An anonymous couple has bequeathed $1 million to their alma mater, Eastern Kentucky University, to support undergraduate student scholarships.
One of the endowed scholarships ($500,000) will assist art or art/design studio majors who are rising sophomores, juniors or seniors who maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average and who demonstrate financial need, among other geographic criteria.
The other endowed scholarship (also $500,000) will assist elementary education majors who are rising sophomores, juniors or seniors who maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA and who demonstrate financial need, among other geographic criteria.
Both scholarships are renewable each semester. The donors – one an elementary education graduate, the other an art grad – have requested large awards that would cover half- to full-tuition scholarships in any given year, pending available funds.
“Our time at EKU was wonderful, some of the best times in our lives,” the couple said jointly. “We feel so fortunate to be able to pay it forward.”
The elementary education graduate said, “It is my hope that someone else fulfill his or her dream of becoming a teacher and become ‘that teacher’ who makes all the difference in the life of a young child.”
The spouse, who earned a degree in art, said, “Our gift is also in hopes that some budding designer or fine artist has the opportunity to fulfill their dreams, as I was able to do.”
Nick Perlick, vice president for development and alumni relations at EKU, said: “Gifts like this are tremendously important and impactful. Endowed scholarships will benefit generations of students. And planned gifts signal to other donors a giving instrument they may not have considered. We extend our most sincere thanks to these generous alumni.”
Scholarship monies “are most critical in these economic times,” said Melinda Murphy, director of gift and estate planning. “It’s perfectly clear across the country that we all want to make sure that students who are qualified – especially those with financial need – are able to receive funding to fulfill their dream of attaining a college education.”
To learn more about giving opportunities at EKU, visit https://go.eku.edu/giving.