10 Scholarships in Arizona Available for Incoming Freshmen

Posted On Mar 08, 2022 |

10 Scholarships in Arizona Available for Incoming Freshmen

The "Grand Canyon State", or The State of Arizona is not only a nice place where retirees go to live because of the warm, less humid climate and lower cost of living, but it is also one state where high school seniors can consider going for their college or university. Getting scholarships in Arizona will make college costs even lower and more appealing!

Arizona features a great balance of beautiful natural attractions and scenery like the Grand Canyon and other forests, parks, national parks, wilderness areas and wildlife preserves, along with bustling cities like Phoenix with its vibrant cultural scene, great food and nightlife. The weather is also better especially if you are uncomfortable with the cold and humidity as Arizona features warm weather almost all year round.

Is It Good To Be a College Student in Arizona?

The State of Arizona being a very nice place may only be considered a bonus as there are main reasons why it should be one of the states a student should consider going to for college.

The average graduation rate for Colleges in Arizona is 53.14%, transfer-out rate is 18.76%, and retention rate is 67.33%.  

Based on 2021 average college tuition cost by state, the average tuition and fees for in-state public schools in Arizona is $3,859 while it's $10,714 for out-of-state public schools. Average tuition and fees for private schools in Arizona is $18,034. These numbers are way below the 2021 average tuition and fees for all colleges and universities in the United States which are $6,505 for in-state public schools, $13,633 for out-of-state public schools and $24,513 for private schools.

Top 5 List of Colleges and Universities in Arizona

Being a nice place to live in and having low tuition costs are not the only reasons why graduating high school students should consider Arizona for their college or university studies. Arizona has some great options to go to for your college school diploma, including a few ranked within the top 400 national universities.

Here are 5 great college and university options in the State of Arizona.

With its main campus located in Tucson, the second most populated city in Arizona, The University of Arizona is ranked #103 in National Universities based on U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022. Furthermore, it is ranked #122 in Best Value Schools, #46 in Most Innovative Schools and #46 in Top Public Schools. The University of Arizona was established in 1885 and is one of the most famous universities in the State of Arizona.

With more than 300 degrees for undergraduate students and graduate students, the University of Arizona offers unlimited options for student applicants.It also features one of the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country.  

The University of Arizona is also a premier research facility and has a world-class faculty. It's main campus in Tucson is surrounded by majestic mountains and forests so aside from the exceptional and complete facilities on campus, the environment is also amazing.  

If you're a fan of sports and athletics, the University of Arizona Wildcats are very famous in college sports.

With its main campus located in Tempe, Arizona, Arizona State University (ASU) is ranked #117 in National Universities based on U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022. Furthermore, it is ranked #139 in Best Value Schools, #1 in Most Innovative Schools and #54 in Top Public Schools or Public Universities. The University of Arizona was also founded in 1885 and is another famous academic institution in the State of Arizona.

According to ASU's website, they are "Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the country’s most innovative school, Arizona State University is where students and faculty work with NASA to develop, advance and lead innovations in space exploration." Furthermore, "ASU offers more than 350 academic undergraduate programs and majors led by expert faculty in highly ranked colleges and schools." Also, "U.S. News & World Report ranks 79 ASU degree programs in the top 25 in the country, including 30 programs ranked in the nation’s top 10." ASU has one of the largest undergraduate populations in the United States.  

The school's main campus in Tempe, Arizona is located in an urban setting with a campus size of 2,009 acres. It offers easy access to the different places within the city of Tempe.

Founded in 1899 in Flagstaff, Arizona, Northern Arizona University (NAU) is ranked #288 in National Universities based on U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022. Furthermore, it is ranked #57 in Most Innovative Schools and #147 in Top Public Schools.

NAU offers more than 130 undergraduate degree programs, more than 80 master's degree programs, and about 20 doctoral programs, along with 50 undergraduate and 40 graduate certificates across 7 colleges. It is ranked #162 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs and #183 in Nursing in the U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022.  

NAU's main campus at Flagstaff, Arizona is located at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, and winter skiing is accessible at Arizona Snowbowl, an alpine ski resort located on the San Francisco Peaks. The campus is also surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world. The main campus does not only have a great environment and scenery, Flagstaff is regularly ranked among the best college towns in the United States.

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is ranked #299-391 in National Universities based on U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022.

GCU is a private Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona. It offers more than 200 bachelor's master's and doctoral programs, with more than 75% of it's traditional students studying in business and STEM programs. It is ranked #166 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022. In August 2017, Grand Canyon's Phoenix campus was ranked as one of the 10 Best College Campuses Across America by Town & Country.

Prescott College is a private college located in Prescott, Arizona and is ranked #94-122 in Regional Universities West based on U.S. News Overall College Rankings in 2022.

