With the economy on the fritz and tuition prices on the rise, it is becoming ever more difficult to afford a college education.
Fortunately, Auburn University students have available to them a plethora of scholarship opportunities, ranging from general university scholarships to department, freshman and transfer scholarships.
Every year Auburn awards approximately 6,000 scholarships through the Office of University Scholarships.
In addition to the general scholarships awarded at the university level, Auburn also offers scholarships individually through the departments of each one of the 12 schools and colleges.
The money for these scholarships typically comes from donors and the Board of Trustees.
Ryan Villarreal, an undeclared sophomore in science and mathematics, thinks the scholarships are a blessing to families who may be suffering because of the rapidly declining economy.
"There are plenty of ways that Auburn helps it's students," Villareal said. "Financial aid, individual scholarships. The people who meet the right requirements go to school for next to nothing."
Every year there are around 2,000 recipients of individual general scholarships, according to the Office of University Scholarships.
Auburn offers about 300 of these such scholarships and awards them during the spring semester between the months of February and April.
The Office of Scholarships are in charge of setting the criteria that current and prospective students must abide by to qualify.
There are specific minimum GPA requirements in order to be considered.
Incoming Freshman and transfer students must be accepted for admission and have either a 3.0 high school GPA or a 3.0 transfer GPA.
Students currently enrolled at Auburn must have a minimum 3.0 unadjusted GPA.
Some colleges have differences in the criteria they require students to meet.
For example, in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the primary determinant for awarding scholarships to freshmen is the prospective student's SAT or ACT score.
Other colleges allow more breathing room with their requirements.
The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, which awards around $100,000 annually, requires only that a student have an unadjusted cumulative GPA of 2.75 to be considered for departmental scholarships.
Also, the student must complete 12 credit hours in the semesters during and prior to the scholarship with a GPA of 2.5 and a grade no lower than a C in those classes.
Carolyn Smith, Scholarship Coordinator for the Building Science department thinks that although Auburn does have many opportunities to aid its students financially, the numbers are lower than ever because of the impact of an economy in recession.
Smith also said that her particular department gave out 67 scholarships to the tune of $116,763.
"It was lower this year because of the economy," Smith said. "We do an online application usually based on financial need. Sometimes we do an academic award."
Preston Fulghum, a senior in Health Administration, understands the burden of paying for one's own education.
"I'll bet there are hundreds of students at Auburn that would not be here were it not for scholarships," Fulghum said. "It sure beats having to work two or three jobs and go to school at the same time."
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