Alumni Create Scholarship in Klinner's Memory
Auburn mechanical engineering alumni established an endowed scholarship honoring Maj. Alex Klinner, a 2016 graduate killed in a military aircraft crash.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Scholarships
Auburn University mechanical engineering alumni have established the Major Alex Klinner Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Klinner, a class of 2016 graduate, was killed along with five other crew members on March 12, 2026, when a U.S. military KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
Why it matters
The scholarship honors a graduate who was born and raised in Auburn and provides lasting support for mechanical engineering students in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. It also ties the memorial to Auburn Air Force ROTC, linking academic and military service.
Six crew members were killed when the KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on March 12, 2026. The endowed scholarship will begin awarding in 2027, though its award amount and recipient count were not disclosed.
The players
Alex Klinner
Maj. Alex Klinner was an Auburn mechanical engineering graduate and Air Force officer whose memory the scholarship honors.
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is Auburn University's engineering college, which houses the mechanical engineering program.
Auburn Air Force ROTC
Auburn Air Force ROTC is the university's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program that trains future commissioned officers.
The details
The Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board established the scholarship within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. It will be awarded to a mechanical engineering student who also serves as a cadet in Auburn Air Force ROTC, and the Auburn family has been invited to support it.
Timeline
2016: Maj. Alex Klinner graduates from Auburn with a mechanical engineering degree.
March 12, 2026: Klinner is killed when a KC-135 crashes in Iraq.
2027: The first scholarship awards are scheduled to be made.
Legacy Giving
Endowed memorial scholarships, which fund awards in perpetuity from a single gift, are a common way universities honor alumni who die in service. The Klinner fund follows that pattern while tying its award to Air Force ROTC participation.
Mechanical engineering students at Auburn who also serve as Air Force ROTC cadets are eligible for the award beginning in 2027. The scholarship is endowed, so it will continue to fund awards in future years.
The takeaway
Alumni giving can turn a personal loss into a lasting source of support for students. Students interested in this kind of award can look for endowed scholarships tied to specific programs such as ROTC.
What happens next
The scholarship is scheduled to make its first award in 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Scholarships for Auburn students and alumni.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Opelika Observer.