There are four general degree programs at Prescott College: the Resident Undergraduate Program (RU), Limited-Residency Undergraduate Program (LRU), the Resident Masters and Limited-Residency Masters Program (RM/LRM), and a Limited-Residency Ph.D. program (PhD) in Sustainability Education. Within the resident undergraduate program, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Visual Arts or Interdisciplinary Arts & Letters.  

The campus is great if you prefer being in an area that has less of the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

College Costs and Student Loans Figures for Arizona in 2021

The average undergraduate tuition & fees for the year 2021 in the State of Arizona is $3,919 for Arizona residents and $14,069 for out-of-state students (Arizona State 2021 Average Tuition Costs). These costs, while lower than the national averages, can still be quite a financial burden, especially for low-income families.

The average student loan debt in Alaska at $35,454 is lower than the average student loan debt of the entire United States at $39,351 (U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics). While loans can be helpful in covering college expenses that you cannot pay for directly, it is still not a good idea to incur any loans upon graduation.

Where Do I Get Scholarship Funds in Arizona?

We mentioned that college tuition, costs and fees can be a financial burden for any student. Usually, college and university students can get student financial aid in the form of need-based grants, scholarships and of course, the dreaded student loans. College grants are generally limited based on the student or the family's income and need, so in an attempt to cover as much of your college or university costs, getting scholarships on top of any grants will be very helpful so you can avoid or at least lessen as much as possible any student loans such as Federal Direct Student Loans from the government.

One good way to try and secure any student financial aid is by contacting the financial aid office of the college or university in Arizona you plan to apply to. They can assist you as to what grants, scholarships and loans are available either directly from the school or they can assist you with.  

Aside from that, here are some scholarships in Arizona available to college-bound graduating high school seniors.

Award Amount:  Up to $120,000

Deadline: Varies

Eligibility: According to the Flinn Scholars website, to be awarded the Flinn Scholarship, an applicant must:
1. Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) by time of application;
2. Be an Arizona resident for two full years immediately preceding entry to the university.

 As a general rule, Flinn Scholarship applicants should also:

1. Attain at least a 3.5 grade-point average (unweighted).
2. Rank in the top 5 percent of their graduating class (if the school reports class rank).
3. Participate and demonstrate leadership in a variety of extracurricular activities.

Description: The Flinn Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship that offers a full-ride college scholarship, plus study abroad, for top high-school students to attend Arizona public universities. This scholarship program provides an unparalleled package for undergraduate study at an Arizona public university for Arizona's highest-achieving high school seniors each year.

It covers the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees, plus housing and meals, valued at more than $120,000. It provides funding for a three-week summer seminar after the Scholar’s freshman year and for at least one additional study-abroad experience. Flinn scholars also benefit from working with and getting personal mentoring from top faculty and researchers, meeting business and civic leaders in their field, and forming their own community and alumni network.

Award Amount:  $1,000

Deadline: March 1, 2022

Eligibility: Applicants must be under 21, entering college in the upcoming fall and meet the Tall Clubs International (TCI) height requirement minimums: 5'10" for women and 6'2" for men, barefoot. You must also find a local Tall Club member to sponsor you.

Description: Tall Clubs International annually awards student scholarship(s) of up to $1,000 each to tall students who are under 21 years of age and attending their first year of college in the following fall. If you are interested in applying for a TCI Scholarship Award, you must contact a TCI Member Club closest to you for sponsorship. Even if they don't have a local Student Scholarship, they may simply appoint you as their candidate. Once you have a local sponsor, your name will be submitted to the TCI Foundation. Should the Foundation select you as an award winner, you will be notified by your local sponsoring TCI club and presented with the award.

Award Amount:  $3,500

Deadline: March 9, 2022
 
Eligibility:  Applicants must be high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and high SAT and ACT scores. An essay will also be required as part of the application.

Description: The NIADA Foundation promotes the academic growth of youth throughout the United States and awards scholarship funds annually at the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association Convention. The Foundation proudly sponsors four young men or women each year who have displayed outstanding abilities in education and provides scholarship assistance.

Award Amount:  $1,000

Deadline: March 15, 2022
 
Eligibility:  Applicants must be Roman Catholic and of Italian Descent. Live within the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Arizona, California, Illinois and Nevada, only where Branches of the Federation are established (applicants of non-Italian descent are eligible if their parent, guardian or grandparent is a member of the Italian Catholic Federation).

Description: Since 1964, the Italian Catholic Federation has awarded over $2,000,000.00 in scholarships to more than 6,000 high school students, of the Catholic faith, attending college. Applications are received from students in public as well as Catholic high schools in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Illinois.

Award Amount:  $2,500

Deadline: May 1, 2022
 
Eligibility:  The applicant must be a student at an accredited college or university pursuing a bachelor's, masters or doctoral degree in Project Management or a related field and must be a resident of Arizona.

