The Sterling Scholar Awards are open to Utah public high school seniors.  It is expected that each school will nominate one candidate in any of the 14 categories.  Each school may nominate only one nominee in each of the 14 categories and a nominee may be nominated in only one category.  The selection process and nomination of nominees as Sterling Scholar nominees is left entirely up to each high school.  Sterling Scholar officials consider a nominee a high school senior if he/she will be graduating with the senior class during the year 2024-2025. 

High school seniors who attend college classes full or part-time or are classified as foreign exchange nominees are eligible for the Sterling Scholar Awards.   However, the program is designed to recognize scholastic achievement in Utah public high schools.  To be selected a Sterling Scholar nominee students must have extraordinary scholarship scores as well as service in leadership and community service/citizenship opportunities at their Utah public high school.  It is up to each school to determine if an individual has been in attendance enough to experience these leadership and community service/citizenship opportunities.   Each Sterling Scholar nominee’s entire school experience will be considered, although emphasis will be placed on the high school years.