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New Aurora University Grant Program Reflects Economy
11/14/2008
AURORA, Ill. — Aurora University recently established a grant program to assist students affected by today’s economic climate.
AU President Rebecca L. Sherrick said the Franklin Fund has been initiated to assist currently enrolled traditional undergraduate students facing serious financial hardships, such as bankruptcies, serious illness, job losses and home foreclosures. Realizing that some AU families may need extra help, the university established the new grant fund to assist students with tuition. It is another sign of AU’s dedication to the greater good, Sherrick said.
The Franklin Fund was developed after an annual fall meeting of faculty and staff, where key issues, such as how to improve the AU experience, were discussed.
“At AU, we believe that colleges and universities exist not to serve their own glory, but to render a service to society,” Sherrick said. “Over 250 years ago, Benjamin Franklin argued that nothing is more important to the public welfare than ‘…to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue.’ Franklin urged colonial colleges to enroll gifted students from all walks of life and to prepare them for meaningful citizenship. This is exactly what we do at Aurora University .”
“Our goal is to offer an excellent education at an affordable price,” she added. “This is the philosophy that motivates our commitment to careful management, costs control and fair pricing. Our distinctive values are all the more relevant in today’s troubled economic climate.”
The university’s Office of Financial Aid will administer the new grant program.
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