UVM Scholarship Policies

Scholarships can help you pay for college.

The following policies apply to scholarships that are awarded at the time of admission.

General Policies

A scholarship is defined as any form of award, payment, reimbursement or other transaction to a student for the purpose of aiding a student's study, training, or research, including but not limited to payments towards tuition, fees, living expenses, travel expenses, etc. Scholarships must be processed through Student Financial Services for financial aid considerations. Scholarships are considered "gift aid" and do not need to be repaid.

Renewal Eligibility

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  • You must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) unless otherwise stated in your scholarship award, evaluated at the end of each spring semester. Cumulative GPAs are calculated according to the Registrar's Policy on Grades and GPA Calculation.
    • Failure to meet the GPA requirement as of the end of a spring semester will result in non-renewal of the scholarship for the following academic year. An email notification will be sent to your UVM email address if your scholarship will not be renewed.
      • ​If you are first admitted for a spring semester, your scholarship will be automatically renewed for the next full academic year. Your cumulative GPA will then be reviewed at the end of each subsequent spring semester to determine further renewal eligibility.
    • If you have a merit scholarship non-renewed due to GPA, you will continue to be reviewed at the end of each spring semester. If you achieve the minimum cumulative GPA at the end of a future spring semester, the scholarship will be reinstated for the next academic year, if you will continue to be enrolled as an undergraduate student and meet the other scholarship criteria.
  • You must maintain continuous full-time enrollment, defined as enrolling in 12 or more credits each fall and spring semester as an undergraduate student.
    • Enrolling at less than full-time in a fall or spring semester will result in withdrawal of your scholarship for that semester. If you continue to meet all other scholarship criteria, the scholarship will be reinstated for your next full-time fall or spring semester.
    • Exceptions:
      • If you will complete your program of study in fewer than 8 full-time semesters, you may enroll in fewer than 12 credits during your final fall or spring semester (provided you are graduating after that semester and the credits are required for your degree) and still retain your scholarship. If you are in this situation, you must obtain approval from Student Financial Services (sfs@uvm.edu) to retain your scholarship. 

Pathway Scholarship

  • You must maintain continuous full-time enrollment (defined as enrolling in 12 or more credits per semester) as an undergraduate student.
    • Enrolling at less than full-time will result in withdrawal of your scholarship for that semester. If you continue to meet all other scholarship criteria, the scholarship will be reinstated for your next full-time fall or spring semester.
    • Exceptions:
      • If you will complete your program of study in fewer than 6 full-time semesters, you may enroll in fewer than 12 credits during your final semester (provided you are graduating that semester and the credits are required for your degree) and still retain your scholarship. If you are in this situation, you must obtain approval from Student Financial Services (sfs@uvm.edu) to retain your scholarship.
  • You must also maintain good academic standing, evaluated at the end of each spring semester.

Length of Scholarship

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You will receive your scholarship for a maximum of 8 semesters, unless stated otherwise in your scholarship notification. If you complete all your degree requirements in less than 8 semesters you will not receive a refund of unused scholarship monies or an increase in your award amount for the enrolled semesters.

Pathway Scholarship

You will receive your scholarship for a maximum of 6 semesters, unless stated otherwise in your scholarship notification. If you complete all your degree requirements in less than 6 semesters, you will not receive a refund of unused scholarship monies or an increase in your award amount for the enrolled semesters.

Residency Classification

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If you receive a residency reclassification (Vermont versus out-of-state), your scholarship eligibility will be re-evaluated. A change to your residency classification may result in a loss or reduction of your scholarship.

Gift Aid Tolerance

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Your scholarship award may be reduced or cancelled if your total gift aid (including, but not limited to: grants, scholarships, employer tuition benefits and VA educational benefits) exceeds the total cost of attendance as defined by the University.

Relationship to Need-Based Financial Aid

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Merit scholarships are not based on need or financial aid eligibility. If you apply/have applied for need-based financial aid at the University, you will receive more information on your total financial aid offer directly from Student Financial Services. Your scholarship will be calculated into your overall financial aid offer.


