Outside Scholarships
Outside Scholarships are funds provided by off-campus agencies and may be available to undergraduate and graduate students. UTRGV does NOT guarantee the availability of scholarships on these sites nor are we involved in the selection of recipients for these scholarships. Questions about an individual scholarship should be directed to the individual private scholarship foundation.
Scholarships from Local and National Organizations
The information below is provided to permit easy access to some available outside scholarships. The content is frequently revised as old scholarship offers expire and new ones take their places. There are many other outside scholarships available that aren’t covered in this guide, so be sure to do other searches related to your intended major, your parents’ employers, your church or denomination, and other unique aspects about you.
Legitimate scholarship offers will require specific information about you and often the application requires you to provide a written statement about your need or qualification eligibility, but none will ask for personal financial access information (your personal bank account or credit card information). In your searches, those kinds of personal financial information are generally an indication of an illegitimate offer, and they should be avoided. If you are completing an online application, look in the URL address line to be sure you are logged into a secure site (https://). If you are not, the information you provide may be accessed by others. If you are unsure of a specific scholarship or application process, please contact the scholarship provider.
- Stars Scholarship Fund (STARS) www.starsscholarship.org
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund www.hsf.net
- Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarship (VAMOS) www.vamosscholars.org
- Hispanic Association for Colleges and Universities (HACU) www.hacu.net
- CollegeBoard Opportunity Scholarship (High School Students) opportunity.collegeboard.org
- View additional listings of outside scholarships (Scholarship provider: complete the scholarship vetting form to have your scholarship added to the list of scholarship opportunities.)
Listing of popular outside scholarship search engines:
Instructions to Turning in a Scholarship Check to UTRGV
Scholarship checks will be divided equally between fall and spring semesters unless otherwise indicated in writing by the donor.
As a student you are required to provide written consent to release your record information to individuals and/or organizations. Please complete and return the Consent to Release Student Information Form.
Student Instructions
- Turn in the check at UCentral
- Make sure to provide them your student ID and indicate if there is anything in particular we should know about your scholarship.
Organization/Private Foundation Instructions
- Make checks payable to UTRGV. (For wire transfer instructions please contact: Brenda Cowart @ brenda.cowart@utrgv.edu)
- Provide this form in conjunction with the check.
- Mail scholarship check and any additional information to:
Enrollment Verification Information
Request official enrollment or degree verification from Student Clearinghouse at nscverifications.org. Wait until two weeks after census day of the current semester to submit a request. Students currently enrolled have access to an unofficial transcript from ASSIST, that may be accepted as enrollment verification (provided they do not have active holds).
Reporting Outside Scholarships
Submit the scholarship information here for any outside scholarship check received to assist with your cost of attendance expenses not provided to UTRGV directly.
Important:
- Do not report aid already included in your financial aid awards visible in ASSIST.
- You do not need to include gifts from friends or relatives.
Please be advised that an outside scholarship may affect your financial aid eligibility. An outside scholarship can first reduce work-study or loans; however, because of federal or state regulations, other aid such as grants and/or scholarships may be adjusted.
Outside scholarships and impact on existing financial aid award
The impact of an outside scholarship on existing financial aid depends on the amount of the scholarship and the type of financial aid you are receiving. To learn more, please visit here.
In the case of an impact, the Scholarship Office will contact the student with the following options:
- Request a Cost of Attendance Adjustment - A student’s cost of attendance can be adjusted when there is a change to expenses incurred during the academic year. Click here to view forms to complete for a possible COA adjustment.
- Contact Donor - There are occasions when the Scholarship Office contacts the donor for approval of award term deferral, allowing the scholarship to be transferred to a subsequent semester. If the donor rejects the change, funds are returned to the donor at the end of the academic year.
When changes to a scholarship occur, the student is notified and reflected on ASSIST.