Summer Smith Solidarity Scholarship

The Summer Smith Solidarity Scholarship aims to support all students who demonstrate financial need, especially undocumented students (with and without DACA) and students from mixed immigration status. This scholarship seeks students who can describe how they plan to use their studies to make the world a better place.

Scholarship Details Information 

- Must be an incoming or continuing undergraduate OR graduate students at the University of Utah
- Two awards of $2,500 each will be granted
- Funds will be disbursed in two installments (Fall semester – $1250 & Spring semester – $1250)
- Funds will be applied to the student’s tuition first, with any remaining funds available for additional school-related expenses (books, supplies, etc.).
- Application is open to all students including those from mixed-status families, undocumented students who graduated from a high school in Utah, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who graduated from a Utah high school
- Must be in good academic standing at the university and have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
- Preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need

As allowable by law and University policy, preference may be given to students who are undocumented, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, or who are from mixed immigration status households. The parties acknowledge that the scholarship must be made available to students who are U.S citizens or permanent residents.

Financial Aid Information 

U.S citizens or eligible non-citizens must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov. If you have any questions on completing the form please reach out to the scholarships at financial aid office at finanicalaid@utah.edu

If you are not a U.S citizen or eligible non-citizen then you must submit the Federal Student Aid Estimator (FSAE) https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/ and submit your results via PDF to the scholarships & financial aid office at financialaid@utah.edu

Notification Timeline Information 

Applications will be reviewed by a committee within the Dream Center. Applications will be kept confidential. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by August 2025.

Post Acceptance Information Information 

Those who are awarded any of our scholarships, will be REQUIRED to complete the items listed below in order to successfully receive the funds:
- Meet with the Dream Center staff once per semester of awarding period (Fall & Spring)
- Attend the Dream Center Orientation for the 2025-2026 academic year. Dates will be determined.
- Attend a Dream Center event during the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Write a Thank You Note to the scholarship donors.
- Provide a picture for use in fundraising materials and donor reporting, optional.
- Provide a release to use any portion of your essays in university materials. Reasonable attempts will be made to contact you first for consent purposes for donor reporting.

Award
$2,500.00
Deadline
05/19/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. What semester and year did you start at the University of Utah?
  2. How did you first come to the U?
  3. Please check all that apply to you
  4. Please list all scholarships you are receiving for the 2025-2026 academic year, both inside and outside the University. If none – please indicate none.
  5. Please confirm your enrollment status for 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025 & Spring 2026)
  6. In a 250–500-word essay, please share your personal and educational background to help the committee better understand your experiences. You may include your short- and long-term academic or personal goals, as well as why you believe you will be successful in achieving them. Additionally, if you have faced and overcome any challenges, we encourage you to describe your experience and how it has shaped your journey.
  7. In a 500 - 1000 words essay submit a personal statement describing how you intend to use your studies to make the world a better place.
  8. Optional: Use the space below to share any further information (e.g., financial circumstance, family circumstance, etc.) we haven’t asked you about and you feel it would be beneficial for the committee as they make their decision about the scholarship. This section is optional, not required.
  9. SB 253 Declaration: Certain privately funded scholarships are exempted from the general state law that requires certification of U.S. citizen or lawfully present non-citizen status. If a student graduated from a high school within the state of Utah and is applying for only privately funded awards that are administered by the University of Utah, no certification is required. By submitting this application, I certify that the information provided in this form is true to the best of my knowledge. I authorize the University of Utah to release any materials or information submitted with this application (including resume, unofficial transcript, personal statement, essay, and letters of recommendation) to any individual, organization, or committee related to the scholarship selection process. Please indicate below your high school graduation status:
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