The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship is a competitive, academic merit scholarship awarded to outstanding high school students in Texas by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Students should contact their high school counselor for information on their eligibility for the Byrd scholarship. The selection of applicants is based on: grade point average, rank in class, and scores on college entrance exams. GED candidates compete based on GED academic scores.

Students must be nominated as most academically eligible by their high school counselor or GED center director and meet the following qualifications:

• Current high school graduating seniors or persons completing GED certification during the award year.
• In the top 10% of their class.
• Texas residents who are U.S. citizens, U.S. Nationals, or eligible U.S. permanent residents.

Student can use their awards at both public and private, non-profit colleges and universities, in-state or out-of-state. The maximum award is $1,500 per year for up to four years, or until they have earned their first baccalaureate degree, which ever comes first. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average to continue on this scholarship program.

Entering freshman must provide the University with a copy of the Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance in Certain Programs (PDF) and a Selective Service Statement that they receive from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This certification states that the student:

1. The student does not owe a debt to specific government programs or loans, and is not currently paying on such a debt.
2. The student is not currently in default on a student loan.
3. If the student is in debt, they have made satisfactory repayment arrangements to the appropriate loan holder.
4. The student has not been declared by a judge ineligible to receive Federal assistance for the period of this requested funding.

The Byrd scholarship funds are not available at the beginning of the semester and the scholarship is not reflected on the financial aid notification. The school is responsible for reporting the number of hours for which the student is enrolled after the 12th class day, which is the official enrollment date. Usually funds are made available to students 3-6 weeks after this date (late October in the Fall semester and early March in the Spring semester.)

• Visit the College for Texans web site.
• Contact the Texas Higher Coordinating Board Grants & Special Programs Office at (512) 427-6340 (Austin area) or (800) 242-3062 (outside Austin).