College-Funded Scholarships Hit $1 Million Mark
Penn State Behrend has awarded more than $1 Million in scholarship funding to its students this year
While high school seniors nationwide are immersed in federal financial aid forms, many students at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, are immersed in their studies instead—thankful that their school of choice was able to grant more than $1 million worth of scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year.
“All of these awards are given specifically from scholarship funding that is available at Penn State Behrend for its students only,” Jane Brady, assistant director of admissions and financial aid, said.
The $1 million total comprises a range of Penn State Behrend-specific scholarships, such as trustee matching scholarships, endowments and annual gifts; the Chancellor’s Scholarship Program, which recognizes academically gifted students regardless of need; study abroad monies; and a host of academic-, leadership-, merit-, and need-based scholarships.
The funding available for scholarships has grown steadily over the years. During her first year at the college 11 years ago, Brady awarded $138,000 in Penn State Behrend-specific scholarships.
According to Chancellor Jack Burke, the positive response to establishing trustee matching scholarships has accounted for a large amount of the growth in funding. “These scholarships are highly focused on students’ financial need and the opportunity to provide them with access to a Penn State Behrend degree,” he said. “We’re thankful for the generosity of our donors and, obviously, our students are as well.”
Launched in 2002, trustee matching scholarships are part of a five-year effort by Penn State to secure private support University-wide for new undergraduate scholarships. The scholarship program has a unique matching component—Penn State matches the income from the gift annually, doubling the financial impact of the scholarship.
“This scholarship makes a difference because it allows me to have my schooling paid for so I can better myself and my family,” said student Stephanie Moryc, who is a trustee scholarship recipient. “I rely on scholarships like this to help me get through college.” To date, Brady has processed nearly 590 scholarship awards, with some students receiving multiple gifts.
In the 2005-06 academic year, Penn State Behrend students received more than $3.8 million in scholarship funding from all sources, including scholarship funding from the college, Penn State, and outside scholarship sources. For more information about Penn State Behrend, visit www.behrend.psu.edu.