Naming a Scholarship

There are hundreds of students who are willing to work hard to get an education, but who cannot financially pay the cost of their education when they get ready to attend college. With a donor's help, a deserving student can attend UWA with the establishment of a scholarship or donating to an existing scholarship.

An Endowed Scholarship requires a minimum of $10,000 pledged over a five-year period. It is expected that the donor will make a minimum annual gift of $2,000. Such a scholarship will continue to grow if donors continue to add monthly, quarterly or annual contributions. When the fund reaches $10,000, a named award may be presented to a student who meets the criteria set by the donor and the scholarship will be listed in the undergraduate catalog and on the official scholarship application for the University. As only the interest from the endowment will be used toward the scholarship, the award amount will vary.

A Principal Only Scholarship requires a pledge of $8,000 over a four-year period. It is expected the donor make a minimum of $2,000 a year in contributions and the award will be made annually from the full amount of $2,000 as no interest will be accrued from the donation. This scholarship may be named by the donor and will be listed in the catalog and application as long as the principal is sufficient to fund the scholarship for the next academic year.

For a minimum contribution of $500 annually, a donor may fund a Pooled Scholarship. The funds are placed in a mutual fund account in which the accrued interest is awarded in equal amounts to the scholarship recipients. This scholarship fund cannot be named nor is it listed in the general undergraduate catalog except as The University of West Alabama Pooled Scholarship. The donor may also elect to contribute to an existing scholarship already named.

Scholarship Criteria Guidelines

• Scholarships are granted only to full-time students or those who take a full course load of at least twelve (12) academic semester hours.
• The recipient must be of good character and high moral standards.
• The candidate or recipient must maintain a “C” Grade Point Average while enrolled at UWA.
• If an incoming Freshman, the recipient must have an ACT score that meets the University’s unconditional admission standards.  If a transfer student, the recipient must have a transferring GPA of at least a “C.”
  The candidate may not be a family member or known relative of the donor as required by the Internal Revenue Code.
• The Donor may elect to add additional criteria from the following list:
   a. The geographical region or area including state, region, county or city;
   b. The academic field or major of study;
   c. The level of financial need of the applicant;
   d. The Grade Point Average or ACT score, but must meet a minimum level of those set by the University;
   e. The academic classification of the student (senior, junior, sophomore, freshman, or graduate student); and/or
    f. Areas of previous and/or current experiences in the community, church and/or school.

Scholarship Selection Process

All applicants must have met unconditional admission requirements at UWA and completed an official UWA Scholarship Application form.

Unless otherwise indicated by the donor, the University Scholarship Committee, consisting of University personnel appointed by the UWA President, will review all applications and select the student(s) who best meets the requirements of the donor.  Although donors are encouraged to make public their participation in the scholarship as a means of encouraging others, the donor may request and receive confidentiality or anonymity of the gift.  The donor will be notified by the Scholarship Committee at least annually of the name of the recipient(s) with assurances that the individual(s) has met the donor's criteria.