Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s namesake and family commit $30 million to scholarships

The namesake of Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the Ginn Family Foundation committed $30 million to the college to establish a new scholarship program, marking the largest single commitment to scholarships in Auburn University history.

The Ginn Scholarship Program is designed to provide up to 40 scholarship awards annually, covering tuition, fees, room and board for up to five years.

To qualify for this merit-based scholarship, Ginn Scholars must demonstrate need, graduate from a Title I high school in the state of Alabama and be admitted into the College of Engineering. Candidates must also have exercised leadership skills in school community activities and have values that align with those espoused in the Auburn Creed.

“When I was accepted into Auburn, the affordability issue was front and center, but a college education was important to my parents,” Ginn said. “Once at Auburn, I participated in ROTC, waited tables and worked in a clothing store just to get by. But I was never ashamed of that. In fact, it instilled that ‘hard work’ mentality that is grounded in the Auburn Creed. My hope is that this program will lessen the financial burden of a higher education and help families in our state. There are so many students with strong family value systems, and they deserve an opportunity to focus on their studies instead of focusing on their financial situation.”

The program is designed to provide financial and transitional assistance to incoming freshmen, along with the student support services needed to navigate the curriculum. Ginn Scholars will be provided dedicated space to study, collaborate and grow academically and personally. They will also attend lectures on personal finance and other subjects designed to support future success. These efforts help build a bond among the Ginn Scholars and develop personal relationships that last a lifetime.

Members of the Ginn Scholars Program will complete a first-year seminar to learn about the student support services and resources available to them. This seminar will allow scholars to meet and connect early in their academic journeys.

In 2001, Ginn’s commitment of $25 million to the college was the single-largest gift to a higher education institution earmarked for academics in the state’s history. As a result, the college was named as the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in his honor. This gift also served as the impetus behind the establishment of a wireless engineering program, the first of its kind in the nation.

“Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Ginn made an investment in Auburn Engineering that has propelled us to levels of achievement and excellence that previously we could only have dreamed of,” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “This new investment in the Ginn Scholars Program will provide access to hundreds of students from the state, further cementing our mission as a land-grant institution. The Ginn Scholars Program will continue our objective to be one of the top engineering colleges in the nation.”