Scholarship requirements
General eligibility requirements
Scholarships come from many sources, so most scholarships have unique requirements. To maintain eligibility for University and most external scholarships (Millennium Scholarship excluded), students must meet all of the following criteria.
Only semester-based, degree-required coursework is eligible for scholarships. Open enrollment coursework, non-degree programs, graduate special programs, and most certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid, including scholarships.
The annual scholarship application is available in MyNEVADA under Supplemental Forms starting October 1 of the prior calendar year, and is due February 15 of the calendar year in which the school year begins.
For example, the scholarship application for the 2021-22 school year becomes available October 1, 2020 and is due February 15, 2021
Specific scholarship criteria are emailed to students as scholarships are posted in MyNEVADA. All requirements must be met to remain eligible, and failure to do so, including but not limited to changing your major to an ineligible program, will result in immediate scholarship cancellation, which may also require immediate repayment.
GPA requirements for scholarships refer to University of Nevada, Reno cumulative GPA only. Coursework completed at other institutions does not help or hurt your GPA for scholarship purposes. Scholarship-specific GPA requirements are emailed to students as scholarships are posted in MyNEVADA.
If it is your first year at the University and you do not have a University of Nevada, Reno GPA yet, scholarship eligibility will be determined by your high school GPA (for new undergraduate students) or prior college GPA (for transfer students or new graduate students). Special admits, students requiring exceptions to be admitted to the University, are not eligible for scholarships in their first semester but can be considered after a University of Nevada, Reno cumulative GPA has been established.
Fifteen (15) University credits per semester is considered full-time for undergraduate students and nine (9) University credits per semester is considered full-time for graduate students. Scholarships already posted to your account may not require full-time enrollment but enrolling full-time will ensure you are not overlooked if additional funds become available. Enrollment at other schools does not count toward scholarship enrollment requirements.
Exceptions
Graduation enrollment exception: If you are enrolled in all remaining coursework to complete your degree (minimum six (6) University of Nevada, Reno credits) and have applied for graduation in MyNEVADA before the end of the 100% refund period, your scholarships will be disbursed despite regular enrollment requirements.
Graduate assistantship enrollment exception: If you are a graduate student, enrolled in at least six (6) University of Nevada, Reno credits, with a posted graduate assistantship (paperwork has already been processed and fee waivers already applied), your scholarships will be disbursed despite regular enrollment requirements.
Documented disability enrollment exception: If the University of Nevada, Reno Disability Resource Center (DRC) has certified that you are eligible for a reduced course load in MyNEVADA (minimum six (6) University of Nevada, Reno credits), your scholarships may be prorated at the discretion of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, then disbursed despite regular enrollment requirements. DRC reduced course load certification is required prior to each semester.
Title IX enrollment exception: If your enrollment is adjusted as a Title IX measure or remedy (minimum 6 credits), your scholarships may be prorated at the discretion of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, then disbursed despite regular enrollment requirements.
Students must remain in compliance with all GPA, pace (pass rate), and maximum time frame credit limits to be eligible for scholarships. Students who will have exceeded credit limits after the fall semester are not eligible for spring or summer semester scholarships. Learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Scholarship probation and cancellation
Scholarship eligibility is reviewed at the end of each semester for all students. Students who fall short of scholarship-specific GPA or credit requirements but are still meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) may, at the discretion of the Scholarship Office, be granted a semester of scholarship probation if it is possible to fix all shortcomings in a single semester. During probation semesters, students may be permitted to keep their scholarships. No student will be granted more than one probation semester in a row.
Scholarships will be cancelled for students who are not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and also for students who are not meeting scholarship-specific criteria. Scholarships will be cancelled if minimum enrollment requirements are not met prior to scholarship disbursements. Dropping below minimum enrollment requirements after scholarships disburse will result in scholarship reduction or cancellation if a tuition or fees refund is issued. Any balance owed as a result of scholarship cancellation is the responsibility of the student. Cancellation notices will be sent as scholarships are cancelled but may not arrive in time for students to remedy deficiencies or make alternate arrangements for payment. Students are responsible for knowing and adhering to all scholarship criteria.
Scholarship appeals
There is no appeal to be considered for scholarships that have not already been awarded and no exceptions will be made for missing application deadlines. Do not submit an appeal for the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship. The Nevada Treasurer's Office does not accept appeals for this award.
Undergraduate and graduate students, not medical students, can submit a Scholarship Appeal/Deferral Request form for extra consideration if special circumstances beyond control affected their ability to meet scholarship requirements. All required documentation specified on the form must be included. Some examples of appeals that may be approved include medical circumstances and family hardship.
Scholarship deferral and leave of absence
First-year students who were awarded a multi-year scholarship but need to postpone their studies (scholarship deferral), or continuing students who have begun their studies but need to take a break (leave of absence), can request to defer scholarship eligibility to a future semester or academic year for legitimate reasons.
To request scholarship deferral or a leave of absence, you must submit a Scholarship Appeal/Deferral Request form and all required documentation. Some examples of requests that may be approved include serving a church mission, medical circumstances and family hardship. Scholarships awarded by academic colleges and departments are not eligible for deferral. If your department would like to award a scholarship to you, they can submit a new nomination form for the semester in which you are returning.