Named scholarships & funds
When it comes to earning a college degree, the greatest obstacle can be funding.
For this reason, The University of Akron is pleased for the opportunity each year to assist talented, deserving students achieve their dreams, thanks to more than 1,300 named scholarships established through the kindness and generosity of thousands of °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ alumni and friends, corporations, and foundations.
Scholarships truly are the best way to ensure that today’s students persist to graduation. Scholarships allow students to enroll full time and remain focused on their studies; they also reduce drop-out rates, decrease the stress of student loans, and shorten the road to graduation.
If you are interested in making a significant contribution to student success, please consider a gift to scholarships. You may also establish a named scholarship at The University of Akron, which can be created to honor a living person, in memory of a loved one, or to contribute to the growth of an area of study.
To learn more, please contact the Department of Development at 330-972-7238.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
This is not the page to apply for scholarships.
Students who want to apply for scholarships should visit the scholarship page on the Financial Aid site. You can find the link for the online application here.
The Department of Development does not accept applications for or distribute scholarships. Scholarships are distributed through the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid.
Search for a Named Scholarship
Van Buren, Dr. and Mrs. George Endowed Scholarship Fund
As lifelong residents of Akron, Dr. and Mrs. George Van Buren share a commitment to their alma mater and their community. Believing that each person should have the opportunity to fulfill his or her dreams and goals and that education affords that opportunity, Dr. and Mrs. Van Buren have established the following four scholarship awards designed to assist students in various phases of their education:
The Van Buren Akron Public High School Scholarship
One graduate from each Akron public high school, who has been accepted for the fall semester at the University, is selected annually as the recipient of this scholarship. The scholarship recipients must have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, leadership, and financial need. Selection of the graduating seniors is made by the school's teachers and counselors, in conjunction with the Van Buren family.
The Van Buren NEOUCOM Scholarship
This endowed scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate senior student, of high academic standing, who is enrolled in the University as a participant in the six-year BS/MD Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) program. Selection is made by a BS/MD screening committee, in coordination with The University of Akron Scholarship Committee.
The Van Buren Medical School Scholarship
A physician who was dedicated to his profession and his patients, Dr. Van Buren commenced his 39 years in practice after receiving his undergraduate degree in biology from The University of Akron, his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, his master's degree in surgery from The Ohio State University School of Medicine, and serving as a surgeon in the United States Army. Dr. Van Buren has been honored for his research, during his surgical residency at Akron Children's Medical Center, which led to the cure for osteomyelitis.
In 1967, Dr. Van Buren and his wife, Mary, established this scholarship, which is awarded to a graduating senior of high academic and personal standing, who has been accepted to an accredited medical school in the United States and has exhibited the desire to practice compassionate and skilled medicine. Selection is made by the head of the Department Biology, in coordination with The University of Akron Scholarship Committee.
The Mary Van Buren Scholarship
Mary Van Buren received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from The University of Akron, class of 1939, and completed graduate courses in education at The Ohio State University. A former elementary school teacher in the Columbus and Akron Public School systems, Mary Van Buren and her husband, George, established this annual award to provide tuition assistance to a worthy student who is entering the senior year of study in the field of elementary education. Selection is made by the faculty of the Department of College of Education, in coordination with The University of Akron Scholarship Committee.