Alcorn announces new scholarships for incoming freshmen, returning students

Alcorn announces new scholarships for incoming freshmen, returning students

Alcorn State University is increasing its university-funded academic scholarships from five to seven, giving more students more opportunities to earn scholarships, starting Fall 2016

“It’s unfortunate when a lack of money separates students from academic advancement and, ultimately, professional goals,” Alcorn President Alfred Rankins Jr. said. “We must be responsive to the needs of our students and identify strategies to expand access and opportunities for the students that we serve.”

The Alcorn Achieve Scholarship is perhaps the most unique of the new offerings. While most academic scholarships award students based on composite ACT/SAT scores before entering a university, this one allows students who complete 30-credit hours at Alcorn and earn at least a 3.3 GPA to enjoy free tuition, room and board, regardless of ACT/SAT scores. Students would be awarded this scholarship two to six semesters, depending on when they qualify.

“With the new Alcorn Achieve Scholarship, we want to provide financial assistance for those students that have demonstrated academic excellence here at Alcorn,” Rankins said. “Based on ACT/SAT scores, these students would be otherwise shut out from institutional scholarships and more dependent on student loans.”

Rankins said the scholarships are among the tools Alcorn is using to increase university access, affordability and retention.

“Scholarships minimize the need for student loans and bridge the gap between federal and state grant aid,” Vice President for Student Affairs Emanuel Barnes said.

The President’s Excellence Scholarship is the most lucrative of the new scholarships, fully funding tuition, room and board for four years and providing a $500 per semester book allowance and a $1,000 stipend each semester. It’s available to the most prestigious scholars, those who earn at least a 3.0 in high school and score a 28 or above on the ACT.

Additional scholarships — the Provost Scholar, University Scholar, Valedictorian Scholar, Salutatorian Scholar and the Community College Transfer Scholar — recognize other academic achievements with varying awards.

In the past, scholarships required students to maintain GPAs from 3.5 to 3.0 to continue their financial award. In Fall 2016, all academic scholarships will have the same 3.0 GPA maintenance requirements.

Students can apply for these and other scholarships by visiting www.alcorn.edu. Students who have questions are encouraged to call the Office of Admissions at (800) 222-6790 or (601) 877-2400.