Alabama Academic Elite Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by University of Alabama

Academic Elite Scholarship — Overview

The Academic Elite Scholarship is awarded to students who are members of the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program. Eight Academic Elite Scholars are named each year from a large pool of applicants, and each award is renewable for four years. Recipients must remain active members of the Witt University Fellows Program to retain the scholarship.

Description: Membership in the Witt University Fellows Program (formerly the University Fellows Experience) is required to be considered and to maintain the scholarship.

• Eight scholars named annually.
• Award duration: up to four years.
• Continued WUFP membership required to retain the award.

Eligibility & Requirements

Eligibility hinges on acceptance into and continued membership in the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program. The applicant pool typically exceeds 1,000 students, making selection competitive. Acceptance to the WUFP and continued participation are prerequisites for both initial award and renewal.

Eligibility: Must be accepted as a member of the Witt University Fellows Program and maintain membership for the duration of the scholarship.

• Must join and remain in the Witt University Fellows Program.
• Competitive selection from a large applicant pool.
• Renewal contingent on continued program membership.

Award Details

The scholarship package varies by recipient tier: seven recipients receive a standard Academic Elite package, while one top recipient receives an enhanced package. All packages include four years of tuition and one year of on-campus housing at the regular room rate. Supplemental scholarships and additional allowances differ between the standard recipients and the top recipient.

Award Value:

• Seven recipients: tuition for four years, one year of on-campus housing at the regular room rate, and a $9,000 per year undergraduate supplemental scholarship for four years.
• Top recipient: tuition for four years, one year of on-campus housing at the regular room rate, a $9,000 supplemental scholarship for the first year, $19,000 per year supplemental scholarship for years 2–4, and a one-time $5,000 undergraduate allowance for research or international study (available after completing one year of study).

• All recipients receive four years of tuition coverage and one year of housing at the regular room rate.
• Supplemental scholarship amounts differ for the top recipient versus the other recipients.
• The top recipient receives an additional one-time research or international study allowance after year one.

Restrictions & Limits

Academic Elite Scholarship awards cannot be combined with previously awarded merit scholarships; recipients will receive the higher scholarship package between the awards. Institutional scholarship funds, including combinations with faculty/staff Educational Benefits, are subject to maximums tied to the institution's published cost of attendance. External aid sources such as veteran benefits, PACT, external agency scholarships, privately funded scholarships, and federal grants and loans are not affected by these institutional limits.

Restrictions: The scholarship cannot be combined with prior merit awards; institutional awards are capped by cost of attendance rules; National Merit stipends may offset supplemental amounts if applicable.

• Recipients receive the higher scholarship package if multiple merit awards exist.
• Institutional scholarship totals cannot exceed cost-of-attendance limits.
• Outside aid sources are generally not affected by institutional caps.
• If a National Merit Finalist is selected as an Academic Elite Scholar, the supplemental scholarship may be reduced by the National Merit stipend.

Housing Clarification

Housing awards are based on the regular room rate, defined as the largest room option available in a given residence hall. For halls with four-person suites, the four-person suite rate is used as the housing scholarship value. If the largest option in a different residence hall is a double room, the double room rate would be used to determine the housing scholarship value.

Housing: The regular room rate equals the cost of the largest room option in the assigned residence hall; the housing scholarship covers that rate for one year.

• Housing scholarship covers one year at the regular room rate.
• Regular room rate equals the largest available room option in the residence hall.
• Examples: four-person suite rate applied where available; double room rate applied where that is the largest option.