February 26, 1999

Scholarships attracting more students with 90+ averages

More than 2400 high school students applied for scholarships to enter the U of A this September, with 692 receiving Academic Excellence Scholarships.

That's up 250 applications so far over last year. And about 100 applications are still pending. Final Grade 11 marks are needed to determine scholarship eligibility.

In total, the number of student admissions in the 90+ category is up 52 per cent, since 1994, the first year of the Academic Excellence program, says Ron Chilibeck, director of student awards.

This year, there are 81 applicants for 1999 registration with averages of 95 per cent or higher and 611 with 90 per cent and above.

About $5,428,000, or 5100 awards, have been offered to Grade 12 students in the competition.

"They know about us... We hit students with information before making decisions, not after. It's too late to contact them in March or April," he says.

Alberta Grade 12 students are offered scholarship information in September and October. In addition, the on-line registration was running for the first time and received almost 500 hits. Chilibeck suspects once the kinks are worked out and the admission process simplified, applications will be up on-line.

At the same time, the number of students admitted with averages between 80-90 per cent has dropped slightly by 5 per cent, to 1310 over the same time period.

The reason? "There's no money for those averages," says Chilibeck. "Scholarships make a difference."

Some faculties do provide scholarships, ranging for averages 80 per cent and above, such as in agriculture, forestry and home economics, engineering, nursing and Facult‚ Saint-Jean. Arts, business and science offer scholarships for averages 90+.

Chilibeck adds the university needs to find funds for students in the 80+ range. "For a small amount of money, we could get a large bang for our buck." These students, ignored by the "Big Three" universities, head to the colleges and transfer programs instead, says Chilibeck.

All Academic Excellence Scholarship nominees receive a "limited edition" specially designed Academic Excellence T-shirt, along with a letter of congratulations from President Rod Fraser.

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