I couldn’t believe my eyes but UofA-specific posts here seem to confirm it - they give out-of-state students with very high unweighted GPA almost full tuition - automatically. Moreover, this year they are test-blind for this scholarship. Literally, they state when won’t even look at them when submitted!
Now, a 45,000 student institution with months of 100F+ temperatures during the school year would be something very hard to love for my LAC-oriented, four-seasons loving D21, although the ultimate financial safety plus a decent chance for their honor college is not a small thing.
Hence the question - is University of Arizona unique in its generosity? Are there any other institutions that would appreciate a 3.98 UWGPA so much?
There are others, but in the past they have required a test score to match that gpa. There are also quite a few that give NMF a full ride.
I think Arizona might be the only one granting it without scores, but other schools might be following. Check Alabama (also hot), New Mexico, the Florida schools, UT=Dallas.
Thank you.
With some luck, there will be scores to match. But so far, there have been only cancellations.
NMF didn’t work this year for Chicago Public School kids - PSAT was canceled just before the teacher strike. But Alabama and probably Dallas would mean a culture shock much worse that the hot climate shock. We’ll look at Florida.
OP: Are you sure that Tucson, Arizona experiences “months of 100F+ temperatures during the school year” ?
My impression is that there are few 100F degree temperature days during the school year in Tucson, Arizona, but I have not researched this.
Temperatures in the 80s & low 90s can be comfortable in the arid desert climate.
OP: A quick Google search revealed that Tucson, Arizona typically has no (zero) days of 100 degree F days for 6 months during the school year (months of October, November, December, January, February, March & April).
May & September usually have just 3 days of 100 degree or higher F temps.
August has 8 such days on average.
June & July both have about 14 days of 100 degree F days.
I don’t quite understand the details of u of az merit. It looks like gpa for semesters 1-6 used, but like most if not all other colleges also need to see final transcript. If semesters 7&8 drop student to lower category ( for example had 4.0, but then get an A- or B in semester 7 or 8) would the offer also go down? Or if student has a stellar senior year and gpa goes up would that affect merit?
I stand corrected on the 100F+ days, thank you, even though it wasn’t exactly the topic.
@1Lotus - excellent question, does anyone on the forum know?
Not Uof A specific, but some automatic awards S received in years past the wording said “based on your previous academic record” when I called to ask they confirmed so long as he graduated in good standing (basically didn’t flunk out or get suspended and was awarded a hs diploma) the award would be the same. One award was based on class rank at time of application, another one was based on gpa and SAT. Read the wording of the award letters carefully and follow up with questions directly with the colleges.
Sometimes merit awards require maintaining a certain gpa in college to keep. Usually there is a process to get it back if you lose it due a bad semester, but not always. The devil is in the details, so always understand the rules for keeping every merit award.
@BuckeyeMWDSG thank you!
@ArtsyKidDad D21 applied-the app fee is most expensive on her list.
I’d be interested in what people on this site have to say about their student/personal experiences with u of az . Is there a certain type of student who will do better there or can most students fit in one way or the other? My D21 is not into football and most likely not sorority…she likes intellectual/quiet pursuits…drawing, running, playing violin.
@BuckeyeMWDSG
Thank you for your reply. 1Lotus asked a different question - according to U of Arizona website, the automatic scholarships for high GPA are based on the grades through the end of the Junior year in HS. The question was whether the grades from the senior HS year would push the student up and down the scholarship tiers. This doesn’t seem clear from the site.
Separately, there are university criteria for maintaining that scholarship throughout the course of study, like a certain GPA and number of credits - but these are clearly stated.
@1Lotus
I’m not territorial but I’m afraid your question will be lost in this thread, started with something entirely different in mind.
@ArtsyKidDad No, they really only use grades through 11th grade. Our S18 applied there, got the scholarship amount, never changed despite falling grades senior year. It’s a great deal. (He didn’t go bc he wanted to go where no one would know him).
We’re in NM and while Arizona gets hotter, it’s great weather (aside from a couple hot summer months). It’s true about dry heat. You can sit outside in the shade even on the hottest days. I don’t think I could ever live back east again. (I know this wasn’t your question).
We know kids and parents who went to U is A (not all sorority/frat types) and have heard good things (and no one we know transferred), but I don’t have personal experience. It competes with ASU from here, which has the Barrett Honors college, but U of A has beefed up their honors college lately and there’s now an honors dorm. And, for high stats kids (with the exception of NMF), U of A is much cheaper.
U of A is a member of the Association of American Universities (top 65 research universities, if that matters). I hear the campus is more traditional than that of ASU.
That’s what your 16-17 year old likes NOW, but college is a time to explore. She may stay the same, may get more quiet, or may totally change and love football games, playing frisbee, hiking, wine, volunteer work, politics, writing for the newspaper, …
A big school is going to have a place for everyone.
@havenoidea
Thank you for your helpful reply, both regarding the climate, and the U of A itself.
While this school would not be D’s first option, the generosity of the merit help + honors program + a decent reputation of the institution make it a super solid academic and financial safety.
@twoinanddone Thank you 
I agree about changing in college and beyond, so it is often difficult to determine “fit”.
@havenoidea Thank you I wanted to believe that it was the first 6 semesters only that were used and knowing my D she will do her best in her classes, but it is nice for her to know that if she gets less than 4.0, she isn’t “losing” $20,000 over 4 years. That is too much pressure that she would put on herself!
Okay, back to original question–sorry for the detour @ArtsyKidDad
Tucson actually has lovely weather during most of the year.
But so does New Mexico which is well worth checking.
Alabama and Dallas…not sure what kind of culture shock you think there is in college campuses. They tend to have a group for every student. At both places, there are many students from places other than the locations of the towns because of their generous merit aid.
You haven’t mentioned how much you can pay…but look at the schools in Utah, Montana, Wyoming where prices are modest for OOS students anyway. You could also look at some of the SUNY schools. Their OOS costs aren’t horrible…less than instate for UIUC.
@thumper1
Thank you for your response. I’m sure there is a great variety of opinions on campuses, even in Dallas and Alabama, but there is also a wider community, with its values and life styles… No, she wouldn’t go there.
We are looking for one option of a fail-proof, automatic admit, automatic scholarship with her grades, a great chance to get into their Honors Program - while hoping for acceptances to some LACs with good fit. U of Arizona seems to check all the boxes.
We love SLC vibes, the interesting competition between the Church institutions (BYU, Deseret News) and non-Church (UofU, SL Tribune), and have spend months there (total, over 20+ trips) in the surrounding mountains. I know how generious is their “OOS to in-state” policy, we’ll take a closer look at their programs.
SUNY - a very interesting idea, which we’ve never considered, much appreciated.
Money: there is quite a bit in the 529 but we hope to have some left for the grad school.
If she is interested, look at Miami University in Oxford Ohio. Scholarships are not automatic, but you might find this school affordable.
Actually, the main scholarship offered by Miami University in Oxford Ohio for GPA is automatic/guaranteed, although the base amount of $21k/year for 3.95+ is quite a bit less than what the U of Arizona offers.
I agree to check Florida schools. FSU has an out of state tuition waiver scholarship, so you pay in state tuition as an out of state student. Not sure what they will do as far as test scores for this year’s applicants.
For this past year you needed weighted GPA of 4.0 based on their weight system (only core classes, +1 for AP, +0.5 for honors, A=4, B=3, etc) and a 31 ACT (SAT was 1420 I think, though I could be wrong about that, we used my daughter’s ACT score so I never really paid attention to the SAT number).
Forget the scholarship amounts. You need to look at your net costs at each college. And see if the net costs are within your price point.