Texas Interscholastic League Foundation Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by Texas Interscholastic League Foundation
Overview
The 2026 application cycle opens March 1, 2026. All applications must be submitted by May 22, 2026. Applicants will be informed of selection decisions by mid‑July 2026.
Required documents (electronic copies)
Have digital copies of the following ready to upload with your application:
- High school transcript (a seven‑semester transcript is acceptable).
- SAT or ACT score reports, if you have taken those exams.
- One letter of recommendation from a school administrator, UIL coach, or counselor (acceptable recommenders: superintendent, principal, assistant principal, UIL coach, or counselor).
- Pages 1 and 2 of your parent or guardian’s most recent IRS Form 1040, with all Social Security numbers and bank/routing information redacted.
- Your financial aid award letter from the college you plan to attend, or your FAFSA Submission Summary that includes your Student Aid Index (SAI).
Who is eligible to apply
You may apply if you meet all standard eligibility requirements and one of the competition-based criteria below:
- You have competed at the UIL Academic State Meet, the Congressional Debate State Meet, the One‑Act Play State Meet, or the Theatrical Design State Meet; OR
- You advanced to the second day (octofinal round) of the Cross‑Examination Debate State Meet; OR
- You were a state finalist in the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition, the Latino History Essay Competition, or the Young Filmmakers Festival; OR
- You were a member of a team that finished in the top 10 for its competition group at the BEST, FIRST, or RECF‑VEX state robotics contests.
In addition, all applicants must:
- Plan to attend an accredited college or university in the state of Texas.
- Enroll full‑time in college and maintain at least a 2.5 college GPA (note: some individual scholarships may require a higher GPA).
- Be graduating from high school during the current academic year.
Please note: Participation solely in athletic or music contests does not make a student eligible. Applicants must have advanced to state in an academic contest listed below.
Qualifying contests
Accounting; Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition*; Calculator Applications; Computer Applications; Computer Science; Congress; Current Issues and Events; Debate (Cross‑Examination* & Lincoln‑Douglas); Journalism (Copy Editing, Editorial Writing, Feature Writing, Headline Writing & News Writing); Literary Criticism; Mathematics; Number Sense; Latino History Essay Competition*; One‑Act Play; Ready Writing; Robotics*; Science; Social Studies; Speech (Prose Interpretation, Poetry Interpretation, Informative Speaking & Persuasive Speaking); Spelling & Vocabulary; Theatrical Design; Young Filmmakers Festival*.
Special eligibility clarifications
- Cross‑Examination Debate: only students who advance to the second day (octofinals) are eligible.
- Barbara Jordan Historical Essay, Latino History Essay, Young Filmmakers: only state finalists qualify.
- BEST, FIRST, RECF‑VEX Robotics: only members of teams placing in the top 10 of their competition group qualify.
- Advancing to state in any academic pilot contests that are not officially sanctioned by the UIL for the 2025–26 school year does not make a student eligible.
Application and scholarship assignment
All applicants must meet the general scholarship requirements and should review any additional donor‑specific criteria listed on the scholarships page. Applicants submit to the program as a whole, not to a named/individual scholarship; final award decisions are made by the scholarship committee.
Selection criteria
Meeting eligibility makes you able to apply, but neither participation nor a top finish guarantees an award. Selection decisions are based on a combination of factors, which include:
1. Strong academic performance as shown by GPA and class rank.
2. Financial need.
3. College entrance exam scores (when available).
4. Demonstrated success in UIL academic competition.
5. Intent to enroll for the fall semester at an accredited Texas college or university.
6. Community involvement and extracurricular contributions.
If you have questions about any requirement or need clarification about qualifying contests, contact the program before applying.