Financial aid •
March 2, 2022
Auburn financial aid: a complete guide
Read all about financial aid at Auburn, including scholarships, loans, and grants.
Auburn University, located in Auburn, Alabama, is one of the largest universities in the southern United States. The school got its start in 1856 as the East Alabama Male College. It became a state-owned, land-grant college in 1872 and today is home to nearly 30,000 students!
The school is well-known for both its academic and athletic programs. Students can choose from 150 different majors across the university’s 13 colleges and schools.
If you’re considering attending Auburn and want to learn more about the school and the financial aid programs it offers, here’s what you need to know.
A snapshot look at Auburn
Auburn is a “comprehensive land, sea, and space grant institution,” with a campus that includes more than 1,840 acres of land and a student population of almost 30,000.
The university’s vision is to “become a world-renowned institution that excels in education, research, and service — and to become a model of higher education.” The school aims to prepare students for their life after college and drive research and scholarship.
Students at Auburn have many options when it comes to academics. Students can study at one of Auburn’s many schools and colleges, including:
College of Agriculture
College of Architecture, Design & Construction
Raymond J. Harbert College of Business
College of Education
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
James Harrison School of Pharmacy
College of Sciences and Mathematics
Outside of class, students can join one of the school’s more than 300 clubs and organizations or attend one of the school’s sporting events. Football is a major sport at Auburn, and the school has won a dozen conference titles in the SEC.
As a public school, Auburn is much more affordable than many private colleges, making it a good choice for students wanting to save some money on their education.
Ranking: 99th nationally
Size: 24,505
Demographics: 52% male, 48% female
Tuition: $8,860 for in-state students, $18,820 for out-of-state students
Acceptance rate: 75%
Average GPA of accepted student: 3.9
Key dates and deadlines (2022):
Application: February 1
Financial aid deadlines: February 1
A look at scholarships offered by Auburn
The best way to pay for your education is with a scholarship. You can earn scholarships based on financial need or merit, such as by earning good grades or strong athletic achievements.
Either way, scholarships are the best way to pay for school because they’re like free money that can go toward college costs! Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay them back.
Auburn makes it easy to apply for many of the different scholarship opportunities available to students. With the Auburn University Scholarship Opportunity Manager (AUSOM), students can view a list of available scholarships and quickly apply for them online. One application makes you eligible for multiple scholarships.
Although Auburn offers a wide variety of scholarships, you shouldn’t stop there! You can apply for scholarships outside of Auburn too. Many community groups and businesses have their own scholarship programs that award large and small amounts. If you look hard enough, you can find scholarships for almost everything you can think of.
For more on which scholarships you can apply for and how Mos can help, check out our financial aid tips and tricks.
Student loans
Once you’ve applied for scholarships, student loans can be another great way to help you pay for college.
Like all loans, you have to pay back student loans. However, they can be a good way to invest in yourself by paying for education. Just be ready to foot the bill and cover any interest that builds up.
Auburn’s financial aid website breaks down the different loan programs you can take advantage of.
One of the best loan programs available to college students is the Federal Direct Loan Program. As the name implies, these loans come directly from the US government and are designed to help people afford college.
Federal Direct loans can be either subsidized or unsubsidized. With a subsidized loan, interest won’t build up until after you leave school. If you get an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding to your loan balance right away.
Federal loans are eligible for a variety of aid programs, including income-based repayment and loan forgiveness. This can make it easier to pay back your debt once you graduate.
If you need a bit more money to pay for school once you’ve exhausted your federal loan, you can also consider private student loans. These loans come from regular banks and other lenders.
The drawback of private loans is that they tend to be much more expensive than federal loans. They also aren't eligible for programs like income-based repayment or loan forgiveness. That means that you should max out your federal loan limit before turning to private lenders.
For more on student loans, check out our article on how student loans work.
FAFSA
The best thing that any college-bound student can do to help pay for college is complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA is a universal student aid application that the government and many colleges and universities use. The information in your FAFSA makes you eligible for things like scholarships, grants, and other aid programs.
When you fill out the FAFSA, you’ll have to sit down with your family and provide some financial information. That includes things like your family income, assets, and any money you’ve saved for school.
The government will use the information in your FAFSA and a complex formula to determine your expected family contribution (EFC).
The government and schools like Auburn will use the EFC to determine the amount of need-based aid that you should receive. This includes things like Pell Grants and scholarships and influences the amount you can borrow from federal student loans.
You aren’t guaranteed to get all of your financial needs met, but the lower your EFC, the more aid you’re likely to receive.
The FAFSA process starts on October 1 for financial aid awarded during the next academic year. You can submit the form anytime up to the end of June of the year you attend school.
For more information on the FAFSA and its deadlines, you can visit our article that covers everything you need to know about the FAFSA.
Auburn financial aid FAQs
These are some of the most frequently asked questions about financial aid at Auburn.
What is Auburn’s cost of attendance?
As a state school, the cost of tuition at Auburn is pretty affordable.
The cost of attendance for an in-state student at Auburn is $16,825. Of that number, $5,913 is tuition, $7,298 room and board, and $3,614 other expenses. Out-of-state students pay an additional $10,080 in tuition, moving their cost of attendance to $26,905.
How many students pay no tuition at Auburn?
Auburn doesn’t publish the number of students that receive a full-ride scholarship to the school. The average first-year student receives $9,776 in need-based aid, with 36% of students qualifying for that aid.
Can out-of-state students receive financial aid?
Yes, out-of-state students are eligible for financial aid at Auburn.
Universities like Auburn that you might be interested in
If you’re considering Auburn but don’t know if it’s right for you, consider these alternatives.
The University of Alabama
Founded in 1831 as Alabama’s flagship university, UA has a reputation for strong academics. The school enrolled 281 National Merit Scholars in 2021 and is ranked as a top research university.
If you’re looking for a rigorous, research-focused school, the University of Alabama might be the right fit for you.
Alabama State University
Founded in 1867 in Marion, Alabama, as a school for African Americans, Alabama State University is a diverse school that is widely respected for its teacher education programs and health sciences programs.
Today, ASU is located in Montgomery, Alabama, giving students a chance to live in a culturally rich city while enjoying the campus community.
If you’re looking for a well-regarded, highly diverse school, ASU could be a good choice.
Alabama A&M University
Alabama A&M is a historically Black college founded in 1875 by a former slave, Dr. William Hooper Councill. Students can choose from 60 undergraduate programs among the university’s 4 colleges.
If you want to attend a historically black college, Alabama A&M is a good choice.
Conclusion
Auburn is one of the best-known universities in the southern United States and is dedicated to its mission of research and growing to be a model of education to the world. If you’re looking for a high-quality public university at an affordable price, Auburn might be the right fit for you. With Mos, you get access to the largest scholarship pool in America.Quit leaving money behind. Work 1-on-1 with a Mos advisor to find every dollar you qualify for. Learn more here.To get started, you can learn more on Mos’s website.
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