LEADING STUDENT SUCCESS
When University of Alabama students succeed, the state of Alabama succeeds. In this Impact Report, you will see some of the significant investments we’ve made to ensure Alabama students can access and afford a UA education. Programs like REACH and Crimson Scholars are just two examples. We also have robust support for first-generation students, veterans and their families, and students from rural and urban areas.
Our programs are purpose-built to help Alabama students succeed in the classroom, and you’ll learn about how we are sharing our resources and expertise with the state. Our students benefit from engaging with community partners, gaining valuable hands-on experience that brings them one step closer to realizing their goals for life and career after graduation.
We hope you will take advantage of the services we provide in Alabama, and we value your partnership as we work together to continue to advance the state and our fellow citizens. The University of Alabama is excited to share the transformational power of education with all Alabamians.
Sincerely,
Stuart R. Bell
President, The University of Alabama
UA BY THE NUMBERS
ENROLLMENT BY COUNTY
Students from every Alabama county enrolled at UA in the Fall Semester 2024. The University of Alabama is proud to serve all counties and is honored to have the privilege of working with these students to achieve their educational goals.
ALUMNI BY COUNTY
Alabama graduates live in each of Alabama’s counties, and we are proud of the positive ways they contribute to their communities after they obtain their degrees.
STATEWIDE IMPACT
OUTREACH & SUPPORT
Serving those who serve us.
The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) is the “one-stop shop” for veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors at UA.
VMA is available to all student veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors regardless if the student receives federal or state benefits, and currently serves more than 3,000 military connected students.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart designated The University of Alabama as a “Purple Heart University” for outstanding service to military veterans, service members, dependents and survivors.
VMA provides, facilitates, and coordinates programs and services to ease the transition to college life and to support fulfillment of educational goals.
The Honor Walk, located outside the VMA office, contains pavers honoring students and supports scholarships for active duty, veterans, dependents, and spouses in all branches of the military.
VMA also serves faculty and staff.
In partnership with the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a VA satellite clinic is located on campus at UA serving faculty, staff and students.
Students can stack UA scholarships on top of GI Bill benefits, further supporting financial need.
VMA offers lounge space, study rooms, computer lab with free printing, academic and co-curricular counseling and more.
Alabama residents who are Purple Heart recipients receive a scholarship that pays the difference between their GI / Veteran benefits and full tuition and fees. If their tuition is paid, then they will get an additional $2,500 per year to help with cost of living expenses.
Alumni Chapter Scholarships
We are proud of the scholarship dollars given by our alumni chapters across Alabama. These are in addition to institutional, merit and other endowed scholarships students may receive.
RESEARCH INSTITUTES SPOTLIGHT
Alabama Cyber Institute
ACI advances the understanding of cyber issues and develops and implements a comprehensive cyber research and education program, creating a more secure, stable, and advanced digital future. The institute focuses extensively on artificial intelligence and machine learning, critical infrastructure protection, cybercrime, cyber infrastructure, and cyber security.
Alabama Life Research Institute
ALRI was established to serve as a focal point for interdisciplinary research that seeks to investigate the human condition at all levels, from the molecular to the environmental. ALRI focuses on identifying research opportunities within four themes: rural health, biological sciences, neuroscience and implementation science.
Alabama Materials Institute
AMI facilitates interdisciplinary materials research encompassing metallography, ceramics, polymers, bio-inspired materials, and composites. AMI advances the next generation of materials research and education for energy, defense, transportation, human health, and environmental sciences. The state of Alabama has a strong primary metals industry, chemical industry, and manufacturing sector in auto, water, and aerospace, all of which depend on ever- increasing advanced materials. AMI serves to support the state in these endeavors.
Alabama Transportation Institute
ATI is an interdisciplinary institute focused on the research enabling Alabama to lead the way on solutions for emerging issues like electric vehicle technologies, automated vehicles, connected infrastructure, shared mobilities and advanced transportation safety. ATI serves as an independent resource for local, state and national leaders in developing transportation policy.
Among the many ways ATI is making a difference for Alabamians is through the Center for Advanced Public Safety's work on cutting-edge safety technologies. By providing crash, citation and crime reporting along with data analytics, CAPS is supporting more than a dozen Alabama state law agencies. All state and nearly all municipal law enforcement agencies utilize CAPS electronic citation and crash software. For more information on the services ATI provides and to request assistance, please visit ati.ua.edu or contact ati@ua.edu.
Alabama Water Institute
AWI is a national hub for pioneering water-related research and the development of state-of- the-art water technology products, collaborating closely with on-campus federal partners from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey. AWI serves as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration uniting engineers, computer scientists, biologists, social scientists, economists and more to tackle the pressing water challenges faced by Alabama and the world.
The Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), a groundbreaking 10-year, $360 million research partnership between AWI, NOAA and the National Weather Service is supporting applied research projects directly responding to NOAA operational needs. Notably, a suite of CIROH projects spearheaded by UA faculty members is revolutionizing hurricane flood forecasting, flood hazard mapping and the restoration of flood-mitigating wetlands surrounding Mobile Bay. Collectively, these endeavors are projected to safeguard over $1 billion in property value and hundreds of thousands of residents, while bolstering resilience in the Mobile Bay region.
01
STUDENT SUCCESS
Serving Students. Serving the State.
Each day UA students, faculty and staff engage in activities that advance the state of Alabama and serve citizens in countless ways. These insights highlight just a few programs that serve our mission of teaching, research and service. If a program is not currently available to your county, perhaps it can be! See the Resources section or contact us at president@ua.edu.
ALABAMA ADVANTAGE SCHOLARSHIP
Since Fall 2020, the Alabama Advantage Scholarship has supported students from the state of Alabama with the highest levels of demonstrated financial need. As a last dollar scholarship, Alabama Advantage helps students maximize their federal aid opportunities with financial support from UA. The nearly 4,000 Advantage scholarship recipients represent students from all 67 Alabama counties. With a total investment of $4.7 million thus far, the scholarship continues to assist in-state Pell Grant recipients in achieving their academic and professional goals. Find out more at afford.ua.edu/alabama-advantage.
CRIMSON SCHOLARS
The Crimson Scholars provides academic and financial support for Alabama students who are Pell Grant recipients (those with the greatest financial need). This year, there are 244 first-time undergraduate Crimson Scholars. Crimson Scholars are eligible for $3,000 in scholarship support on top of any additional scholarships and financial assistance. Academic support for Crimson Scholars includes help with time management, college-level study skills, resiliency, communication, leadership, connecting with campus resources, and much more. They meet in small groups for weekly workshops and have individual meetings with peer mentors and professional staff advisors. Crimson Scholars also have exclusive study hall sessions that provide access to tutoring services above and beyond those already offered to all UA students. Learn more at success.ua.edu/crimson-scholars
|
County |
Participants |
|---|---|
|
Autauga |
2 |
|
Baldwin |
8 |
|
Bibb |
3 |
|
Blount |
2 |
|
Calhoun |
6 |
|
Chambers |
1 |
|
Chilton |
2 |
|
Clarke |
2 |
|
Colbert |
2 |
|
Coosa |
2 |
|
Covington |
3 |
|
Cullman |
2 |
|
Dale |
3 |
|
Dallas |
2 |
|
DeKalb |
2 |
|
Elmore |
2 |
|
Etowah |
7 |
|
Fayette |
1 |
|
Geneva |
2 |
|
Greene |
1 |
|
Hale |
2 |
|
Houston |
6 |
|
Jackson |
5 |
|
Jefferson |
60 |
|
Lamar |
1 |
|
Lee |
13 |
|
Limestone |
6 |
|
Madison |
9 |
|
Marengo |
1 |
|
Marshall |
1 |
|
Mobile |
12 |
|
Monroe |
2 |
|
Montgomery |
12 |
|
Morgan |
3 |
|
Pike |
4 |
|
Russell |
2 |
|
Shelby |
20 |
|
St. Clair |
2 |
|
Talladega |
5 |
|
Tallapoosa |
2 |
|
Tuscaloosa |
16 |
|
Walker |
1 |
|
Wilcox |
1 |
|
Winston |
2 |
CROSSINGPOINTS CERTIFICATE IN OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM
The CrossingPoints Certificate in Occupational Studies program at The University of Alabama is a non-degree certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities who are interested in pursuing a postsecondary education experience with the goal of gaining critical skills for living independently including financial management, transportation, agency/self-determination, self-management, sound decision-making and community building. CrossingPoints students gain practical experiences in community-based employment settings.
The CrossingPoints program pairs UA undergraduate students to serve as mentors to the CrossingPoints students. Mentors play a critical role in supporting CrossingPoints students as they develop skills that will help them achieve their goals. To learn more, visit crossingpoints.ua.edu/tier-3.html.
