August 26, 2004
Purdue expands statewide scholarship program
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ninety Hoosier freshmen attending Purdue as part of a new university initiative that covers the costs of their first year on campus got good news on Thursday (Aug. 26) – the program will continue to offer aid when they return as sophomores.
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During a dinner for Purdue Opportunity Awards recipients, university President Martin C. Jischke announced that the program, designed to pay for tuition, room and board for a high-need incoming freshman from each of the state's 92 counties, has been extended. Opportunity Awards students returning to Purdue next year as sophomores will be eligible to receive up to $2,500 to assist in covering the gap remaining after federal, state and other university aid has been applied to their college costs. As part of the program, those returning students will be asked to mentor the next group of students receiving the award.
"The Purdue Opportunity Awards program was started to help break down the barriers that keep qualified Indiana students from seeking a college education," Jischke said. "One of those barriers is financial, so it's gratifying to us that, through the generosity of those who believe in what we are doing, we have been able to expand this program in its first year. All of the students who received this award are people who believed in themselves and, in turn, others believed in them enough to make the dream of a college degree a reality.
"This program represents opportunity in its best sense – opportunity for those receiving the awards, opportunity for those who contributed to this program to make a difference in someone else's life, and opportunity for Purdue to act as a guide to lead these deserving students down the path to their future."
Jischke announced the program in April 2003 as part of Purdue's $200 million scholarship drive, the largest student assistance campaign in the university's history. The need-based Purdue Opportunity Awards are for those who face unusual personal challenges and financial hardships that could stand in the way of earning a college degree.
Incoming freshmen are selected from Indiana's 92 counties to receive an award that combines with federal, state and institutional funding to provide a financial aid package equal to a student's tuition, room and board. In the second year, recipients will receive up to an additional $2,500 to help fill the gap after federal, state and institutional aid has been awarded. The recipients also will participate in financial counseling to help them secure other sources of financial support to continue their education.
Murray Blackwelder, Purdue's senior vice president for advancement, said increased funding for the scholarship program will have a significant impact on recipients.
"Expanding the Opportunity Awards into the recipients' second year at Purdue's West Lafayette campus represents a milestone for this young program," Blackwelder said. "When combined with other sources of financial aid, the additional Purdue Opportunity Awards funds should mean that most, if not all, of these students' tuition, room and board should be covered for their sophomore year."
Nominations for the awards come from a variety of educational professionals and community resources, including guidance counselors, teachers, Purdue Extension offices, and YMCA and YWCA facilities.
Sarah Helm, Purdue Opportunity Awards coordinator, said the program has generated a great deal of interest around the state.
For the program's inaugural year, Purdue received 490 applications from students in 91 counties. A total of 90 students, representing 83 counties, accepted the awards, Helm said.
In addition to the program's financial aspects, participants will take part in a variety of monthly activities during the school year, including a retreat, several social activities, and sessions to help the students with skills such as time management, studying and wellness.
Writer: Brian Zink, (765) 494-2080, bzink@purdue.edu
Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765f) 494-9708
Murray Blackwelder, (765) 496-2144
Sarah Helm, (765) 496-2462, shelm@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue freshmen, from left, Heidi Peace and Brittany Shively talk with university President Martin C. Jischke on Thursday (Aug. 27) near Hovde Hall. Peace and Shively are among a group who received the inaugural Purdue Opportunity Awards, a program designed to pay tuition, room and board for an incoming freshman from each of the state's 92 counties who have faced personal or financial hardships that might stand in the way of attending college. Jischke announced on Thursday that the program has been expanded into the students' sophomore year to provide up to $2,500 to assist in covering the gap remaining after federal, state and other university aid has been applied to their college costs. (Purdue News Service photo/Dave Umberger)
A publication-quality photograph is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2004/jischke-poa.jpg
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