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Utah will end 2 popular merit scholarships to shift millions to students who can’t afford college

Two popular state-funded scholarships for high-achieving students will be phased out to free up millions more for students who can’t afford college, Utah’s higher education leaders have decided.

The Regents Scholarship started in 2011 and had $16 million to designate for students who performed well in a series of math, science and English classes. The New Century Scholarship used $2 million to cover college tuition for students who graduated from high school with an associate degree.

Both will end with the high school graduating class of 2021. Resources will shift to the Access Utah Promise Scholarship, the first needs-based scholarship awarded by the state, which was approved by lawmakers earlier this year.