Honors programs and Regents scholarships are offered at each UC campus. However, as was mentioned in another thread, the selection criteria, benefits, and amount awarded, varies between campuses.
I am creating this thread not so much for discussion (although that is okay too), but as a reference that we can use when referring to the programs in other threads on CC. I’ll update as needed.
The Regents Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship awarded by the UC campuses. As such, it is very competitive and is awarded to an extremely small percentage of admitted students (top 1-2%). Selection criteria varies by campus. Scholarships are not transferable between UC campuses.
If a Regents Scholar has additional financial needs beyond the $2,000, the scholar will be awarded a university scholarship and/or grants to cover the remainder of the scholar’s need.
If a Regents’ Scholar has additional financial need beyond the $7,000 honorarium, the scholar will be awarded the maximum amount of university scholarships and/or grants to cover the remainder of the scholar’s in-state need. (Cost of Attendance minus Expected Family Contribution minus other financial aid equals need)
Non-resident students from western states may receive a WUE discount
Regents scholars who are CA residents, and have demonstrated financial need will receive additional scholarship and/or grant funds to meet the financial need for 4 undergraduate academic years for freshmen
UC Santa Barbara - Note that neither the honors program, nor the Regents Scholarship, provide priority registration at UCSB.
As mentioned, the $2,500 is just the baseline at UCB (the minimum amount you receive). Based on need, it can and often does go much higher. However, that may only apply to in state students - I don’t know how or if it applies to out of state students. @Gumbymom might know that.
That can also stack with regents. However, based on a sample size of 1, I will also mention that if your regents award gets too high, you can lose your eligibility for Cal grants. On a practical level, it doesn’t really matter: regents essentially replaces the Cal grant. But seems silly to me - why would UCB want to pay when the state is willing and able? But, again, for the student, it doesn’t make any practical difference.
Scholars without financial need receive a $2,500 honorary award per year. Scholars with financial need are awarded a scholarship up to their full need as assessed by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.
So it’s not making a distinction between in state and OOS. But maybe that’s something that happens in the Financial Aid office.
In general beyond the Regents honorarium, the need based portion of the Regent scholarships would be subsidized by the MCS, Cal Grant, Federal Aid etc…. It is up to the discretion of each UC campus if an OOS/International student would be a recipient of a University grant. So possible that an OOS/International student that is offered Regents could get some need-based FA but again probably not close to full ride.
Some of the UC campuses have specific merit scholarships for Non-resident students:
Provost scholarship at UC Davis at $13,250/year
Directors scholarship at UCI at around $13,000/year
Deans Scholarship at UCSC between $12-40K/year
Non-Resident Achievement scholarship at UCR for $13,500/year
WUE discount for UC Merced campus.
Available to all invitees:
Alumni Scholarship for UCLA with varied amounts
Other campuses such as UCSD, UCSB and UCB do not mention specific merit scholarships for non-resident students but again campus specific University grants can be awarded.
Yes, UC’s do not make a distinction between in-state/OOS or International so vague. As I stated above, University grants can be given at the discretion of the FA office. Since in general, the UC’s state that non-resident students are not eligible for need-based financial aid since most FA for CA residents is state based, you can only assume what is available to these students is still not a large amount.
And as I mentioned in the other thread, one would assume that most OOS applicants don’t have much, if any, financial need - otherwise, they wouldn’t be applying to a college that will likely cost them around $70K/year in the first place.
https://summeraid.berkeley.edu/types-of-aid-at-berkeley/scholarships/regents-and-chancellors-scholarship/ says that “The Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship includes a monetary award that is renewable annually for up to a maximum of eight semesters for incoming freshmen and a maximum of four semesters for incoming transfer students. Scholars without financial need receive a $2,500 honorary award per year. Scholars with financial need are awarded a scholarship up to their full need as assessed by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.”
In contrast, UCSD explicitly limits the increased amount based on financial need to California residents, though the base honorarium is higher at $5,000: Regents Scholarships for Entering Freshmen
UCLA states at Scholarships | UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships that “All Regents Scholars are considered for a $2,000 honorarium regardless of financial need. If a Regents Scholar has additional financial needs beyond the $2,000, the scholar will be awarded a university scholarship and/or grants to cover the remainder of the scholar’s need.”
You may want to add that the UCB and UCLA Regents Scholarships can have increased amount for those with financial need, and the UCSD Regents Scholarship can have increased amount for California residents with financial need.
I want to make sure I understand it correctly. Regents at UCLA and UCB may receive more based on financial need for IN STATE or for ALL? And UCSD only ups the $$ if you are in state with need? Did you check the criteria at the other UCs?
UCB and UCLA do not restrict the increased need-based award to California residents, but UCSD does, according to the wording on their web sites (linked previously).
UCD says that “It is a $7,500 scholarship, which may be accompanied by a stipend for those with demonstrated financial need.”
UCM says that “If a Regents’ Scholar has additional financial need beyond the $7,000 honorarium, the scholar will be awarded the maximum amount of university scholarships and/or grants to
cover the remainder of the scholar’s in-state need.” (emphasis added)
UCI, UCR, UCSB, UCSC do not mention any increased amount based on financial need.
Summary:
UCB, UCD, UCLA: may get increased need-based award.
UCM: may get increased need-based award up to in-state costs.
UCSD: California residents may get increased need-based award.
UCI, UCR, UCSB, UCSC: no increased need-based award.
In actual practice, it is likely that the increased need-based award replaces the normal financial aid package expected student loans and work earnings with scholarship money. For California residents, this may be around $10k per year (varies by campus).
