Utah Scholarship Opportunities
Utah residents have several scholarship opportunities for training and up-skilling
If you are unemployed, underemployed, or suffering hardships due to the recent substantial changes to the job market, then it may be time to find new education opportunities to boost your resume and get you back into the workforce. There are several Utah scholarship opportunities and grants available for students in need of:
- Reskilling, which supports unemployed and underemployed workers looking to change career paths in order to get back work that is more appropriate based on their skill set
- Upskilling, which assists workers in increasing skill levels to advance in their current employment
- Next-skilling, which supports workers who may need to change careers and develop future-ready and necessary job skills for employment into the next century
To help you better understand what scholarship opportunities exist for Utah residents, we have compiled a useful guide of resources below.
Learn and Work in Utah Grant Program
One of the many Utah scholarship opportunities to explore as working adult, is a new program called “Learn and Work” which allows for tuition assistance for short term programs across the state. This includes over 100 programs from manufacturing to skilled trades to IT related careers. Most of these programs offer a combination of online, live, or hybrid learning for you to get the skills you need to move your career forward. Large state institutions are involved in this program including University of Utah, Utah State, Salt Lake Community College, and more.
To learn more, visit their website: https://inutah.org/learn-work/
Utah Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Grants
Through your local Utah Workforce Center, you can apply for a WIOA grant to help you get funding to upskills, reskill or re-train for your current position. WIOA grants are managed by each county’s Workforce Center board. The process typically includes meeting with a Workforce Center counselor, providing sufficient job research into high-demand career fields, and creating an individual training plan towards employment.
Through Utah scholarship opportunities and Workforce WIOA grants, students may be able obtain a certification in digital marketing, project management, frontend web development, business administration or graphic design. To view and compare DWC programs along with other eligible training providers, visit the Utah Workforce Services ETPL here.
Digital Workshop Center works closely with the Utah Workforce Center system to facilitate WIOA grants for qualified participants. We have a full guide on WIOA available for download here or you may talk to a student advisor today to learn more.
Return Utah Program
If you have been out of the workforce and looking to return, Utah also offers an exciting program called Return Work, designed to help students either work for the Utah State government or to upskill into a new career path. According to Return Work’s website, eligibility for is as follows:
Individuals who have had a career break for at least two years and are looking to get back into the workforce. They are professionals who are looking to get reacquainted with the workplace, and improve any professional-level skills that may have become rusty or require updating in a given industry.
Return Utah is for people who have taken a career break of at least two years for reasons such as:
- Starting or raising a family
- Caring for a family member
- Taking time after military service
- Military spouse
- Political office
- Entrepreneurial ventures
- Volunteer work
- Continuing education
- Managing mental and physical health
- Pursuing a career change
Any position through Return Work is paid and internships are also available. Visit their website or email the program at inutah@utah.gov for more information.
General Scholarships from the State of Utah
In addition to the work programs above, the State of Utah also offers three formal scholarship programs for graduating high school seniors with high academic marks. These merit-based programs are determined through a high school students transcripts.
According to the State of Utah’s Scholarship information, the following are programs for high school seniors to consider:
- The Utah New Century Scholarship Program is available to high performing high school students who are simultaneously enrolled in an associates degree program at a state college or university. Students must complete their associates degree with a 3.0 GPA or better by the time they graduate from high school. Scholarship recipients may use the award to help pay for Baccalaureate studies at a participating state college or university. The award is $1250 per semester, and is renewable.
- The Utah Regents Scholarship is designed to encourage high school students to prepare for college by taking a core course of studies, and by saving for college. The scholarship is a tiered award system that includes a Base Award, an Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, and the Utah Educational Savings Plan Supplemental Award. Students may be eligible to win one, or any combination, of the three awards. To be eligible, students must be enrolled full-time at a participating state college or university, and must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Award amounts range from $400 to $1000.
- The Terrell H. Bell Teaching Incentive Loan Program is, in essence, an award-for-service program. A state-funded loan is available to high school seniors who have completed the requirements for an Early Graduation Program, and who have declared education as their major. Following graduation students must agree to a predetermined term of service teaching at one of Utah’s public or private schools. Each semester of teaching will be considered as repayment for each semester of received financial aid. Graduating students are allowed a 2 year grace period in which to find employment. If, after 2 years they have not taken a teaching position, the award will be enforced as a standard student loan.