Although there will now be fewer recipients of the Baker University Alumni Board Scholarship, the winners’ individual scholarship amounts will increase, Alumni Board President Doug Adams said.
“It will be split between four people instead of eight,” he said. “So we’ve decreased the number of scholarships, but we’ve more than doubled the amount of award that we’re going to give out.”
The Alumni Board offers annual scholarships available to students attending any one of the four Baker University schools.
“We don’t have a preference,” Adams said. “We take applications from all schools and award to the people who have the most merit.”
Adams said that last year eight separate $500 scholarships were awarded, totaling $3,500 for the 2006-2007 academic year.
Adams said the alumni board is now allowed to allocate 5 percent of its total funds to scholarships, which would amount to between $4,500 and $5,000 this year.
“We’re doing that, hopefully, to attract more applicants,” he said, “make more of an impact for the actual award winners.”
Adams said that any student enrolling or re-enrolling in Baker University during the next academic year would be eligible to apply.
“We’re going to look at everything from activities to grades and all that good stuff,” he said. “I wouldn’t say there are any minimum requirements, but we’re going to award this to people who deserve it, obviously.”
Lindsay Ferrell, assistant director of development, said students should take advantage of any kind of scholarship opportunity made available to them.
“It’s important students know they can come to the alumni board for these scholarships and see it as a way to further their education,” she said. “And in the future, to also know it’s an important opportunity for them to give back as well.”
Applications can be picked up in the financial aid office in the lower level of Harter Union and are due March 22.
“This is a scholarship funded by the alumni of Baker, and we all want to be able to give back to the students who are currently there, that are going through what we went through and what we enjoyed,” Adams said.
