Renewal Requirements

The University Honors Program offers three different modes of scholarship support; a select number of incoming UHP students receive one of the three separate forms of support: (1) for a subset of Idaho residents in the program, UHP scholarships contribute partial support toward GO IDAHO Gold Scholarship Awards; (2) the UHP also awards UHP scholarship monies support to several non-resident students (in addition to any base-level support under the Discover Idaho award program); (3) a select number of other nonresidents are offered UHP WUE-fee rate awards: these students choose between accepting that award or accepting their Discover Idaho award package. All awards are based on academic merit (including primary consideration of GPA, test scores, and the UHP admission composition) and also consideration of financial need. No additional application form is required.

Idaho Residents

(1) Idaho residents who are offered UHP scholarships receive GO IDAHO Gold Scholarship Awards; UHP scholarships contribute partial support to that award program. Students who decide to decline the UHP scholarship award or those who may later not have the UHP Scholarship renewed (see UHP renewal criteria below) will still receive the same level of support under the renewal criteria of the GO IDAHO program.

Nonresidents

(2) For several nonresidents who receive a UHP scholarship, the scholarship monies are in addition to each student’s individual initial base-level Discover Idaho award package.

(3) For nonresidents offered a UHP Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Award, the award is at the WUE fee rate of 150% of in-state fees (50% above fees for Idaho residents). The WUE Award cannot be held in conjunction with the Discover Idaho award package. The recipient must choose whether to accept the Discover Idaho package (2.8 minimum UI GPA for renewal) or the UHP WUE Award (minimum 3.3 GPA for renewal plus HON-designated credits requirements as described under Scholarship Renewal Criteria specified below). For nearly every student, including those who under FAFSA are considered as having substantial financial need, the WUE-rate award typically provides more support both initially and especially over four years, than the Discover Idaho award package. NOTE: Students who do not fulfill the Scholarship Renewal Criteria for UHP minimum HON-designated credits resulting in non-renewal of the Honors WUE Award might not be able to continue with the support of a university WUE Award (based on both GPA criteria and available funds), even if they have at least a 2.8 UI institutional GPA (see information below on this important note), and they are not typically eligible to receive support through the Discover Idaho award package.

Scholarship Renewal Criteria

UHP scholarships awards are typically held for up to eight semesters with renewal for each semester contingent on satisfactory progress in meeting the honors institutional GPA requirement of 3.3 and the honors credit requirements, as follow:

• complete a minimum of three HON-designated credits* in the first semester, and
• complete at least six HON-designated credits by the end of the second semester;
• complete at least 9 HON-designated credits by the end of the fourth semester,
• complete 12 HON-designated credits by the end of the sixth semester, and
• complete 15 HON-designated credits by the end of the seventh semester in residence on the Moscow campus, with at least three HON-designated credits at the 300-400 level. That is, the minimal total of 15 HON-designated credits shall include at least three HON-designated credits at the 300-400 level, with those honors credits at the 300-400 level to be completed no later than the end of the seventh semester.

*HON credits are those designated as such in the course title and appear with this designation in the official academic transcript—nonhonors credits earned via the Honors Elective Agreement do not count for purposes of determining scholarship renewal. HON-designated courses are currently offered only on the Moscow campus and are not available at other locations in Idaho or wholly online. UHP scholarship recipients must be able to attend classes on the Moscow campus.

Note: students whose institutional GPA falls below 3.3 typically receive a probationary semester to meet the minimum 3.3 GPA criteria.

IMPORTANT: Students who do not fulfill Scholarship Renewal Criteria for UHP minimum HON-designated credits and whose Honors WUE Award is not renewed might not be able to continue with the support of a university WUE Award (based on GPA criteria as well as available funds) even if they have at least a 2.8 UI institutional GPA. Entering freshmen who have accepted a UHP Scholarship or UHP WUE Award must be registered as a full-time student for fall classes beginning in late March and no later than May 15 for at least three HON-designated credits (six HON-credits are recommended so that you may have at least nine HON-credits by end of the first year, and some flexibility of scheduling for the second semester and thereafter); those not registered for three HON-designated credits by May 15 will have their UHP Scholarship or UHP WUE award canceled: nonresidents can then revert to the Discover Idaho award (but not a WUE Award) if that was part of their initial financial aid package.

Note also that UHP scholarship support (excluding WUE Awards) may, with the UHP director’s permission in accordance with the criteria of the UI Office of Student Financial Aid, be applied to one but not more than two semesters of national or study abroad academic exchange, following the first year of study at the University of Idaho.