University of Idaho’s Scholarship Program Benefits
Guaranteed Level of Funding
You’ll receive the same dollar amount of scholarships each year from a combination of sources on campus including general, non-departmental dollars and department scholarships. That means you can budget confidently and see the big picture.
Four Years
When we guarantee your funding, we make a four-year promise (for first-time freshman). That means you can plan out your journey to success and graduation.
Follow Passions, not Dollars
Here, you can pursue your passions and change your major, without impacting your scholarship level. Your merit-based scholarships are not dependent on your choice of major which allows you to explore and grow.
Details for Go Idaho!, Invitation to Idaho and WUE are online at: go.uidaho.edu/uofi-scholarships
Are there more options to help finance my education?
Yes. There are a number of resources for families. Here are a few:
Outside Scholarships
ScholarshipUniverse is a matching system that makes it easy for you to find outside scholarship opportunities. Create an academic profile and then get connected with various outside scholarship opportunities. Learn more at: go.uidaho.edu/scholarship-search
Student Employment
On- and off-campus job opportunities are available. See what kinds of jobs are posted at: go.uidaho.edu/student-jobs
Payment Plans
Monthly payment plans require an enrollment fee at the time you start. The bonus: there are no interest charges. Information is available at: go.uidaho.edu/payment-plans
| Merit scholarships
WESTERN UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE
| WUE
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) students pay 150% of Idaho in-state tuition and are not charged out-of-state tuition. WUE value for the 2025-26 academic year is nearly $16,000. That’s almost $64,000 in value over the course of four years! There is not a separate application for WUE; just apply for admission to be considered. The WUE tuition and fee rate are awarded automatically to first-time U of I students who are from qualifying states.
Qualifying States included in the WUE: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
WUE SCHOLARS
For well-qualified applicants, an additional $1,000 to $2,000 waiver will be added to the WUE award. To see if you qualify, visit: go.uidaho.edu/beyond-wue
150% of Idaho in-state tuition and fees for four years if you maintain continuous fulltime enrollment with a 2.5 cumulative U of I GPA.
GO IDAHO!
Idaho Resident | First-Year Students
The Go Idaho! program recognizes firstyear Idaho students with up to four years of guaranteed scholarship funding levels based on their accredited high school unweighted GPA. Qualified students receive a combination of university scholarships that meet the guaranteed funding levels listed below. These award levels may be renewed for three additional years by maintaining a minimum 2.5 U of I GPA.
TRANSFER IDAHO!
Idaho Resident | Transfer Students
The Transfer Idaho! program recognizes Idaho transfer students with two to four years of guaranteed scholarship funding levels, based on their transfer GPA and number of transfer credits. Qualified students receive a combination of university scholarships that meet the guaranteed funding levels listed below. These award levels may be renewed for one to three years based on the number of transfer credits and maintaining at minimum a 2.5 U of I GPA.
INVITATION TO IDAHO
Non-Resident
The Invitation to Idaho award recognizes non-resident students (who do not qualify for WUE). The value of the Invitation to Idaho for the 2025-26 year is nearly $16,000 per year. That’s almost $64,000 in value over the course of four years! There is no separate application for Invitation to Idaho. The Invitation to Idaho waiver is automatically awarded to first-time students from non-WUE states with a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted GPA from an accredited high school. Transfer students are also eligible for Invitation to Idaho with a minimum 3.0 cumulative college GPA.
How do I pay for college?
There are several ways to pay for a college education:
Self-help includes college savings accounts, summer employment and parental/family support.
Financial aid includes funding from the federal government, state governments, and colleges and universities.
■ Grants and scholarships: money that does not need to be repaid
■ Work-study: money that is earned through employment at the college or university
■ Loans: money that must be repaid
How do I apply for financial aid?
To receive consideration for financial aid and scholarships, simply submit your complete application for admission (including fee, transcripts and test scores) at go.uidaho.edu/submit-app as well as your FAFSA at studentaid.gov/fafsa
There are two primary types of financial aid you might qualify to receive:
Merit-based aid: Eligibility for all meritbased scholarship programs is determined by your academic record, which may include GPA and/or test scores. Most scholarships are based on merit.
Need-based aid: Eligibility for needbased financial aid — including grants, scholarships, work-study and loans — is determined by submitting a 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Learn more about types of loans including Direct Stafford, Parent Plus, Private and more at go.uidaho.edu/uofi-loans
How am I considered for need-based financial aid?
Once you are admitted and your FAFSA has been received, the financial aid office will find the best financial aid programs available to you.
Review your Vandal Email and MyUI notifications.
You will see the financial aid awards you qualify for on your award letter. For new students, award letters are sent out beginning mid-January and continue as students become admitted. New students receive a digital award letter via VandalMail and a physical award letter at their address on record. To ensure your awards are processed and your notifications are sent out on time:
1. Complete your admission application and your FAFSA.
2. Review MyUI for any missing documents we need and submit them as soon as possible.
3. Review your notifications and log onto MyUI to accept your financial aid.
For help with accepting aid or missing documents, please see: go.uidaho.edu/accept-aid
IDAHO RESIDENTS
Student Fees/Tuition $9,400
and Meals $12,136
and Supplies (estimated) $1,180
$41,952 WESTERN UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE (WUE) AND INVITATION TO IDAHO
Student Fees/Tuition $12,914 Housing and Meals $12,136 Books and Supplies (estimated) $1,180 Direct Costs $26,230 2025-26 Annual COST OF