REACH
REACH provides a supportive community for UA students who are current and former foster youth, legal orphans, youth raised in kinship/guardianship care and students experiencing homelessness. REACH provides financial, academic and social support in a community of peers. Each first-year student in REACH receives a minimum of $2,000 in financial support on top of other scholarships and financial aid they receive, and each continuing student receives a minimum of $1,000 on top of other scholarships and financial aid. Know someone who would be interested in REACH? They can learn more at success.ua.edu/reach.
|
County |
Participants |
|---|---|
|
Baldwin |
3 |
|
Bibb |
1 |
|
Blount |
1 |
|
Chilton |
1 |
|
Choctaw |
1 |
|
Covington |
1 |
|
Cullman |
3 |
|
Dallas |
1 |
|
DeKalb |
1 |
|
Elmore |
1 |
|
Escambia |
1 |
|
Fayette |
1 |
|
Franklin |
1 |
|
Henry |
1 |
|
Houston |
2 |
|
Jefferson |
7 |
|
Lamar |
1 |
|
Macon |
1 |
|
Madison |
4 |
|
Marion |
1 |
|
Marshall |
2 |
|
Mobile |
3 |
|
Monroe |
1 |
|
Montgomery |
3 |
|
Morgan |
2 |
|
Perry |
1 |
|
Pike |
1 |
|
Shelby |
4 |
|
St. Clair |
1 |
|
Talladega |
1 |
|
Tuscaloosa |
16 |
RURAL DENTAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Rural Dental Scholars Program was founded in 2023 to address the shortage of dentists in Alabama’s rural communities. The program recruits and assists rural Alabama college students to become dentists and practice in the state’s rural communities, where they are most needed. The program is modeled after The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences’ very successful Rural Medical Scholars Program.
The program is a separate admissions pathway to The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry specifically for students from rural Alabama. Students selected for the program spend a year studying at CCHS, receiving a master’s degree in Rural Community Health, and are granted early admission to The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. Their course of study with CCHS includes biomedical science courses designed to adequately prepare scholars for a rigorous dental school curriculum, and prepares them to practice rural health, including learning about community engagement.
02
DEVELOPING ALABAMA
ALABAMA PRODUCTIVITY CENTER
The Alabama Productivity Center (APC) focuses research and educational resources on the enhancement of productivity and quality within Alabama businesses. APC works directly with businesses, organizations and government agencies throughout Alabama to increase their efficiency, provide cost-saving solutions and improve overall productivity.
The APC is home to Region 3 of the Alabama Technology Network, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the state of Alabama.
For more information about APC, visit https://apc.ua.edu/.
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The UA Center for Economic Development (UACED) assists Alabama businesses, organizations, and communities to help solve real-world problems and grow the state’s economy. Through UACED planning and community development initiatives, staff work with towns, counties and regions to develop comprehensive plans to help guide community development efforts, including everything from economic development structure and retail/commercial service to workforce development and recreational opportunities. UACED’s tourism development arm helps communities utilize nature and heritage-based tourism as part of their economic development strategy. Additionally, UACED manages the Alabama Community Leadership Network (ACLN), an organization committed to building, supporting, and enhancing community leadership throughout Alabama. Learn more at uaced.ua.edu.
MOBILE DIGITAL FORENSICS UNIT
The University of Alabama Police Department (UAPD) supports small and rural law enforcement agencies throughout Alabama with digital forensics. Agencies bring UAPD their priority cases for assistance. UAPD also remains proactive with Internet Crimes Against Children and Child Sexual Abuse Material cases.
UAPD REACT’s (Regional Evidence Analysis & Cyber-intelligence Team) Rural Violent Crime Reduction Program has assisted Alabama’s rural and small agencies in reducing and solving violent crimes for more than 10 years. REACT utilizes advanced technology and federal grant partnerships to provide much needed resources to rural communities.
Types of crime for which small and rural law enforcement agencies recently asked the UAPD Mobile Digital Forensics Unit for help:
- Child sexual abuse material
- Internet crimes against children
- Crimes against minors
- Sex crimes
- Violent crimes
- Property crimes
- Narcotics crimes
- Financial crimes
- Human Trafficking
- Traffic homicides
- Traffic accidents
- Jail contraband
MUNICIPAL TRAINING
The University of Alabama works closely with municipalities to provide training for Municipal Clerks, Revenue Officers and employees with financial responsibilities. The curriculum for each program is developed in partnership with the Alabama League of Municipalities.
We offer the following programs:
- Alabama Certified Municipal Clerk Institute
- Alabama Master Municipal Clerk Academy
- Alabama Certified Municipal Revenue Officers Certification
- Certified Governmental Accounting Technician Certificate
For more information, visit training.ua.edu/municipaltraining
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
The Alabama Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC) provides existing and aspiring entrepreneurs with the expert assistance, tools, training and education they need to succeed. The Alabama SBDC brings jobs to Alabama’s people, stability to our communities and innovation to our economy.
The Alabama SBDC at The University of Alabama advises and trains entrepreneurs and business people in a wide variety of business topics and provides comprehensive information services and access to experts in many fields. Business advising services are provided at no charge to small business owners.
For more information about SBDC, visit sbdc.ua.edu or call 205-348-1582.
