University to match freshmen’s scholarship awards up to $1,000

Christine Morgan

A new scholarship is available to incoming freshmen to help ease the financial burden of paying for a college education.

The Scholarship Matching Program is an opportunity for incoming freshmen who are awarded local scholarships to double their reward up to $1,000. Kent State plans to match local funds with institutional money.

“Though we do not know the outlook for higher education until the state budget is submitted next month, we are taking all efforts to minimize the financial burden on students,” President Lester Lefton said in a press release. “This new Scholarship Match Program is one way Kent State is being proactive in anticipation of lower state funding.”

David Garcia, associate vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said he worked with Mark Evans, director of Student Financial Aid, to develop this program.

“Due to my concern of the reduction of state and federal aid and the potential of increased cost, I spent a lot of time thinking of how to assist students with limited university dollars,” Garcia said.

To be eligible for the Kent State Scholarship Match Program, a student must meet the following criteria:

  • Be an Ohio resident
  • Be admitted to the Kent campus as a new incoming freshman for the Fall 2011 Semester
  • Enroll in a bachelor’s degree program
  • Register each semester for a minimum of 12 credit hours that are designated as Kent campus courses
  • Complete the 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have results sent to Kent State
  • Be eligible for the federal Pell Grant (as determined by the FAFSA results)

    The application is available at www.sfa.kent.edu.

    Source: www.kent.edu

Greg Jarvie, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said the program would help finance education for students who meet the criteria (see sidebar).

“We felt as an institution that this is something we could do in regard to helping students who are in need,” Jarvie said. “As long as they meet the criteria, and are able to secure what we consider a local scholarship we will match it.”

Garcia said the scholarship would be available Fall 2011.

“I wish we could do it for all students now, but we are limited in resources,” Garcia said. “So it’s going to be limited to new freshmen with high need.”

Garcia said he hopes it will motivate students to apply for local scholarships.

“Students need to understand that this next year is going to be very difficult in terms of increased cost and reduction of state and federal aid,” Garcia said. “Now is the time to prepare for this shortfall, to do some work and research scholarships that are out there to apply for.”

Garcia said this program will be closely monitored, and if successful, it may be expanded.

“This is to ease the burden of the cost of going to college here at Kent State,” Garcia said. “If we see that it has a strong, positive impact then perhaps we will expand it to current or out-of-state students.”

Contact Christine Morgan at [email protected].