The TU Presidential Scholarship is a generous academic merit award given by The University of Tulsa. This award for top academic students is based on several factors, including exceptional performance in a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, genuine interest in TU, active co-curricular involvement, and big dreams for the future. We want you to bring your A-game to Tulsa! Doing so allows us to use these “A” factors in the application and selection process:
- Academic Achievements
- Affinity for TU
- Activities and Accomplishments
- Aspirations and Ambitions
The Presidential Scholarship Program is first and foremost an academic award. Through the Presidential Scholarship selection process among a highly competitive applicant pool, the committee seeks to find academically stellar students of diverse backgrounds and cultures and with varied interests who are engaged in their communities and will make a positive difference during their time at TU and beyond.
Presidential Scholars think deeply, are engaged fully, are willing to pursue what matters to them in an above and beyond way, and understand the commitment to the university’s core values: excellence in scholarship, dedication to free inquiry, integrity of character, and commitment to humanity.
Award Amount
- The Presidential Scholarship covers full tuition (excluding summers) for five years or until an undergraduate degree is earned. Students must maintain a minimum of 15 hours of coursework per semester.
- Presidential Scholars will have a secured spot in Leadership TU led by President Brad Carson.
Virtual Information Sessions
The University of Tulsa Office of Admission will host two virtual information sessions to review the Presidential Scholarship eligibility and application requirements:
- Presidential Scholarship Virtual Info Session – November 9, 2023 – WATCH RECORDING
- Presidential Scholarship Virtual Info Session – December 7, 2023 – WATCH RECORDING
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the Presidential Scholarship, applicants must meet one or more of the following eligibility requirements.
- College Board Recognition Program scholars (First Generation, African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Indigenous or Rural and Small Town) who rank in the top 10% of their graduating class
- Students who either:
- Rank in the top 5% of their graduating class OR
- Have at least a 4.0 weighted grade point average
Application Requirements
To be considered for the Presidential Scholarship, interested applicants must complete the following by February 1:
- Submit an application for admission to The University of Tulsa by February 1. (Or, for those offered Direct Admission, submit the on-boarding form by February 1 that was emailed to you with your offer.)
- Have your school submit an official transcript to The University of Tulsa by February 1.
- Submit the Presidential Scholarship Application including the required one-page resume and short answers by February 1.
- Visit TU’s campus via a Daily Visit, Tulsa Time or other Office of Admission in-person official visit program.
Optional Application Materials
To be considered for the Presidential Scholarship, we strongly suggest applicants also do the following by February 1:
- Submit an official ACT or SAT test score. Here are some frequently asked questions regarding TU’s Test-Optional Policy.
- Meet with your TU Admission Counselor. (Find your counselor, then click “Meet with Me” to schedule a meeting.)
- Include a link to a 45-second video with your Presidential Scholarship Application.
- Showcase your unique personality, talents, and abilities.
- Show us why you want to attend TU and how you will fit into our close-knit community of scholars. Share how your personality and experience will contribute to our student body. Illustrate how you will make a positive difference during your time at TU and beyond.
- Remember the details:
- Start the video with your name, hometown and state.
- Choose the message you want to say and how you want to convey it.
- Adhere to basic YouTube guidelines.
- Use your phone. No high-tech equipment needed as videos won’t be evaluated for production quality.
- Stick to the 45-second time limit.
- Save the file on YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox or any other shared file storage platform and share a link to the video in the space provided on your Presidential Scholarship Application.
Presidential Scholarship FAQs
No. You are encouraged to apply to any of the TU special programs of interest to you but know that the Presidential Scholarship committee will not have access to your responses submitted for any other TU special program. The review committee for TU’s Presidential Scholarship is separate from the committees for each of TU’s Special Programs. In addition, each program may be looking for different types of students.
Scholarship recipients must maintain 15 hours of coursework per semester. Presidential Scholars will participate in Leadership TU, an education and development program to assist current and emerging leaders understand the role leadership plays in long-term success. Additionally, they are expected to attend university-sponsored special events and functions. Recipients will receive a Letter of Agreement outlining more details of these expectations.
While it’s possible that a student who is awarded the Presidential Scholarship may not accept it, we make accommodations for this possibility in our awarding process and, therefore, we do not create a waitlist for this award. When a Presidential Scholar declines our offer, we’ve accounted for those funds in this situation and they’re not “leftover” to redistribute to other candidates.
All Presidential Scholarship applicants (recipients and non-recipients) will be notified no later than April 1. Students who are awarded the Presidential Scholarship must notify the Office of Admission of their enrollment plans by May 1 to accept the scholarship.
This is a very competitive academic scholarship and the number of scholarships awarded changes yearly. Typically, about 10% of qualified applicants receive the award.
The Presidential Scholarship Program is first and foremost an academic award. The Presidential Scholarship application is an opportunity for us to learn about your accomplishments, aspirations, and interest in TU in particular. You should “bring your ‘A’ game” when preparing your application to share with us your Academic Achievements, Affinity for TU, Activities and Accomplishments, Aspirations and Ambitions as it’s through these categories that we’ll evaluate candidates and make final selections.
Yes! Provided you’ve had an official, in-person visit through TU’s Office of Admission (daily visit or campus visit program such as TU Up Close or Tulsa Time), this satisfies the visit requirement.
Your admission counselor is here to help with any questions you have. While the counselors will be cheering you on and supporting you throughout the process, they are not involved in the final selection. When you have a one-on-one counselor meeting (Talk with Tulsa or Next Steps Meeting), there will be time to discuss the process and answer your questions. Not sure who your counselor is? Find your admission counselor and then click on the “Meet with Me” button to register for a time to meet.
Watch one of the two Presidential Scholarship Information Sessions for more information about the following:
- Required one-page resume
- Visiting TU in person
- 45-second optional video
- Admission Counselor meeting
Information Sessions
- Presidential Scholarship Virtual Info Session – Nov. 10, 2022 –WATCH RECORDING
- Presidential Scholarship Virtual Info Session – Dec. 8, 2022 – WATCH RECORDING