Honors Scholarships

The Honors College awards several different types of scholarships for students in the Honors College.

Honors Select Scholarship: A scholarship renewable up to eight semesters for students in good standing in the Honors College. Currently valued at $4,500 per academic year.   Several scholarships awarded each year.

Honors Merit Scholarship: A scholarship renewable up to eight semesters for students in good standing in the Honors College. Currently valued at $3,000 per academic year. Many such scholarships awarded.

Honors Recognition Scholarship: Currently worth $1,500 per academic year for Honors College students. Many of these scholarships are awarded each year.

Honors Achievement Scholarship: This scholarship provides $1,000 per academic year for Honors College students. Automatically renewable. 

Honors Scholastic Scholarship: This scholarship provides $500 per academic year for Honors College students. Automatically renewable.  Many of these scholarships are awarded each year.

Muehlstein Honors Housing Awards: Presented at two different levels. Level I provides $4,000 per year towards housing costs in the UA Residence Halls for the first two years of a UA Honors student's program. Level II provides$2,000 for that housing, again for the first two years.

Lisle M. Buckingham/Orr Family Honors Scholarships: The most prestigious honors scholarship. The award consists of tuition and fees, room and board, for up to eight semesters of an Honors student's academic program. Approximately six new awards each year.

Details and Descriptions

Every applicant to the Honors College is considered for an honors scholarship award. No additional application need be completed other than the application to join the Honors College. Students should be sure to also complete the standard, one-page UA scholarship application to be considered for non-honors scholarships as well.

As of 2007, the honors scholarship is in addtion to other academic scholarships awarded at The University of Akron, such as the Scholarship for Excellence, Presidential Scholarship, National Merit Scholarship, etc. 

To receive an Honors scholarship in any given semester, a student must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree program for a minimum of 12 credits. The Honors Council will consider requests for exceptions to this rule in cases of extraordinary hardship.

Honors scholarships are renewed annually, without reapplication, if the student maintains a sufficient cumulative grade-point average:

• after completing one year of college or 32 credits toward graduation: 3.25 or higher
• after completing two years of college or 64 credits toward graduation: 3.30 or higher
• after completing three years of college or 96 credits toward graduation: 3.40 or higher

A student whose cumulative grade-point average at the end of an academic year is below the required minimum may take courses during the subsequent summer sessions at The University of Akron to requalify for the honors scholarship. 

A student must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 3.0 overall and a 2.0 in any semester in order to maintain status in the Honors College.

Students who take part in co-operative education during a fall or spring semester have their honors scholarships applied to the following summer sessions. Students who will graduate early (that is, in fewer than eight semesters) may apply to the Honors Council requesting that the scholarship they would have received for their final semester be awarded during the last summer session before graduation.

Transfer students, non-traditional applicants, and continuing undegraduates at UA who apply to the Honors College are considered for scholarships case by case.

Lisle M. Buckingham/Orr Scholarship Descriptions

Each year the Honors Council selects about six of the most outstanding applicants to the Honors College to be named Buckingham or Orr Scholars. The Honors College's Lisle M. Buckingham Memorial Endowment is used to guarantee that Buckingham Scholars will receive, each year, full coverage for their tuition and instructional fees and their UA room and meal charges, provided they maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average. The Buckingham Scholarship makes up the difference between other scholarship awards and the Buckingham Scholar's UA expenses; it is not a fixed amount. This award is available to all who would enter UA immediately following high school graduation, whether or not they are residents of the State of Ohio.

Buckingham Scholars are students of superior academic and personal promise who are beginning their college educations as members of the University Honors College. The additional assistance provided through the Buckingham Endowment is meant to free students to fully engage in scholarship and intellectual pursuits. In accepting the designation Buckingham Scholar a student agrees to participate in certain university service and co-curricular activites associated with the Buckingham Scholar Program.

The award is renewed annually provided that the Scholar dedicates full time effort to college work and does not accept additional employment without the prior aproval of the Honors Council; meets regularly each semester in a seminar with other Buckingham Scholars and Honors College faculty; attains, by the end of each academic year or subsequent summer sessions, a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50.

Every applicant who applies to enter The University of Akron's Honors College following graduation from high school is considered for the Buckingham/Orr scholarships. Based on their honors application essays and interviews, their records of academic achievement and recognition, their civic activities and character, the most outstanding Honors College applicants are invited to campus for a final round of selection. Buckingham/Orr Scholars for the following year are named each spring.

Other Scholarships

Many other UA scholarships other than those awarded by the Honors College are available to qualified students.Visit the Financial Aid web page for the most up-to-date information. National Merit Scholarship Finalists should be aware that the National Merit group does not notify universities when a student attains finalist status, so that finalists should notify the Financial Aid office when they receive notice of that award.  Some scholarships have specific stipulations while others are more general. For example, a number of talent/ability-based scholarships are available through the schools of art, dance, music and theatre arts. Similarly, the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering each year award several scholarships to undergraduates who have achieved highly in their disciplines.

To be sure that you are taking advantage of all opportunities, be sure to check with your department and college offices. Other financial aid (grants, loans, work) may also be available to you. We encourage you to make prudent use of these resources so that you may focus your attention and energy on your education.

For further information regarding the other scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid web site.