Lauren Winter
Brad Wilsted
Mark Poulsen
BYU-Idaho Scholarships
Scholarships as a means of funding a college education are becoming more common
among college students; in fact, seven out of every ten college students are believed
to have now, or have had a scholarship during their college career. This trend is the
same for students attending Brigham Young University Idaho. There are a great
number of scholarships offered at BYU-Idaho. Students can apply for scholarship
eligibility in fields such as academic, leadership, service, talent related, and finally
and most commonly, scholarships offered for the student’s defined major.
Scholarships are not always given through the school, but may also be found outside
of the school programs. However, at BYU-I the paramount location to find a
superior scholarship is on BYU-Idaho’s own website.
When preparing to apply for a scholarship there are a number of things to do. First,
the student must decide on a scholarship area where he might be qualified, and then
he should carefully check the requirements to determine his eligibility. Finally, it is
of the utmost importance to be organized, and to know the deadlines and mark
them on a calendar. The student should plan when the work will be done on each
requirement and be prepared to meet the deadlines, or exceed them, by handing
everything in, well before the last day. This could greatly reduce the chances of
forgetting to do something and missing the deadline. The result is well worth the
effort. There are countless success stories of many who would not otherwise have
had the opportunity to complete a college education.
The doors that have been opened to these individuals because of scholarships can
be a great inspiration and motivation for anyone thinking about applying for a
scholarship. In reality, scholarships, grants, and student loans make it possible for
virtually anyone to gain a college education.
Scholarship Requirements
There are several requirements that must be met while applying for a BYU-Idaho
Scholarship and maintained after the scholarship is received. For example, the most
important requirement at this institution is that the recipient must willingly abide
by the Honor Code, and Dress and Grooming Standards of the University. At BYU-I
this means the student will be well-dressed and clean shaven daily with hair kept
trimmed and appropriately groomed. The Thirteenth Article of Faith also states:
“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to
all men .... If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we
seek after these things.”
Thirteenth Article of Faith
As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, staff, and students of BYU, BYU–
Hawaii, BYU–Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living onand off- campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and
will:
• Be honest
• Live a chaste and virtuous life
• Obey the law and all campus policies
• Use clean language
• Respect others
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse
• Participate regularly in church services
• Observe Dress and Grooming Standards
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code
The Honor Code is a very important and sacred element of the university. It is what
sets this institution apart from many other universities in our nation. Students may
be awarded scholarships if they are full time students, taking at least 14 credits per
semester and having less than 130 cumulative credits. Students must also maintain
a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Students with a scholarship who drop below 14 credits per
semester will be disqualified from receiving any further BYU-Idaho scholarships.
Possible disciplinary action could also incur for Honor Code violations.
Scholarship Deadlines
Scholarship deadlines depend mainly on two things, first, which scholarship the
student will apply for and second, which track the student is on. All scholarship
information can be found on the BYU-I website, under the financial aid heading. As
previously mentioned in this article, in order to increase the chance of receiving a
scholarship, the applicant should plan carefully how and when each requirement
will be completed. Make note of all deadlines, and should not wait until the last
minute to apply. Otherwise, the student may run out of time to complete everything
and possibly fall short and miss the opportunity. It is important to check and
recheck deadline dates provided on the website, and transfer them to a calendar
where one can be reminded. The scholarship deadline for new students attending
Fall Semester at Brigham Young University Idaho is April 1st. The scholarship
deadline for students already attending classes at BYU-Idaho is February 26th. The
deadline is October 31st for students planning to attend Winter Semester. For
returning BYU-I students, the deadline is also October 31st. Students who plan to
attend school during the summer, or what has been recently changed to Spring
Semester, have an April 1st deadline for new students, and February 26th, for
continuing students. The above mentioned deadlines are general. To learn the
actual deadlines for specific scholarships being applied for, students should go
online. The approximate deadlines mentioned are set several months in advance, in
order that the school may insure it has sufficient funds for recipients of the various
scholarships.
