$30 million new gift from Samuel Ginn establishes university’s largest-ever engineering scholarship program- follows his earlier $25 million donation to school

Auburn University has received a landmark $30 million donation from alumnus Samuel Ginn and the Ginn Family Foundation, marking the most significant single commitment to student scholarships in the school’s history. The transformative gift will establish the Ginn Scholars Program, a comprehensive scholarship initiative designed to empower high-achieving, financially disadvantaged students from Alabama.

Ginn, for whom Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is named, said the goal of the program is to lift the burden of college costs from promising students who reflect the values embedded in the Auburn Creed. “My hope is that this program will lessen the financial burden of a higher education and help families in our state,” Ginn said in a university statement. “There are so many students with strong family value systems, and they deserve an opportunity to focus on their studies instead of focusing on their financial situation.”

The program is designed to fund up to 40 full-ride scholarships annually, covering tuition, fees, and room and board for up to five years, for eligible incoming freshmen who graduate from Title I high schools in Alabama, demonstrate financial need, and are admitted to the College of Engineering. In addition to academic merit, candidates must show leadership potential and align with Auburn’s institutional values.

The initiative comes as Auburn’s campus experiences significant growth: the university’s student body has increased by more than 25% over the past decade. Auburn engineering graduates consistently secure high-paying jobs soon after graduation, making this investment especially impactful for students and families across the state.

The Ginn Scholars Program goes beyond financial aid. Scholars will be supported with tailored services, including mentorship, academic guidance, personal development resources, and lectures on life skills such as financial literacy. The university will also provide dedicated spaces for Ginn Scholars to study, collaborate, and build lasting peer relationships.

“When I was accepted into Auburn, affordability was front and center,” Ginn reflected. “I waited tables, worked retail, and participated in ROTC to pay my way. That experience instilled in me the value of hard work—a principle I’ve carried with me throughout my life.”

A native of Anniston, Alabama, Ginn graduated from Auburn in 1959 with a degree in industrial engineering. He went on to become a titan in the telecommunications industry, helping to build AirTouch, which became the world’s largest cellular company before its $65 billion sale in 1999. Ginn has been honored with an honorary doctorate from Auburn, and his name is enshrined in the Wireless Hall of Fame, the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Business Hall of Fame.

This is not Ginn’s first significant gift to Auburn.

In 2001, the university renamed its engineering college in his honor after he donated $25 million to launch the nation’s first wireless engineering program.

With this new $30 million investment, Samuel Ginn continues to shape Auburn’s future—this time by investing in the lives and leadership potential of the next generation of Alabama’s engineers.