Involvement Scholarship Funds Increased to $1M to Help Student Leaders Become Aggies

Available for fall 2024, Utah State University has increased funding to $1 million to help new students with high school student leadership experience pay for college.

The Involvement Scholarship will be offered in varying amounts to incoming first-year students who were involved in their schools and communities. This involvement includes band, athletic teams, clubs, community service, student government, theater and more. Those who were senior class officers or student body officers in high school will be eligible for an additional $500.

"Scholarships, to me, mean opportunities," said Jairo Licona-Vera, a first-year student at USU who served as student body president at Cottonwood High School. "The opportunity to pursue higher education, the opportunity to make new friends, the opportunity to grow as a person, the opportunity to become an Aggie."

Utah State’s reputation for student life is unmatched across the state and region, according to USU Executive Vice President Robert Wagner. These new scholarship opportunities will bring more student leaders of all types to campus and help continue that tradition.

“This scholarship is meant to show that USU is the university to attend for students who want to become leaders and get involved in student life,” Wagner said. “Eighty-five percent of students at USU live away from home, creating a rich environment for campus life and student involvement.”

USU’s HURD has garnered attention as one of the best student sections in college athletics. The USU Student Association hosts landmark annual events including the Howl, Casino Night and the End-of-Year Bash. Annual traditions such as Commencement, the Luminary and Homecoming mark important milestones in the academic year.

USUSA clubs have sent satellites to space, started microbusinesses for charity, developed new snack products from food that would otherwise be wasted, and more. In most cases, students can get involved with USU’s clubs and organizations starting the first week of the semester. High school seniors are invited to attend True Blue Involvement Day, a new event that will be hosted in Logan on March 1.

“When students like this come to Utah State and share their strengths and skills in leadership with the Aggie family they find their place and help amplify some key ideals we have as Aggies like is community, culture, and spirit,” USU first-year student Gabriel Cortez said. “And with the many opportunities, resources, and organizations students have countless options here at Utah State.”

The Involvement Scholarship is a cash award that may be combined with other academic scholarships to help students focus more on their studies with less worry about their finances.

"I can now work, make money, and save that for my future after college," said Cortez, who was student body president at Clearfield High School.

The scholarship will further USU's focus on building the next generation of leaders to help the state and nation navigate complex issues.

"High school leadership promotes various leadership traits like teamwork, problem solving and communication," Licona-Vera said. "That is exactly what is needed to sustain a great community like the one Utah State has. Our student life and the experiences you will find here just aren’t possible anywhere else. The Aggie family is my home away from home and USU has provided the opportunities to make that possible.”

Students must be admitted to USU to apply for the scholarship. The application deadline is Feb. 1. Those interested can learn more and apply at the USU Admissions scholarship website.