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AUA OFFERS PIONEERING FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM
Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/02/23/aua-offers-pioneering-financial-aid-program/
February 23, 2012
For the average citizen in Armenia, the cost of a year's
university-level education may be too high, causing prospective
students to reconsider their educational plans. Recognizing that
reality, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is pioneering
a financial aid program that is, according to AUA President Bruce
Boghosian, unique to Armenia.
The AUA student lounge "No Armenian student should ever be denied an
AUA education because of inability to pay tuition," Boghosian told
the Armenian Weekly, adding that admission decisions are made first,
followed by a review of financial aid applications.
"When admission and financial aid applications arrive at AUA,
we physically separate them and we first admit students based on
academic qualification. Only after we decide which students are to
be admitted do we look at the financial aid applications to see how
much tuition assistance they will require from us. This is called a
'need blind' admissions policy, and very few institutions of higher
education can claim to follow such a policy, even in the United
States," he explained.
Over 50 percent of AUA students receive some form of financial aid,
AUA Vice President of Finance Gevorg Goyunyan told the Weekly. "We
realize that there are still lots of potential students who do not
apply to AUA simply because they do not have sufficient information
about the financial aid program we have in place," he said.
In fact, AUA will also introduce a limited number of merit-based
tuition assistance to foreign students.
"At AUA, we believe that universities ought to be international
centers of learning, in which students from many different countries
are able to study alongside one another and learn from one another,"
said Boghosian. "This is particularly important in a country as
ethnically homogeneous as Armenia, and we expect that it will benefit
the Armenian students as well as the foreign students."
Aside from familiarizing foreign students with Armenian culture,
Boghosian said, the diverse setting will help all students better
prepare to work in an international setting, while helping Armenia
create a "mercantile economy in which today's university graduates
conduct trade and commerce with their counterparts in all of the
world's capitals."
Tuition for international students is 3.3 million AMD per year, just
under $8,500. In comparison, citizens of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh,
and legal residents who hold a 10-year visa pay 960,000 AMD, or
just under $2,500. That amount is heavily subsidized by AUA donors
and partners. The university also offers various payment options
for students.
While AUA grants merit-based scholarships to students with exceptional
academic records, need-based scholarships are given to students who
are in need of financial assistance to pursue their education. For
these students, 25-90 percent of their tuition costs are waived.
Financial aid applications are reviewed by a committee that, in
addition to weighing the necessary documents, visits students' homes to
assess their level of need. "In aggregate, we give about 26 percent of
tuition revenue back in need-based tuition assistance," said Goyunyan.
The university also has a loan program for students who are citizens
of Armenia and in good academic standing. Loan amounts go as high
as 300,000 AMD (roughly $770), with no interest accrued while the
student remains enrolled, and quarterly repayments at 15,000 AMD
($38). Once a student graduates, repayment of the full amount is due
within two years.
"We are certain that graduates of this university are well-positioned
to find jobs that guarantee sufficient income to be able to pay back,"
said Goyunyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Nanore Barsoumian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/02/23/aua-offers-pioneering-financial-aid-program/
February 23, 2012
For the average citizen in Armenia, the cost of a year's
university-level education may be too high, causing prospective
students to reconsider their educational plans. Recognizing that
reality, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is pioneering
a financial aid program that is, according to AUA President Bruce
Boghosian, unique to Armenia.
The AUA student lounge "No Armenian student should ever be denied an
AUA education because of inability to pay tuition," Boghosian told
the Armenian Weekly, adding that admission decisions are made first,
followed by a review of financial aid applications.
"When admission and financial aid applications arrive at AUA,
we physically separate them and we first admit students based on
academic qualification. Only after we decide which students are to
be admitted do we look at the financial aid applications to see how
much tuition assistance they will require from us. This is called a
'need blind' admissions policy, and very few institutions of higher
education can claim to follow such a policy, even in the United
States," he explained.
Over 50 percent of AUA students receive some form of financial aid,
AUA Vice President of Finance Gevorg Goyunyan told the Weekly. "We
realize that there are still lots of potential students who do not
apply to AUA simply because they do not have sufficient information
about the financial aid program we have in place," he said.
In fact, AUA will also introduce a limited number of merit-based
tuition assistance to foreign students.
"At AUA, we believe that universities ought to be international
centers of learning, in which students from many different countries
are able to study alongside one another and learn from one another,"
said Boghosian. "This is particularly important in a country as
ethnically homogeneous as Armenia, and we expect that it will benefit
the Armenian students as well as the foreign students."
Aside from familiarizing foreign students with Armenian culture,
Boghosian said, the diverse setting will help all students better
prepare to work in an international setting, while helping Armenia
create a "mercantile economy in which today's university graduates
conduct trade and commerce with their counterparts in all of the
world's capitals."
Tuition for international students is 3.3 million AMD per year, just
under $8,500. In comparison, citizens of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh,
and legal residents who hold a 10-year visa pay 960,000 AMD, or
just under $2,500. That amount is heavily subsidized by AUA donors
and partners. The university also offers various payment options
for students.
While AUA grants merit-based scholarships to students with exceptional
academic records, need-based scholarships are given to students who
are in need of financial assistance to pursue their education. For
these students, 25-90 percent of their tuition costs are waived.
Financial aid applications are reviewed by a committee that, in
addition to weighing the necessary documents, visits students' homes to
assess their level of need. "In aggregate, we give about 26 percent of
tuition revenue back in need-based tuition assistance," said Goyunyan.
The university also has a loan program for students who are citizens
of Armenia and in good academic standing. Loan amounts go as high
as 300,000 AMD (roughly $770), with no interest accrued while the
student remains enrolled, and quarterly repayments at 15,000 AMD
($38). Once a student graduates, repayment of the full amount is due
within two years.
"We are certain that graduates of this university are well-positioned
to find jobs that guarantee sufficient income to be able to pay back,"
said Goyunyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress