Big Tex Scholarship Program

No, due to COVID-19, we are implementing a test-optional policy for the 2020-2021 application year. When applying for a Big Tex Scholarship, ACT and SAT scores are entirely optional, meaning students can choose whether or not to add them to their application. In other words, students get to decide how they want to present themselves in the application process. For 2021, test scores will not be considered in the formal scoring process. If  test scores are submitted, the committee will only use to better understand the student’s overall academic performance.

You must attend an accredited college or university within the state of Texas. You must enroll in, and pass, a minimum of 12 hours each semester. You must achieve a minimum 2.5 GPA your first semester and a 3.0 cumulative GPA for every semester thereafter. To clarify, if you make below a 3.0 one semester but your cumulative GPA is still at least a 3.0, you meet the required GPA. You must also submit your renewal on the portal before the deadline. Email submissions will not be accepted.

Fall renewals are due July 1.

Spring renewals are due January 1.

Summer renewals are due June 1.

Please contact Taylor Austin at scholarships@bigtex.com if you are concerned about your GPA. The GPA policy is as follows: if you fail to meet the GPA requirement for 1 semester, you can receive 1 “free pass” and are still eligible for renewal. As the student, it is your responsibility to request the use of your one-time “free pass.” If you fail to meet the GPA requirement for 2 semesters, you will be put on “probation” and you will not receive your funds the following semester, but will be eligible for renewal in the future if you meet the GPA requirement the following semester. If you fail to meet the GPA requirement for 3 semesters, your scholarship will be canceled and you will no longer be eligible to receive funds.

Please contact Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com if you are going to drop a class that will put you below the 12 hour minimum. The policy for credit hours is the same as the GPA policy (see previous question).

No, you will not be penalized for taking less than 12 hours if you require less than 12 hours to graduate. Please let Taylor know if you will be taking less than 12 hours by emailing scholarships@bigtex.com.

The Fair can “double up” on payments for students graduating early, meaning you can receive double the normal amount for one semester. You may request this in your renewal on the portal. If you have questions, please contact Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com.

Yes, students graduating early can use their funds for summer classes. Please contact Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com before the end of your spring semester and no later than June 1 so she can process your request and send the check to your college in time for your summer classes. Students can receive one semester’s worth of payments (for most students this is $750) to use for summer classes since summer school is the equivalent of 1 regular semester. You will be required to complete one renewal application on the Scholar Portal in order to receive funding.

Yes, you may use your remaining funds to pursue a graduate degree. Please contact Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com so that she can make sure you receive a notification to renew your scholarship.

You must submit a file that includes a copy of your final grades from the previous semester, your GPA from the previous semester, your cumulative GPA, and your credit hours from the previous semester. Most transcripts and grade reports provided by your college include all 3 of these items, however if you do not have a report that includes all 3 items you should be able to upload multiple documents when you submit the file upload. Please verify your name or student ID are visible, if we cannot confirm your identity in addition to your GPAs and credit hours your renewal will be declined and you will not receive funding for the semester.

No, you do not need to submit your official transcript, however you must upload either an unofficial copy of your transcript or a scanned copy/screen shot of your final semester grades. Usually the best format for uploading your file is to save it as a PDF.

You are no longer required to submit a progress letter at the end of each semester. However, if you have dropped below the required minimum of 12 hours or have failed to meet the required minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (2.5 GPA for first-semester freshman), you may provide a brief explanation as to why this has occurred on your renewal in the comment box at the end of the application.

Following the spring semester, grades are due by June 1. (Summer Renewal)

Following the spring semester, grades are due by July 1. (Fall Renewal)

Following the fall semester, grades are due by January 1. (Spring Renewal)

You have to submit your grades to the Scholar Portal by these dates. Late grades or grades sent via email will not be accepted. Please do not wait until the last minute to upload your grades – if you are having issues uploading your grades to the Scholar Portal, email Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com as soon as possible so she can assist you.

Yes, you still need to upload your grades to the Scholar Portal even if you already emailed or mailed them to Taylor.

When you click on the link sent in the original email, it should take you to the main sign-in page. If clicking the link doesn’t work, try copying and pasting the link into a new browser page. Click “Trouble Signing In,” then enter your email address (the same address where the original email was sent), then click “Resend Confirmation.” You should receive an email with instructions on how to confirm your account.

First, make sure you are using the same email address that was originally tied to your account, which is the address the Scholar Portal email was sent to. Second, check your spam folder to make sure the email didn’t get sent there. If the email is not in your spam folder, email Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com and let her know you’ve checked your spam and still haven’t received a confirmation email.

If you try to log in several times unsuccessfully, the system will lock you out for 1 hour. After 1 hour you should be able to try again. If you are having trouble remembering your password, see the following question.

If you can’t remember your password, click “trouble signing in” on the main log-in page, type in the email address tied to your account, then click “recover password.” This should send you an automated email with a link instructing you how to reset your password. The link to reset your password expires after 6 hours for security reasons, so make sure you use the link within that time frame. Make sure to check the spam/junk folder of your inbox for this email – sometimes automated emails are recognized as junk mail and won’t show up in your regular inbox.

This link is only valid for one-time use, so after you’ve clicked it once and logged in to your account, the link will expire. Instead of using this link, open a new browser window, go to the Scholar Portal and log in through the main page.

Once you’ve logged in, you should see seven renewal cards. Please complete only one renewal card per semester. For example, if you have already completed renewal card one and two, then you will fill out renewal card three this semester. If you have any questions, please reach out to Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com before filling anything out.

Check the internet browser you are using. Some students have reported having issues using Internet Explorer and many were able to solve their problems just by switching to Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.

You aren’t able to do this yourself, this is something that the administrator (Taylor) has to do on the back end. Email Taylor at scholarships@bigtex.com and include the new email address you would like to use. Please do not set up a second account with a different email address – this will cause confusion in the system.