Jacksonville State University is constantly undergoing changes in order to benefit the students that call it home. We do our utmost to make our school accessible and affordable while still providing a high quality education.

JSU has always strived to help students with the financial strains of college by providing scholarship opportunities and financial aid.

We are proud to announce the changes that we have recently made concerning our university scholarships.

JSU now offers six university scholarships, as well as numerous scholarships financed through contributions to the JSU Foundation, each with its own benefits.

Students who apply to JSU with the qualifying ACT or SAT score and appropriate grade point average will now be automatically offered a scholarship.

Dr. Tim King, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, says that while some may call this a radical change, it is one that will take JSU in a new direction.

“We’ve already had a very strong response,” says King, who added that the scholarships are not only available to Alabama residents but also to residents in ten contiguous counties in Georgia.

Dr. King works with all facets of enrollment and has been overseeing a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan that is geared toward bringing more students to JSU. A central premise of the plan is to provide more non-loan-based financial aid opportunities.

More than five hundred students have already accepted these scholarship offers for the upcoming fall semester, totaling more than $2.5 million in scholarship dollars.

“These scholarships will transform JSU,” says Dr. Rebecca Turner, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. “They will bring even more students to our campus that have worked hard and are ready for higher education.”

Each scholarship comes with its own advantages.

The scholarships will benefit students with ACT scores of at least 22 and SAT scores of at least 1030.

All scholarships are renewable providing the student maintains the minimum qualifying grade point average.

Dr. Joe Delap, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, says that he wants prospective students to know that “JSU is committed to the highest degree of student success and persistence in school to graduation, which these increased scholarship offerings help assure through students’ financial stability, focus on studies and increased engagement on campus.”

Dr. King says that over time these modifications will not only benefit the campus but will have a positive impact on the community as well.

“This is the first year we are doing this,” he stated. “Right now there is no limit, so we’re excited to see where it takes us.”

The university scholarships are:

Gem of the Hills Scholar - requires an ACT score of 22 or an SAT score of 1030, covers six in-state tuition hours per semester.

Gamecock Scholar - requires an ACT score of 24 or an SAT score of 1110, covers nine in-state tuition hours per semester.

Faculty Scholar - requires an ACT of 26 or an SAT score of 1190, covers sixteen in-state tuition hours per semester and books.

Elite Scholar - requires an ACT score of 30 or an SAT score of 1340, covers sixteen in-state tuition hours per semester, housing and meal plan.

Magnolia Scholar (Out of State) - requires an ACT score of 26 or an SAT score of 1190, covers nine in-state tuition hours per semester.

Mimosa Scholar (Out of State) - requires an ACT of 24 or an SAT of 1110, covers six in-state tuition hours per semester.

(For more on JSU Scholarships, please visit our Financial Aid website: http://www.jsu.edu/finaid.)

Lauren Cunningham, student worker in the Office of Public Relations, contributed to this article.