First-year UVU students who participated in UVU’s Concurrent Enrollment Program during high school and gained college credit will be eligible for the Freshman Concurrent Enrollment Merit Scholarship.

Two tiers of scholarships will be offered to eligible students ranging from $3,500 to $5,000 a year, according to the university, and are renewable for up to four years. Which tier a student qualifies for depends on how many UVU concurrent enrollment classes they took in high school.

“When concurrent enrollment students arrive on campus as college freshmen, they have already proven themselves academically,” Senior Director of Concurrent Enrollment Spencer Childs said in a news release. “What we have not had, until now, is a scholarship that truly reflects that. This is the first scholarship at UVU built specifically to reward that effort, and we think it will make a real difference, not just for students who are already enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses, but for students who now have a reason to start.”

The new scholarship is intended to encourage high school students to begin their college coursework earlier.

For students who might have been on the fence about enrolling in college courses early, this scholarship offers a tangible financial incentive to get started and to keep going.

All UVU Concurrent Enrollment students are automatically admitted to UVU as freshmen. Students who wish to qualify for the program need to submit a high school transcript by Feb. 1 of their senior year.