2026 University of Texas at Dallas McDermott Scholarship (US Based)

Scholarship Awarding University: 

University of Texas at Dallas

Type of degree: 

Bachelor’s

Scholarship Deadline: 

Applications for this scholarship will close on the

1st of December, 2025.

 

Scholarship Summary: 

McDermott Scholars (domestic and international) receive one of the most selective and generous undergraduate merit awards in the nation with access to UT Dallas’ rigorous education, leadership training, cultural enrichment, and personalized opportunities designed to equip them with the skills, experience, and confidence to succeed as leaders.

Scholarship Applicant Criteria: 

Eligibility for review of your McDermott Application will be determined by three required factors:

1) First-time-in-college first-year student admitted for the fall term immediately following high school graduation (no gap years, no transfers)

2) Have submitted a complete UTD application (with optional materials) well before the deadline 

3) Be in the top academic tenth of the UT Dallas entering class of 2026 and offered an Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) award

Value of Scholarship: 

The Eugene McDermott Scholarship provides:

i. Required tuition and mandatory fees

ii. Stipends for housing and living (in their first year at UT Dallas, Scholars live in campus residence halls and hold a meal plan)

iii. Development resources, including:

• Weekly seminars and other cohort experiences
• Up to $15,000 of funding for study abroad and other engagement
• Program staff

iv. Membership in the University’s Hobson Wildenthal Honors College and its Collegium V academic honors program.

Scholarship Application Guide: 

To apply, 

i. You will need your UT Dallas NetID to access the McDermott Scholars Program Application. This means that you must submit your UT Dallas application before you can begin your McDermott Scholars Program Application. Additionally, be sure to set up your UT Dallas email account and check it frequently.

ii. Completing the Application

The McDermott Scholars Program Application is the only thing you need to complete and submit yourself.

1. The McDermott Scholars Program Application and two McDermott Scholars Recommendation Forms are due by the deadline. They should be submitted well before this deadline.
2. No additional materials will be reviewed, even if you submitted them as part of your application for admission to UT Dallas.

iii. Recommendations

The McDermott Scholars Program Recommendation Form is the only recommendation UTD accepts, and your recommender must submit the form using the McDermott Application System. No additional recommendation materials will be reviewed.

Selecting your Recommenders

Choose two people who know you well, including one who can speak about you as a learner. They can be teachers or people who know you in your life outside of school, such as a coach, religious leader, employer, mentor, coworker, etc.

1. Confirm with them that they will submit their McDermott Scholars Program Recommendation Form by the deadline.
2. Applicants should work on their McDermott Scholars Program Application and save it at least once before naming recommenders. Use the McDermott Scholars Recommender Naming Form to let UTD know who your two recommenders are. Then UTD will send each recommender a personalized link that they will use to complete their recommendation of you online.

Scholarship Website: 

Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the UT Dallas McDermott Scholarship Page.