Oklahoma Rising Scholars Award (formerly Academic Scholars Program)
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)
Merit scholarship for top Oklahoma students: for students entering in 2026, up to $24,000 a year at research universities ($13,000 regional, $12,500 two-year) for automatic qualifiers, plus a tuition waiver at public colleges.
- How much
- Per year, entry year 2026 automatic qualifiers: $24,000 (research universities), $13,000 (regional), $12,500 (community/two-year colleges); institutional nominees: $4,000 / $3,200 / $3,000; plus a tuition waiver at public colleges
- Who qualifies
- Oklahoma resident (funding for nonresidents eliminated). Automatic: National Merit Scholar/Finalist, U.S. Presidential Scholar, or ACT 103 (E+M+R, fall 2026) / SAT 1560. Nominees: institution standards by tier. Keep it: full-time, 24 hours/year, 3.25 cumulative GPA; up to eight semesters.
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads
- When to apply
- Check dates Applications for high school seniors open in October (when the required ACT/SAT score is set for the next year); award letters go out from late February. Institutional nominees are submitted by colleges.
- How to apply
- Automatic qualifiers (National Merit Scholar/Finalist, Presidential Scholar, or 99.5 percentile ACT/SAT) complete the online application on OKcollegestart.org with supporting documents
- Others ask their college's financial aid office about its institutional nomination process
- What you'll need
- state application + test scores
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026, against the official page (secure.okcollegestart.org), page 2 and page 3
The details
Renamed from the Oklahoma Academic Scholars Program by HB 1281 (2026). Automatic qualifiers: Oklahoma students named National Merit Scholar, National Merit Finalist or U.S. Presidential Scholar, or scoring at or above the 99.5 percentile on the ACT or SAT (fall 2026: ACT 103 from English, Math and Reading only, superscores allowed; SAT 1560). Institutional nominees: public colleges may nominate students who meet minimum standards (e.g. research universities: 32 ACT, or 3.9 GPA and top 2% / rank 1-2, or 3.9 GPA and 30 ACT). Annual awards: automatic qualifiers entering 2026 get $24,000 (research universities), $13,000 (regional universities) or $12,500 (community/two-year colleges); those entering 2025 and earlier get $7,200 / $5,700 / $5,200; institutional nominees get $4,000 / $3,200 / $3,000. Students at public colleges also receive a tuition waiver; awards may be reduced so total aid doesn't exceed cost of attendance. Must enter the fall after high school graduation. Renewable for up to eight semesters with full-time enrollment, 24 credit hours a year and a 3.25 cumulative GPA. Summer funding requires a separate summer application.
More money from Oklahoma
- State Regents Workforce Ready ScholarshipOne-time: $7,000 (research institutions), $5,000 (regional), $3,000 (two-year)
- Chiropractic Education Scholarship ProgramUp to $6,000 per year (varies with appropriation)
- Regional University Baccalaureate Scholarship$3,500 per year plus a resident tuition waiver
- Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)The lesser of 75% of enrollment costs or up to $1,500 (community colleges and career tech centers), $2,000 (regional universities), $3,000 (research universities) per year
- William P. Willis Scholarship$3,000 (research universities), $2,400 (regional universities), $2,000 (community colleges) per year
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
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