 

Merit Scholarship and UVM or Vermont State College Tuition Remission

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If you have been offered a scholarship by UVM and will also receive UVM or Vermont State College Tuition Remission, your scholarship will be reduced to $2,000 per year if you were admitted to the University for the Spring 2016 term or later.

Merit Scholarship and NEBHE Tuition Break or Other Tuition Discounts

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If you will receive the NEBHE tuition break and were admitted for Fall 2019 or later, your scholarship will be reduced by 30%. This reduction reflects a proration of the scholarship based on the discounted tuition rate with the NEBHE tuition credit. Your full merit scholarship amount will be reinstated if you are determined ineligible for the tuition break as a result of course enrollment or change to a non-eligible major. The reduced amount of your scholarship for the NEBHE-applicable semesters will not be available for use in any other semester.

If you are charged a reduced rate of tuition for any other reason, including, but not limited to a partnership between the University and your employer, your merit scholarship will be prorated by the same percentage as any tuition reduction. This will apply for any semester in which you receive the tuition reduction. The reduced amount of your scholarship for the discounted tuition semester(s) will not be available for use in any other semester.

Summer Session

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Your scholarship is not available to use for courses taken during the summer term. Scholarships may only be applied to fall and spring semesters. 

Accelerated Master's Pathways

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Students accepted into an Accelerated Master's Pathways (AMP) will no longer be eligible for their scholarship once they have completed their undergraduate degree. If such student begins their graduate level coursework while completing the undergraduate degree, the scholarship may still apply so long as they meet all other applicable terms and conditions, including the 8 term maximum, minimum GPA requirement, and full-time enrollment (including graduate level coursework). Once the undergraduate degree has been conferred, a student is no longer eligible for their merit scholarship awarded at the time of undergraduate admission, even if they have received that scholarship for fewer than the maximum number of terms.

Study Abroad

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  • If you enroll in a UVM exchange program, including bilateral or ISEP, or a UVM Semester program, your scholarship may be used for that semester. If you are an out-of-state resident participating in an exchange program, your scholarship will be reduced for the semester you are abroad to account for any reduced tuition rate charged for the program.
  • If you enroll in an external study abroad program, including ISEP-Direct Enrollment programs, your scholarship cannot be used for the term you are abroad.
  • To determine whether a specific UVM merit scholarship can be applied for a specific study abroad program, review information on the Office of International Education's website or contact Student Financial Services.

Leave of Absence

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  • You may take an approved leave of absence for up to 2 consecutive semesters and retain your scholarship when you re-enroll, provided you continue to meet all other scholarship criteria. This leave of absence may include enrollment at another institution.

Withdrawal or Inactive Status

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If you withdraw or become inactive you will retain your scholarship as long as you return to school with no more than 2 full, consecutive semesters away (not including summer session), and continue to meet all other scholarship criteria. Your time away may include enrollment at another institution.

  • If you withdraw after a semester begins, during the add/drop period or later, you can be away for the semester of withdrawal/drop plus the very next semester (not including summer session) and will retain your scholarship upon your return as long as you continue to meet all other scholarship criteria.
  • If you withdraw prior to the semester start you can be away for 2 full consecutive semesters and will retain your scholarship upon your return as long as you continue to meet all other scholarship criteria.

Suspension or Dismissal

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If you are suspended or dismissed from the University, you will lose your scholarship eligibility for all future semesters. If the suspension or dismissal happens during a fall or spring semester, your scholarship amount may be reduced or cancelled for that semester in accordance with any tuition refund given based on the tuition refund schedule.

Deferred Initial Offer of Admission

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If you defer admission you will retain your original merit scholarship offer.

Declined/Cancelled Initial Offer of Admission

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If you decline or do not accept your initial offer of admission and accompanying scholarship offer, you will not be eligible for your original scholarship offer if you return to UVM for a later semester.

Additional Terms and Conditions

If you have been awarded one or more of the scholarships listed below, additional terms and conditions may apply.

Green and Gold Scholarship
The Catamount Commitment (no longer being awarded)
Yellow Ribbon Scholarship