Loya Scholarship Covers Full Engineering Costs

High school seniors who plan to study engineering at UTEP full time can apply for four years of full cost-of-attendance coverage by January 31, 2027.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Scholarships

Flat gouache-painted editorial illustration of an open drafting compass on a desert plain with a path leading toward distant mountains, evoking a path to an engineering education. — The University of Texas at El Paso opened applications Tuesday for the Miguel A. Loya Scholarship, offering four years of full engineering costs, funded by a $30 million alumni gift. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has opened applications for the Miguel A. Loya Scholarship Program, a four-year engineering scholarship covering full cost of attendance for incoming engineering students. The program was endowed by a $30 million gift from Loya, a UTEP mechanical engineering alumnus.

Why it matters

The program targets the cost of an engineering degree for high school seniors who plan to enroll at UTEP full time, a meaningful offset for families in El Paso weighing four years of tuition and living expenses. UTEP named its College of Engineering in Loya's honor, and the $30 million gift is the largest in the university's history.

The scholarship covers full cost of attendance for four years and includes a $1,000 monthly stipend, with a bonus of up to $30,000 for top scholars who graduate with highest honors. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be high school seniors, and plan to major in engineering and enroll full time at UTEP; the application deadline is January 31, 2027.

The players

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

A public research university in El Paso, Texas, that offers the Loya Scholarship and named its College of Engineering after Miguel A. Loya.

Miguel A. Loya

A UTEP mechanical engineering alumnus who earned his bachelor's degree in 1977 and endowed the scholarship program with a $30 million gift.

The details

Applications are submitted through the ScholarMine portal on UTEP's website, and top applicants are invited to an interview as part of the selection process. Successful applicants receive full cost-of-attendance coverage plus a monthly stipend, and high-achieving graduates may earn an additional bonus. The first cohort of 10 Loya Scholars is scheduled to enroll at UTEP in fall 2027.

Applications for the Loya Scholarship opened November 9, 2026.
The application deadline is January 31, 2027.
The first cohort of 10 Loya Scholars is set to enroll in fall 2027.

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Education Landscape

The $30 million Loya gift is the largest private gift in UTEP's history, placing this program among the university's most significant donor-funded aid commitments. It reflects a broader pattern of alumni-funded scholarships at public universities seeking to reduce the net cost of degrees in high-demand fields like engineering.

If you are a high school senior in El Paso planning to study engineering, the January 31, 2027 deadline and ScholarMine application process are the immediate steps to track. Ask UTEP's financial-aid or admissions office how the interview stage and eligibility requirements apply to your situation.

The takeaway

Engineering-bound seniors in El Paso should note the January 31, 2027 deadline and confirm citizenship or permanent-resident eligibility before applying. Questions about how the scholarship interacts with other aid are best directed to UTEP's financial-aid office.