Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship

Chancellor's Excellence Scholars entering in Fall will receive a monetary honorarium (final amount subject to federal and state financial aid regulations). Scholars who maintain the stated academic requirements may renew the scholarship for one additional consecutive year beyond their initial year of tenure.

On-campus housing at UC Irvine continues to be in high demand. Incoming Chancellor's Scholars enrolling for Fall will be guaranteed two years of on-campus housing if the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) and a housing application are completed by the stated deadlines. The housing guarantee ensures an offer of on-campus housing during the term of the scholarship if application deadlines are met. Specific housing preferences are not guaranteed. Please refer to UCI Student Housing's website for more details about applying for housing, housing options, and deadlines. Terms are subject to change without notice.

Chancellor's Excellence Scholars choosing to participate in the University of California Education Abroad Program may use their scholarship to help fund the cost of overseas study.

Chancellor's Excellence Scholars who participate in the UC Irvine Washington DC Academic Internship Program may use their scholarship to help fund the cost of the program.

The Distinguished Scholars Program (DSP) at UC Irvine, a collaboration between Student Success Initiatives (SSI) and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS), is designed to support the academic, personal, and professional development of first-year and transfer students.

To be eligible for the program, students must be recipients of the Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year, be either a first-year freshman or transfer student, and not be currently enrolled in another SSI/TSC program.

Participants in the DSP receive a quarterly LARC Tutorials Scholarship, access to two loaned items per quarter such as textbooks, i-clickers, calculators, or laptops, and a free print card. Additionally, students benefit from personalized academic counseling, academic recovery support, and community-building opportunities. Through intentional programming and advising, the DSP facilitates a smooth transition to UC Irvine while fostering student success.

Appointments are automatically renewable for one additional consecutive year beyond the initial year of tenure as long as eligibility requirements continue to be met. This means, scholars are able to get this scholarship for a maximum of two years. All appointments are subject to review prior to automatic renewal. Chancellor's Excellence Scholarships are not transferable. Students transferring to another UC campus will be subject to the awarding policies and procedures of that campus.

Chancellor's Excellence Scholars must maintain the following requirements each quarter to receive their scholarship funds:

• enroll in and complete a minimum of 12 units and
• maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA

To be eligible for the Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship, the recipient must be a U.S. citizen, an eligible non-citizen or a student qualifying under AB130 or AB131. Only students who fall under these categories are eligible for the Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship. Students must be confirmed California Residents to retain this scholarship.

Any change in academic status, such as taking fewer than 12 units per quarter or withdrawing from the university, will cause scholars to forfeit their scholarship.

A Chancellor's Excellence Scholar who has been granted an official leave of absence from the University must notify the Scholarships department in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in order to retain their appointment as a Chancellor's Excellence Scholar during the remainder of their designated tenure period.