This scholarship is awarded to entering high school graduates by Undergraduate Admissions to recognize outstanding academic performance. There is no separate application for this scholarship program. Students who apply for admission to UCF for summer or fall terms are automatically considered.
Program Requirements
This scholarship is awarded to exceptional high school students who are accepted for a summer or fall semester by Undergraduate Admissions. If you are a recipient of any of the scholarships in this program, you are responsible for making note of the following.
Required Hours
Students must enroll full-time (a minimum of 12 UCF credit hours) each fall and spring term. Dual or transient hours taken at another institution will not be considered in the hours calculated for full-time enrollment for the purpose of this scholarship.
Graduation Exception
An exception to the full-time enrollment requirement can be granted during a student’s graduating semester. For the Graduation exception to be considered, students must provide a memo with the heading Grad MEMO, on letterhead from their Student Success Coach indicating:
- Student’s name and UCFID
- Semester graduation is expected
- Name of course(s) needed for graduation
- Name of the undergraduate degree to be received
If a student enrolls in less than six UCF hours during their graduating semester, the exception must be reviewed by the UCF Scholarship Committee. To submit the Graduation Memo, students should use the Document and File Upload tool and select the routing option: Graduation Memo.
Scholarship Deferment
Receiving student may request a deferment for the purpose of taking part in activities that would interrupt their required continuous enrollment at the University of Central Florida.
A scholarship deferment request can hold the scholarship for a maximum of two semesters.
Acceptable reasons to defer a scholarship include, but are not limited to: military service, documented medical conditions, internships/Co-Ops, religious missions, etc. At the time of deferment, the student must be meeting the renewal criteria for the scholarship. A deferment will not be granted for attendance at any other higher education institution.
Students seeking a deferment must complete a State Programs and Scholarships Appeal Form and submit a letter indicating the reason for the request, along with supporting documentation. The appeal must be submitted no later than two months prior to the start of the semester in which the deferment is being requested.
Failure to obtain approval prior to departure from the university will result in cancellation of scholarship.
Enrollment
Students must enroll full-time (a minimum of 12 UCF credit hours) each fall and spring semester. If extenuating circumstances exist that prevent full-time enrollment, students may appeal to the UCF Scholarship Committee. Appeals must be submitted prior to the semester in which the exception is being requested.
Failure to obtain approval to enroll less than full-time will result in cancellation of scholarship.
Renewal Requirements
Academic progress is evaluated once per year after spring grades have been posted. In order to meet renewal requirements for the scholarship, students must meet the following each year:
- Students must enroll in at least 12 credit hours in the fall and spring terms to receive this award.
- Students must complete 24 credit hours between the previous fall and spring terms. For Example: If a student was enrolled in 12 credit hours for the fall semester and earned 9 hours, the student would need to enroll in and successfully complete 15 hours in the spring semester to have earned 24 credit hours by the end of the evaluation period.
- Earned the required minimum UCF cumulative GPA by the end of each spring term. Summer grades earned after spring evaluation may not be used to meet the scholarship renewal requirements.
- Repeat Checking refers to how the University treats classes that you have taken more than once. If you repeat a class, there are implications for your GPA and academic level (freshman, sophomore, etc). However, and normally, repeated classes do not result in additional credit counting towards the degree. For more information, see myKnight Audit FAQs.
NOTE: This award is no longer available to future cohorts (i.e. Fall 2022 and beyond). Students who were eligible to receive this award must have been admitted Fall 2021 or a prior year.
For additional renewal information, please see the chart below:
| Minimum UCF Hours Required Per Term: | 12 |
|---|---|
| Minimum GPA required at the end of each Spring (First semester of enrollment prior to Fall 2018): | 3.2 |
| Minimum GPA required at the end of each Spring (First semester of enrollment Fall 2018: | 3.0 |
| Dual/Transient Hours Acceptable? | No |
| Remedial Hours Acceptable? | No |
| Satisfactory Academic Progress Required? | No |
| Other Renewal Requirements? | Yes |
| FAFSA Required? | No |
| Maximum Time Limit | 8 Semesters |
The FAFSA is not required for the National Recognition Program, however, completing the FAFSA is advised for consideration of other financial resources.
For questions about this special award program, email The Scholars Program at scholarsprogram@ucf.edu.
For more information, visit the College Board National Recognition Program website.
National Recognition Program FAQs
No. The National Recognition Program is only available during the fall and spring terms.
These scholarships are awarded to entering high school graduates by Undergraduate Admissions to recognize outstanding academic performance.
A maximum of 8 terms or until graduation, whichever is less.
Students whose major requires 124 or more hours may receive a one-term extension (Double majors and minors are not considered). A letter (on letterhead) from the department verifying the number of hours required for the degree must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Assistance prior to the 9th term.
Possibly. You must submit a Scholarship Appeal and letter stating the reason(s) that you need the time away from UCF. The appeal must be submitted prior to the term(s) that you plan to be away from UCF. The UCF Scholarship Committee will review your request and render a decision. If you leave UCF without asking for the time off, you will not be reinstated to the scholarship program upon your return. Extenuating circumstances are the exception.
Any combination of UCF-sponsored non-resident waiver awards will cover up to the waiver award amount or the non-resident fee amount, whichever is less.
As an out of state student your scholarship is comprised of two portions, a scholarship portion and a waiver portion. The scholarship portion of your award will serve for deferment purposes, and your waiver will be applied directly towards your tuition, but will not serve as a deferment. Only students who are enrolled full-time will receive the waiver.* The waiver will be applied the week after the add/drop period has ended.
*The only exception to the full-time enrollment requirement is granted to students during their graduating semester. Please refer to the Required Hours section on the Program Requirements page for additional information.
Yes. If you want to Co-Op or intern, you must let us know in writing which term you plan to Co-Op or intern prior to that term. We will defer your scholarship until you return as a full-time student the following term.