Eligibility
Students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Texas Leadership Scholars program at UT San Antonio:- Demonstrated financial need, as evidenced by FAFSA or TASFA submission, and be TEXAS Grant eligible to receive the full scope of program benefits.
- Be a graduating high school senior from an accredited Texas high school.
- Be in the top 10% of graduating class or submit a recommendation letter from the student's high school principal or counselor.
- Possess evidence of leadership and service within high school and community.
- Complete and submit the TLS program application by the specified deadline.
- Complete and submit the UT San Antonio TLS secondary application in the Scholarship Hub by specified deadline.
How to Apply
The application process begins in October of an applicant’s Senior year of high school. Students must receive the TLS application from a staff member (guidance counselor, teacher, principal, etc.) at their graduating high school.
Applicants must complete:
- Application for UT San Antonio through Apply Texas or CommonApp
- Application for TLS received from high school staff member
- Subsequent application in the UT San Antonio Scholarship Hub
Applicants should not begin the subsequent application in the Scholarship Hub before completing the TLS application. To access the Scholarship Hub, the applicant will use their myUTSA ID which is issued after applying to UT San Antonio. Applicants may begin their applications for TLS and the Scholarship Hub prior to their acceptance to the university. However, acceptance to the university is a requirement in the application review process.
Deadlines
- Deadline to complete the TLS application provided by your high school staff member is February 17, 2026. This application is submitted directly to the TLS headquarters.
- Deadline to complete this subsequent application specific to UT San Antonio is March 15, 2026. This application is completed in the Scholarship Hub.
Continued Eligibility
Scholars are eligible to receive continued funding for up to four consecutive years or eight long semesters, provided all program criteria and requirements are met. Compliance with these standards is assessed regularly.
- Financial Aid Compliance: Scholars must annually submit a FAFSA/TAFSA and maintain TEXAS Grant eligibility, including Course Program of Study (CPOS) compliance.
- Academic Progress: Scholars must maintain remain in good standing with UT San Antonio's Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.
- Enrollment: Scholars must enroll in a minimum of 15 semester credit hours (SCH) per long semester. Scholars are limited to no more than 6 online credit hours per semester.
- Residential Requirement: Scholars are required to live on campus in the Honors Residential Community for the first two years of their undergraduate study. The two-year on-campus residential requirement is in place regardless of the number of credit hours a student brings to college.
- Honors College Eligibility: Eligibility for the Honors College must be maintained, including GPA, curricular, experiential, and events requirements.
- Annual Orientation/Retreat: Scholars are required to attend an incoming scholar retreat prior to their first semester at UT San Antonio as well an annual retreat with other members of Honors College Special Programs before each fall semester.
- Paid Employment: To enable full engagement in educational, extracurricular, and cultural activities, scholars are prohibited from full or part-time paid employment while receiving TLS funding.
- Service: Scholars are expected to engage in community service through their four years on campus, including at least one cohort service project per year.
- Mentoring: Scholars must actively engage in the UT San Antonio TLS Mentoring Initiative, including identification and recommendations of a faculty or professional mentor.
Opportunities within the Honors College
The Honors College offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of different programs to further expand knowledge, especially in the realms of professional development, leadership development, and public service. Special programs are fully integrated into the Honors College curriculum, making credit transfer simple and ensuring that students are working toward Honors requirements.
