UGA Undergraduate Admissions / Financial Aid & Scholarships / First-Year Students

Scholarships At UGA

Investing in Your Future

With outstanding new facilities, a rapidly rising academic profile, and an increasingly diverse learning community, UGA has soared into the ranks of the nation’s most elite public research universities. UGA recently was ranked #10 on Princeton Review’s list of the “25 Most Connected Campuses,” second-highest among public universities nationwide. Yet a UGA education continues to be one of the most affordable in the country. That’s why respected sources such as MoneyMagazine, Kiplinger’s, and U.S. News & World Report agree that the University of Georgia is one of the best educational investments you can make.

2008-2009 Estimated Cost of Attendance

This cost is based on a 9-month term for an average undergraduate and is subject to change:

	Georgia Resident	Out-of-State Resident
Tuition and Fees	$6,030	$22,342
Typical Residence Halls	4,238	4,238
Typical 7-Day Meal Plan	3,290	3,290
Typical Tuition, Room & Board	$13,558	$29,870
Estimated Books & Supplies	900	900
Estimated Living Expenses	2,300	2,300
Total Cost	$16,758	$33,070

Students classified as non-residents who believe they should be designated as Georgia residents for in-state tuition should go to the Georgia Residency page for more information.

UGA National Quality and Value Rankings 7th for overall value among public institutions – Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine 7th among public institutions for "Best Values" –U.S. News & World Report 20th in the nation for top public universities – U.S. News & World Report UGA Honors Program: “An Ivy League experience at less than half the price.” – U.S. News & World Report

Merit Scholarships Available at UGA
The University of Georgia awards merit-based scholarships to entering first-year students based on academic merit, superior test scores, evidence of leadership, and outstanding accomplishments outside of the classroom. Approximately 5% of the entering first-year class is awarded a merit scholarship.

The UGA Foundation Fellowship is the University’s premier scholarship, focusing on developing entering first-year students into outstanding leaders and scholars. The Fellowship provides an annual stipend of $14,500 for out-of-state students (in addition to a Regents Waiver for out-of-state fees), or $9,000 for in-state students (in addition to the HOPE Scholarship). Recipients also take part in scholarship-funded events such as international travel-study programs, dinner seminars, mentor relationships with faculty, research or conference activities, and the enhanced academic opportunities of the University’s Honors Program.

The Foundation Fellowship program bases selection on grades, test scores, co-curricular accomplishments, recommendations, and an essay. Competitive applicants should have an unweighted high school GPA of at least 3.70 and a combined SAT score of 1400 (critical reading and math only) or ACT score of 31. Every student who is invited to the interview weekend is assured of receiving a Bernard Ramsey Honors Scholarship, with up to 25 students being named Foundation Fellows. The Ramsey Honors Scholarship award amount is $7,000 for out-of-state students (in addition to a Regents Waiver for out-of-state fees), or $4,500 for in-state students (in addition to the HOPE Scholarship).A separate Foundation Fellowship application and a completed admissions application must have been submitted to the Admissions Office by November 15th in order to be considered for these scholarships.

The Charter Scholarship recognizes approximately 250 incoming first-year students for demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics and criteria reflecting the Philosophy Statement for Undergraduate Admissions. Named in honor of UGA’s distinction as the nation’s first state-chartered public university, the Charter Scholarship provides $1,000 per year in addition to the state-funded HOPE Scholarship for eligible Georgia residents. Out-of-state students receive $1,000 per year plus either a half or full Regents Waiver of non-resident tuition, valued up to $15,104 for the 2007-08 academic year.

All admitted applicants whose admission files are complete by December 15 will be considered automatically for the Charter Scholarship, as well as the Regents Waiver. No additional application forms are required. We suggest that students who are interested in scholarships apply for admission early in the fall of their senior year.

In conjunction with UGA’s Office of Student Financial Aid, the Office of Admissions also awards three Goizueta Foundation Scholarships annually to students who are fluent in Spanish and who are in need of financial assistance. Recipients receive $3,000 per year toward their cost of attendance. Eligible students must demonstrate fluency in both written and spoken Spanish, be a Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident of the United States, and demonstrate financial need as determined by the UGA Office of Student Financial Aid. The postmark deadline is March 15th. For more information, please contact Cindy Crawford, Admissions Counselor and Assistant to Scholarships, at cboyles@uga.edu or (706) 542-2112. You may download a printable version of the Goizueta Scholarship application in the Adobe PDF format.

