1/23/02

AUBURN'S 'LICENSE TO LEARN' ENDOWMENT TOPS $10 MILLION MARK

AUBURN -- Income to Auburn University's "License to Learn" scholarship endowment has topped the $10 million mark, sustaining Auburn's No. 1 position among the state colleges and universities in the sales of collegiate specialty tags.

At the end of the past fiscal year, AU tag sales totaled $10.25 million, accounting for more than 42 percent of all collegiate tag sales revenue since the program began in 1988. AU tag sales for the fiscal year that ended in September 2001 totaled $1.27 million, more than any other year since the program began.

"The many alumni, students, faculty and others who have purchased Auburn tags since the program was launched in 1988 deserve all the credit and should be extremely proud to see AU's License to Learn scholarship endowment top the $10 million mark," said Mike Jernigan, who leads the marketing effort for the License to Learn program. "Auburn is the first university in the state to reach this milestone, and over the years, funds from the tag endowment have helped hundreds of outstanding in-state students attend the university. The Auburn tag program is truly an outstanding success story."

The University of Alabama is second to AU in tag sales with $8.86 million through the past fiscal year. In fiscal 2001. UA was also second to Auburn with $1.05 million in sales.

Since the tags became available, Auburn and Alabama have accounted for nearly 80 percent of all collegiate license plate sales in Alabama. Tags are available for 25 state colleges and universities, but AU and UA account for more than $19 million of the $24 million total.

"Purchasing an Auburn license plate is a very simple way to help Auburn University help its students," Jernigan added. "Obviously, thousands of friends of Auburn continue to take advantage of that opportunity. We hope others who haven't yet will decide to do the same."

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CONTACT: Jernigan, 334/844-1163.