New Academic Year Kicks Off: 24 Students Get Full Scholarships

Scholarship recipients with President Waterbury (center back)

AUB kicked off the 2007-08 academic year by announcing the names of 24 new students who will receive full scholarships for their outstanding academic achievement. The scholarships will cover tuition fees for the entire stay at AUB, provided the students maintain an 85 percent average.

President John Waterbury announced the scholarships on September 25, two days before the start of the academic year. Almost 2,000 new students, including about 140 international students from 21 countries, enrolled at AUB this year. Among them are 11 PhD students, who constitute the first batch of doctoral candidates after AUB reinitiated its PhD programs this year. Some 53 new faculty members also joined AUB from the United States, Europe, and Asia.

"This is a truly remarkable place," said Waterbury, in reference to AUB. "I have had long experience in some of the best universities in the United States, but they don't have as much to hold onto as AUB, which has a long and rich history, a great faculty, and excellent students."

AUB grants three different types of scholarships: the Merit Scholarship, the Merits Baccalaureate Scholarship, and the Presidential Scholarship. Since 1999 when the Merit grant was initiated, AUB has been annually choosing ten new students with the highest high school scores to qualify for the Merit Scholarship.

Two other new scholarships were also created over the past few years. The Merits Baccalaureate Scholarship, which was created in 2006 in conjunction with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research, gives AUB the opportunity to invite 12 graduating high school students in Lebanon with the highest scores on their official baccalaureate exams to apply to the University. Those who qualify receive a full scholarship, which, with the Council's contribution of LL 10 million per student per year, will cover their tuition fees.

AUB also offers needy students, if accepted, accommodations and a monthly stipend of $350 to cover food and transportation expenses. Moreover, all students on that scholarship program are exempted from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and, if needed, will be placed in remedial English classes free of charge.

Finally, President Waterbury announced a new scholarship program offered to five students from Arab countries other than Lebanon. Called the Presidential Scholarship, the grant will cover tuition, accommodations, and other expenses, such as health insurance and activity fees, and will also provide the student with a monthly stipend of $250.