Continue reading »]]> One of the most difficult and important parts of attending college is “How will I pay for it?”  This is usually addressed by determining how much you can afford to pay for yourself, then augmenting that with two key factors: financial aid and scholarships.

The steps for enrolling in financial aid at Auburn University are fairly straight-forward.  First, if you have not already, you need to have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. This is an approximation of how much you (or your family) are expected to contribute to your college education.  Much of your financial need is determined by this application so be sure to complete and submit it.  The next step is to go to the Auburn University Financial Aid page at http://www.auburn.edu/administration/business_office/finaid/. Here you will find links to the necessary forms you have to fill out in order to enroll for financial aid at Auburn.  There are a few key pieces of information you need to know about financial aid at Auburn.  First and most importantly, you must REAPPLY EVERY YEAR for financial aid; it is NOT automatically renewed.  Secondly, if you are entering in summer term, know that it will be awarded separately from the next Fall/Spring financial aid awards.  Finally, most grants require that you be a full time student (12 hours minimum).

In addition to financial aid, there are a vast array of available scholarships, some that are even available only to transfer students!  There are a number of different levels you may receive scholarships: general scholarships through the university, scholarships specific to your major from your department, and outside donors not directly related to Auburn.  The university offers roughly 6,000 general scholarships every year.  These can be found at http://www.auburn.edu/scholarship/. Some of these are reserved specifically for you, the transfer student.  To be in consideration for these you must meet the following requirements:
-have a minimum 3.25 transfer GPA,
-have at least 30 transfer hours, and
-apply before June 1st.
Also, be sure to check with your department, they may offer even more scholarships on top of any you get from the general university scholarship program.  And the best news is that you can have scholarships at both levels.  So be sure to apply for as many as you can find!