.
- BYU applicants: finish admissions by Dec. 15 and the scholarship application by Jan. 2.
- UVU applicants: apply for admission and send your transcript and test scores by Feb. 1, then fill out the Scholarship Universe application for department and private awards.
- Write down the renewal terms. The GPA and credit floors above are what keep the money coming.
Related guides
- BYU tuition 2026-27
- UVU tuition 2026-27
- Applying to BYU for Fall 2027
- How to get into UVU: open admissions explained
- Utah residency and in-state tuition
- BYU Winter 2027 semester dates
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the BYU scholarship deadline for 2027-28?
When is the UVU scholarship deadline for 2027-28?
What ACT score do you need for a full-tuition scholarship at UVU?
Is the BYU scholarship application separate from the admissions application?
Do I need the FAFSA for BYU scholarships?
How much is the BYU Heritage Scholarship?
Does UVU take the WUE?
When does BYU announce scholarships?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Important Updates to Financial Aid & Scholarships for 2027-28, BYU Enrollment Services. Checked November 7, 2026.
- New Freshman Scholarships, BYU Enrollment Services. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Scholarship FAQs, BYU Enrollment Services. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Applying for Scholarships, BYU Enrollment Services. Checked November 7, 2026.
- UVU Scholarships, Utah Valley University Financial Aid. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Resident Scholarships, Utah Valley University Financial Aid. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Non-Resident Scholarships, Utah Valley University Financial Aid. Checked November 7, 2026.