03
COLLEGE READINESS
ACCESS
UA provides courses as part of ACCESS Virtual Learning (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide), which is an initiative of the Alabama Department of Education. ACCESS provides opportunities and options for Alabama middle
and high school students to engage in Advanced Placement, elective and other courses through online learning that otherwise wouldn’t be available. ACCESS offers all of the following absolutely free:
- Supplemental and blended courses available to every sixth-through-12th-grade public school in Alabama
- Credit recovery courses
- Advanced Placement courses
- Foreign language courses
- Alabama certified teachers in all courses
- NCAA-compliant courses 120+ unique courses are aligned with Alabama Courses of Study and are taught by Alabama certified teachers who are highly qualified in their areas of study.
- For more information, contact ACCESS Director Nellie Christian at jgchristian@ua.edu or 205-348-2647.
5,533
student enrollments in UA ACCESS
|
County |
Participants |
|---|---|
|
Autauga |
196 |
|
Baldwin |
4 |
|
Bibb |
152 |
|
Butler |
3 |
|
Chambers |
399 |
|
Chilton |
605 |
|
Choctaw |
2 |
|
Clay |
15 |
|
Cleburne |
1 |
|
Coffee |
1 |
|
Covington |
2 |
|
Cullman |
1 |
|
Elmore |
287 |
|
Etowah |
1 |
|
Fayette |
203 |
|
Greene |
77 |
|
Hale |
296 |
|
Jefferson |
1,093 |
|
Lamar |
30 |
|
Madison |
1 |
|
Marion |
30 |
|
Mobile |
13 |
|
Monroe |
1 |
|
Montgomery |
21 |
|
Pickens |
45 |
|
Pike |
1 |
|
Randolph |
211 |
|
Shelby |
310 |
|
St. Clair |
42 |
|
Sumter |
310 |
|
Talladega |
776 |
|
Tallapoosa |
223 |
|
Tuscaloosa |
197 |
|
Walker |
244 |
|
Washington |
1 |
PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Rural Health Scholars program is for rising high school seniors from rural Alabama communities who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine and other health care professions. The program is an initiative of the College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS), a state and national leader in the education and training of family medicine physicians and a frontline health care resource for the people of Alabama. CCHS operates six University Medical Center locations
— in Tuscaloosa, Northport, Carrollton, Demopolis, Fayette, and Livingston — making it the largest multispecialty community medical practice in rural and west Alabama.
Program participants take college courses, participate in seminars with practicing health care professionals, shadow physicians and other health care professionals, and visit rural health care facilities. The program is free for participants.
Part of the nationally recognized Rural Health Leaders Pipeline at CCHS, Rural Health Scholars was created to address the shortage of primary care physicians in Alabama’s rural communities. More information about the program is available at cchs.ua.edu/rural-programs/high-school/#rhs.
UA EARLY COLLEGE AND DUAL ENROLLMENT
|
County |
Number of Students |
|---|---|
|
Autauga |
20 |
|
Baldwin |
46 |
|
Barbour |
3 |
|
Bibb |
12 |
|
Blount |
6 |
|
Bullock |
2 |
|
Calhoun |
11 |
|
Chambers |
3 |
|
Cherokee |
2 |
|
Chilton |
5 |
|
Choctaw |
2 |
|
Clarke |
2 |
|
Clay |
1 |
|
Cleburne |
1 |
|
Coffee |
1 |
|
Colbert |
5 |
|
Conecuh |
2 |
|
Coosa |
1 |
|
Covington |
2 |
|
Cullman |
14 |
|
Dale |
3 |
|
Dallas |
1 |
|
DeKalb |
4 |
|
Elmore |
22 |
|
Escambia |
6 |
|
Etowah |
24 |
|
Geneva |
2 |
|
Hale |
16 |
|
Houston |
16 |
|
Jackson |
3 |
|
Jefferson |
358 |
|
Lamar |
2 |
|
Lauderdale |
8 |
|
Lawrence |
4 |
|
Lee |
36 |
|
Limestone |
37 |
|
Lowndes |
1 |
|
Macon |
1 |
|
Madison |
98 |
|
Marengo |
5 |
|
Marion |
10 |
|
Marshall |
18 |
|
Mobile |
264 |
|
Monroe |
4 |
|
Montgomery |
67 |
|
Morgan |
29 |
|
Perry |
3 |
|
Pickens |
10 |
|
Pike |
3 |
|
Randolph |
8 |
|
Russell |
5 |
|
Shelby |
167 |
|
St. Clair |
30 |
|
Sumter |
7 |
|
Talladega |
17 |
|
Tallapoosa |
4 |
|
Tuscaloosa |
662 |
|
Walker |
14 |
|
Washington |
2 |
|
Wilcox |
1 |
|
Winston |
7 |