Description: The Phoenix Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) provides annual scholarships to students who are legal residents of Arizona and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Project Management or related fields of study. The scholarship is worth $1,000 to $2,500 and is granted on an annual basis.

Award Amount:  $5,000

Deadline: May 15, 2022
 
Eligibility:  Applicants must be current high school juniors or seniors in the U.S. taking part in programs within a school, nonprofit, senior center, or nursing/assisted living community that connect teens with older adults, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Description: Established in 2015, the AgeLab’s OMEGA program aims to foster and encourage multigenerational connections through scholarships and programming for younger adults.

OMEGA scholarships are awarded to U.S. high school students who have demonstrated leadership in developing intergenerational programs in their communities. The scholarship winners stewarded programs that forged social connections with older adults and aided in their use of technology.

Award Amount:  $750 - $1,000

Deadline: May 30, 2022
 
Eligibility:  Applicants for each of the two high school student scholarships must be Arizona residents and graduating high school seniors with plans to attend an accredited college.

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants for the college student scholarship must be pursuing a degree in and/or closely related to wildlife science from an accredited college or university.

Description:  The Arizona Elk Society (AES) has chosen to provide scholarships to high school seniors and college students. The AES desires to support students pursuing a degree in wildlife sciences or other closely related fields. For high school seniors, 1 scholarship winner will receive $1,000 while another scholarship winner will receive $750.

Award Amount:  $5,000

Deadline: June 30, 2022
 
Eligibility:  To have a chance to be a scholarship winner, eligible applicants for this scholarship must meet the following criteria:

1. Must be of Korean heritage (i.e., have a Korean parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, or be adopted from Korea)
2.  Will be a full-time student at a school in one of the designated Western region states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington)
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
4. Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.


Description:  The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) scholarships (which range from $500 to $5,000) are offered to the qualified Korean American students (including foreign students from Korea).

Award Amount:  $5,000

Deadline: July 20, 2022
 
Eligibility: 
1. Student must demonstrate the following: Academic excellence, leadership in extra-curricular activities, a commitment to volunteer service in the community and financial need.
2. Student must be an incoming or continuing full-time undergraduate student at any education institution for the 2020-2021 Academic Year.
3. Student must be registered full time.
4. Student must be of Latino descent.
5. Student must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
6. Scholarship is available to U.S. Citizen, Permanent Legal Resident, Undocumented, DACA, CA Dreamer or Eligible Non-Citizen (as defined by FAFSA).
7. Student may only receive the award once. Applicant’s immediate family members are not eligible for award within 12 calendar months (e.g. siblings, parents, or children).
8. Student must be a resident and attending a college in Arizona or California’s Central Valley.


Description:  The Cesar Chavez Foundation, in partnership with PepsiCo, invite students of Latino descent who are beginning or continuing their studies at higher educational institutions in Arizona and California’s Central Valley, to apply for the PepsiCo Cesar Chavez Latino Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund provides $300,000 in scholarship awards to qualified Latino students in Arizona and California regardless of national origin or immigration status in an effort to promote their academic success. It supports 10 scholarships at $5,000 per student annually.

Award Amount:  $3,000

Deadline: November 1, 2022
 
Eligibility:  Applicants must be a graduating Arizona high school senior, a current athlete in an organized sporting team (e.g., high school, local public or private club, recreational league or other formal organizations) and must plan to attend an Arizona college or university.

Description:  Are you a student athlete who’s breaking barriers? Do you know someone who is? Submit your nomination for the Arizona Breaking Barriers Student Athlete Scholarship, presented by Desert Financial Foundation and the Arizona Cardinals!

Inspired by Krysten Muir, the program will recognize determined, resilient and impactful student athletes and provide scholarship assistance.

Want to Win More Scholarship Funds Faster?

We covered 10 options for scholarship assistance and you should try to apply for as many of them as you're eligible for. However, especially if you're a high school senior, life can get pretty hectic and busy given all the college applications and other school work you need to attend to. So, to make getting additional scholarship opportunities faster, you can use our 5 Day Scholarship Challenge Accelerator.

For an even better and more comprehensive guide for incoming freshmen students trying to get scholarship assistance, you can go for our Ultimate College Success Scholarship Pack which will help you with everything - from crafting your college applications all the way to getting personalized scholarships and winning the competition for scholarship dollars.

About the Author

Christen is the founder of Hive Education. She is passionate about helping families navigate the college application and admissions processes. She helps students set goals to work towards their own debt-free degrees with her personalized scholarship searches, scholarship courses, and by sharing her scholarship strategies that won her over $900,000 in for her own college education. With four years of experience in higher education, two years working with teens in inner city high schools in New Orleans, and starting her first college consulting company during a pandemic in 2020 she strives to make college accessible for everyone, especially for first generation, low income, and minority students. In her spare time she loves to share her love for books with her daughters. You can find her on Facebook.

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