Students from selected Georgia Public High Schools which have not traditionally sent students to the University of Georgia will be considered for the Georgia Incentive Scholarships. Valued at $1,000, these scholarships are awarded to academically superior students and may be renewed for three additional years if the student maintains the required grade point average.

The George Woodruff Scholarships are awarded annually to a limited number of new freshmen enrolling in the Honors Program at UGA. These 3-5 $2,000 awards are offered to superior students who have applied for the Foundation Fellowship program, but are not awarded a Ramsey Honors Scholarship.

Dr. Henry King Stanford, former Interim President of the University of Georgia, endowed a scholarship program which is awarded annually to 2-3 students who have applied for the Foundation Fellowship and not selected as a Ramsey Scholarship. The renewable scholarship is valued at $3,000.

The Academic Common Market is a program sponsored by the Southern Regional Education Board for students seeking academic programs not available in their home state. At UGA, undergraduate students from defined states admitted to specific majors may be eligible to pay only the tuition charged to Georgia residents for their junior and senior years. For a list of the approved majors and home state residency requirements refer to www.sreb.org .

For consideration for this and the above scholarships, students must complete and submit the Foundation Fellowship Application by the stated deadline.

Harris Scholarships are awarded to new freshmen attending UGA from a Clarke County, Georgia high school. The $2,000 renewable scholarship is funded by an endowment from Mr. James J. Harris, a former Clarke County resident and provides funding for academically superior students from the area.

Combined Financial Need and Merit-based Scholarships

There are a limited number of $1,000 Scholarships funded by the UGA Foundation which are awarded to students based on a combination of financial need, as determined by completion of the FASFA, and academic merit.

The Shaw-White Family Scholarship Fund provides a limited number of need-based scholarships to students enrolling as freshmen at the University of Georgia from Northwest Georgia high schools.

The University of Georgia Alumni Association provides a renewable $5,000 scholarship for a new freshman annually. Selection is made on a combination of factors, including financial need as determined by submission of the FASFA and academic merit.

For consideration for the previous three scholarships, students should complete the FASFA in early January, listing UGA as a recipient of the results.

The University of Georgia has partnered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) in the University Alliance Scholarship, funded by the Lilly Foundation. New freshmen and transfer students admitted to the University may apply to the HSF for scholarships valued at up to $3,500. Selection is made by HSF and eligibility for consideration requires that the student is of Hispanic heritage, be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, be a Georgia resident for tuition purposes and have demonstrated financial need by meeting Pell eligibility as determined by completion of the FASFA. Applications are available www.hsf.net and are due by March 1 (freshmen) and April 15 (transfer students).

Many academic departments also administer their own scholarship programs, so we suggest you directly contact the department of your major for more information.

Merit Based Scholarships at UGA

Combined Financial Need and Merit-Based Scholarships

Other

*Stipend amounts are for students entering in the 2007-08 academic year.

Need-Based Financial Aid
The first step in applying for need-based financial aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can obtain this form at high schools, colleges, and libraries in December of your senior year; or you can go to FAFSA for the electronic version. If you would like to be considered for need-based financial aid, you must complete the FAFSA form. Grants, loans, and work-study employment will be awarded through this process. The priority deadline for filing the FAFSA is March 1. We suggest you have your FAFSA forms into the federal process as soon after the first of the year as possible to be eligible for consideration for all available aid programs. Approximately 34% of UGA students were awarded need-based aid during the previous year.

Financial aid eligibility is the difference between the contribution the family is expected to make to finance a student’s college education and the cost of attendance at the University of Georgia. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an evaluation of the parents’ and students’ income and assets, with adjustments made for the number of family members and the number of students in college. We invite you to find out more about Financial Aid at UGA.

The Georgia HOPE Scholarship
Currently, the HOPE Scholarship covers undergraduate tuition, required fees capped at the 2003-04 rate, and a $150 per semester book allowance for Georgia residents who graduate from Georgia high schools meeting the minimum academic requirements. Please visit the University of Georgia's Office of Student Financial Aid Web site for information on applying for and maintaining the Georgia HOPE Scholarship.