Scholarships
PROMISING STUDENT.
GENEROUS DONOR.
LIFE-CHANGING SCHOLARSHIP.
Becoming a Tiger did not come easily for Clemson University President James F. Barker ’70. An aspiring architect and the first in his family to attend college, Barker excelled in his classes. However, at the end of his junior year, he faced a great challenge: His savings would not be enough to cover his senior-year tuition. “I was staring straight into the reality that I might not be able to finish college.” But that’s when Barker’s blessing — and perhaps, his destiny — began to unfold. Administrators and faculty, realizing his potential and his dilemma, awarded him the Langdon Cheeves Scholarship.
“The scholarship money was not a huge amount, but it was exactly what I needed to pay for my senior year,” said Barker.
“And that scholarship made all the difference to me at that moment in time, as well as in the course my life took from that point forward.”
Leading Students
Clemson’s success rests on attracting and retaining bright, driven students whose achievements during and after college will help make Clemson a top-20 public institution. These students recognize the value of investing in a Clemson education, and they seek the experiences they know they will only find here: cutting-edge research opportunities, creative enrichment programs and the chance to become a part of the Clemson
Family. Bringing these students to Clemson is our top priority.
The Reality
Dwindling public funding, the global economic climate and more people entering higher education have created an urgency for additional scholarships and fellowships, both need-based — to open doors for good students who would not otherwise be able to afford college — and meritbased — to attract and enroll the nation’s most aspiring students.
This urgency is very real for Clemson students. Take John, for example, a promising local applicant whose projected freshman-year costs are typical:
In-state tuition and fees .....................................$11,108
Books/supplies ......................................................$900
Average on-campus housing ................................$3,914
Seven-day meal plan............................................$2,642
Transportation .....................................................$2,360
Personal..............................................................$1,920
Laptop (required).................................................$1,300
TOTAL estimated cost of attendance per year..........$24,144
LIFE Scholarship...................................................($5,000)
Federal and state grants........................................($3,500)
TOTAL estimated out-of-pocket cost .......................$15,644*
*Out-of-state estimated out-of-pocket costs $29,666
While Clemson could offer John a $5,000-value LIFE Scholarship for his academic achievements and $3,500 in federal and state need-based grants, Virginia Tech was able to offer him multiple scholarships that covered his full tuition. In the end, Clemson lost this gifted student to Virginia Tech.
Indeed, the colleges that are able to offer more financial support are typically better able to recruit top students. Without adequate funding for scholarships — both need- and merit-based — Clemson loses these promising future leaders to other schools whose scholarship endowments are far greater. Moreover, the state of South Carolina misses out on the potential economic impact these students will make in other states.
The Need
Clemson University needs to raise private funding for the priority areas below in order to attract the best students to our University and to help worthy students have an opportunity to gain a higher education.
• Need- and merit-based undergraduate scholarships
• Graduate fellowships
• Graduate fellowships in Public Service Activities
• Scholarships for community and 4-H programs
• IPTAY scholarships for student athletes
The Impact
Increasing Clemson’s scholarship endowment will help us fulfill our promise to the people of South Carolina and become a top-20 public institution. With this funding, Clemson will be better able to:
• Nurture talented students who might not otherwise have the chance to attend and complete college.
• Develop a knowledgeable and skilled work force, which will fuel the economy.
• Provide student financial assistance at a level consistent with other top-20 institutions.
• Attract the best and brightest students who will be a magnet for leading researchers and eminent faculty, helping to boost Clemson into the top 20.
Those who have experienced Clemson know that it has something different, the “X factor” that other schools envy. It possesses a spirit and drive that tie everyone together with a common goal for enrichment, engagement and excellence.