Scholarships awarded at BYU-Idaho are received from sacred funds of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and from generous donors who contribute to the
university. These funds are viewed as an investment in students’ education and are
provided to help the students grow academically, spiritually, and physically while
attending the university.
BYU-Idaho Award of Excellence
Incoming freshmen students are eligible for a scholarship called the BYU-Idaho
Award of Excellence Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen
who are active in church and seminary and meet the required GPA, and ACT or SAT
scores. Other factors are also considered for this scholarship such as leadership
skills and experience, service rendered, and other extracurricular activities the
incoming student has participated in. Upon receiving this scholarship an incoming
freshmen is eligible to receive quarter tuition, half tuition, or full tuition, plus $250
for books. All incoming freshmen applying to BYU-Idaho are considered for this
scholarship; therefore filling out an application is not necessary. This scholarship
has two semester duration. Students who are awarded this scholarship are not
eligible for any other academic scholarship until this one has expired.
General Academic Scholarships
All students other than incoming freshmen who have acquired between 30 and 130
credits are eligible to receive a General Academic Scholarship from BYU-Idaho.
These scholarships are awarded according to the number of credits earned and the
student’s cumulative GPA. General Academic Scholarships are awarded for two
semesters. “I am so thankful for my scholarship. I am able to focus on my studies
instead of trying to juggle work with my busy school schedule. It has bee such a
blessing in my life.” Whitney Balls, BYU-Idaho Junior. Students who receive a
General Academic Scholarship are not eligible for any other scholarship until the
current scholarship has expired. Those students who are not awarded a General
Academic Scholarship will be re-evaluated throughout the year. General Academic
Scholarships do not require an application. All students are considered.
Heber J. Grant Scholarship Program
Current and future students may apply for the Heber J. Grant scholarship program, if
they have overcome, or are facing circumstances that impede their pursuit of an
education at BYU-Idaho. Any of the following circumstances may qualify a student
for the program:
· Family income has been low over time
· Parents did not graduate from college
· Raised in a single parent home
· Parents are not active members of The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
· Raised in an area where few attend college
· Overcome other long-term disadvantages
This program was developed for the specific purpose of providing a student-led
organization that identifies and assists students in their efforts to overcome their
disadvantaged backgrounds. “The Heber J. Grant Scholarship Program has
influenced my life and gave me hope that I can achieve my life goals despite my
background. I have learned to appreciate the power and the blessings of service by
being involved in this program.” Philip Ondiege, BYU-Idaho Sophomore.This
program is built around the principles of self-reliance, stewardship, and
replenishment. Students may offer support by volunteering to be ambassadors and
mentors within the program.
Scholarships are very important to all students throughout the nation. They play an
integral part in aiding thousands of student to get one step ahead in this crazy thing
we call life. Scholarships go towards helping the students who have a harder time
paying for school or also for those who excel in many different and diverse areas.
Well over a thousand students here at Brigham Young University Idaho have been
blessed with scholarships to help them with paying for their school. Each student
applying for a scholarship should take careful consideration as to which scholarship
best suits him/her, and what requirements need to follow the scholarship offered to
you. Scholarships are a blessing to those who receive them and should be treated as
such. The money given to students from the school is money given from people who
have worked hard for it and should not be taken for granted. Each student is eligible
for some type of scholarship and should look long and hard for the perfect
scholarship and should maintain each requirement for scholarships and take pride
in what has been given to you, to give you a head start to the beginning of your life
and future.
References
Brigham Young University Idaho (2009, February 9). Scholarships. Retrieved
February 9, 2009, from Associated Press: http://byui.edu/Scholarships/
Brigham Young University Idaho. (2008). How Do I Pay For a BYU-Idaho Education?
Financial Aid and Scholarships Guide . Rexburg, Idaho, USA: University Press.
P. Ondiege, personal communication, March 10,2009.
W. Balls, personal communication, February 27,2009.