Continuing its tradition of attracting the brightest students from throughout Nigeria and Africa, the American University of Nigeria will offer 75 merit scholarships to already accepted candidates in the 2017 fall semester.
The highly competitive computer-based examination for the scholarships will take place in 25 centres across the Federation on August 5.
Assistant Vice President of Recruitment & Marketing, Julius AyukTabe, said the examination centres have been carefully selected to cover all the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
Two scholarship winners will emerge from each of the nation’s 36 states and the Federal Capital territory, and one nationwide.
Last spring’s nationwide winner was 18-year-old Maryam Habila Usman, a former student of Air Force Girls Secondary School, Jos. Ms. Usman is from Borno State. She is in the Natural and Environmental Sciences programme.
Since its founding in 2003 by former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, AUN has been bringing together the best and brightest candidates from all over Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone, and other African countries, to study under one roof.
The University seeks to make its American-style liberal education possible for all qualified applicants, regardless of family income.
Each year, AUN sets aside a large fund for scholarships and other forms of financial aid to undergraduate students.
Over the years, it has awarded about 1,000 different scholarships, including close to 300 covering full tuition, board, books, and meals.
In the 2016/2017 session alone, AUN dedicated more than ₦102 million to its scholarship program, for both new and returning students.
Scholarship students are often among the finest of AUN’s graduates.
The University’s Class of 2017 Valedictorian, Onyinye Immaculata Onuigbo, whose 3.98 CGA (out of 4 points) was the highest in the university’s history, was a scholarship student.
Identified by the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Ms. Onuigbo, who hails from Enugu State, is the daughter of an electrician father and nurse mother. She completed her studies at AUN in its prestigious Petroleum Chemistry programme.
The 2016 Valedictorian, Gregory Tanyi, also a scholarship student, is the son of an Engineering Professor and came to AUN from Cameroon. Mr. Tanyi studied Telecoms and Wireless Technology.
Candidates are referred to the University’s website – www.aun.edu.ng – for further details on how to apply.