Honors Scholarships

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 activities 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.