University Scholarship Committee

Final Report to University Senate May 2003

Charge of General University Scholarship Committee: The Committee on Scholarships shall be responsible to advise the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships on policy and procedures for the awarding of scholarships, and to participate in the review of applications and the selection of candidates for scholarships. The committee shall determine the criteria for the awarding of scholarships and shall review applicant files. The committee shall also determine successful applicants and level of aid.

Membership:

Jim Buch (Enrollment Services), Christi Browning (Graduate School), Priscilla Elder (UO Foundation), Carla Gary (Multicultural Affairs), Susan Gary (Law School), Marion (Mimi) Goldman (Sociology), Michelle Holdway, Convener (Student Financial Aid & Scholarships), Megan Hughes (student), Lynn Kahle, Chair (Sports Marketing), Michael Linman (student), Virginia Lo (Computer Science), Martha Pitts (Admissions), Ann Reeder (Donor Relations), Mark Thoma (Economics), Gail Unruh (Academic Learning Services), Glenda Utsey (Architecture), Glennis Yost, Committee Assistant (Student Financial Aid & Scholarships).

2002-03 Awards: 715 students were paid $1,616,131 from 62 separate funds for the 2002-03 academic year. Annual scholarship awards ranged from $750 to $5,200. Awards were made from the following funds: Robert P. Booth, J. H. Bosard, Bowerman, Roland Bradley, Edith Chambers, Class of 1902, Class of 1903, Class of 1935, Coca-Cola, Cossman Memorial, Frances Corteau, Norton Cowden, Leon A Culbertson, Henry and Ethel Ditzel, Craig Eagleson, Enchanted Valley, William Frager Memorial, General Development, Charles F. Goettling, Jr, Alison Hearn Memorial, Marion Hearn Memorial, Elma Hendricks, Hendricks-Goodrich, Harry and David Holmes, Louise Ingle, Richard W. Johnson, R.C. Jones, Ida M. Kleist, Robert Knapp Memorial, Charles Koyl ll, Clarice Krieg, Helen Martin, Eve H McCool, Merit Tuition, Edwin A. Meserve Class of 1935, Grace Morris, Andrew Moursund, Clara Nasholm, Oregon Dads, Joni Paulson, Rockwell, Loretta S. Rossman, Archie and Lilith Ruff, Mary E. Russell, Edward Farrell Rust, Dorothy Sherman, Julio Silva, Robert J. Snyder, Joseph K. Starr, William H. Stenhjem, Jr., Stetson, Ethel and Laverne Stone, William W. Stout, C.P. Tillman, Weatherbee, Paul and Helen Weiser, Margaret Winbigler, Juan Young Trust, Lois Zimmerman, UO Presidential, and Presidential and Laurel Fee Remission.

Meetings:

The committee held three formal meetings throughout the academic year. Fall term a chair was elected, the charge and calendar were presented to the committee members, the system of evaluation was discussed, and members of admission and financial aid staff were authorized to serve as evaluators of freshmen applications. It was also decided that the committee would send a letter to Allan Price, Vice President of University Advancement, advocating for the inclusion of scholarship money in the university fund-raising priorities. That letter was approved and sent in early November (text attached). During the winter term meeting, file reader training was conducted, and file distribution discussed. Each committee member was responsible to evaluate up to 150 applications. Applicant files were evaluated based on the following: 1) the student's academic profile, including quality of coursework, grade point average, test scores and other academic achievements; 2) the faculty letter of recommendation; 3) the student's level of commitment to extra-curricular activities; 4) quality of written essay. During spring term, the full committee met to select 2003-2004 Bowerman recipients, choosing 10 outstanding senior students, providing awards between $2600 and $6000. Recommendations were made for the 2004-2005 school year's scholarship application, evaluation, and process.

2003-2004 Applicants & Awards

Applications

19%, 720 of the 3862 applicants were offered a scholarship.

The Future of University of Oregon Scholarships:

The Scholarship Committee would like to reiterate the importance of university scholarship programs in the enrollment and retention of students at the University of Oregon. The expansion over the last 5 years of university scholarship programs played a key role in increasing the number and academic quality of enrolling students. As the cost of a UO education continues to increase, scholarships will play an increasingly important role reaching our enrollment management objectives.

We strongly recommend that the upcoming Comprehensive Campaign place a high priority on procuring additional funding for scholarships. We have read countless worthy scholarship applications from deserving students that remained unsuccessful because of a shortage of available funds for worthy students. In recent years the increase in the size of the student body and the increases in tuition have exceeded the growth in available scholarship money. We hope the Comprehensive Campaign will reverse this trend.

It is in the best interest of students and of the university to place the highest priority on securing additional funding to award scholarships that provide students access to the tools to accomplish their dreams of a University of Oregon education.

Attachment: Letter to Allan Price


Allan Price
Johnson Hall Campus

Dear Allan:

This letter is on behalf of the Scholarship Committee, who unanimously endorsed its recommendation. Our primary responsibilities include overseeing and advising the administration and distribution of many of the scholarship funds available to students. Our job entails reviewing several thousand University of Oregon scholarship applications each year. For 02-03 we had approximately $625,000 to award in General University Scholarships. Approximately $425,000 of that is funded by endowed accounts held at the foundation or by the institution, and $200,000 are Laurel tuition remission funding. Each year we have approximately $900,000 to award in Presidential Scholarships. We have a total of 200 students in this program with 50 new awards made each year to incoming freshmen.

We strongly recommend that the upcoming Comprehensive Campaign place a high priority on procuring additional funding for scholarships. We have read countless worthy scholarship applications from deserving students that remained unsuccessful because of a shortage of available funds for worthy students. Last year, for example, 2705 Freshmen applicants sought a scholarship, but only 214 of the enrolled Freshmen received a scholarship. We had a total of 3734 scholarship applicants and were able to award only 584.

Scholarships directly benefit students, for whom universities exist. Scholarships provide students the ability to pursue their dreams, to attend the schools they want in the optimal manner. Too many students today must work part time or even full time to pay for their education, an activity which distracts from the very educational benefits they wish to pursue. Scholarships also provide recognition to commendable excellence, rewarding the achievement we value in the academic community.

Scholarships also directly benefit the entire university. They facilitate admitted students' decisions to attend the University of Oregon. They provide a double benefit to the university in that the money spent returns to the university in the form of tuition, providing part of the revenue that funds many activities on campus.

In recent years the increase in the size of the student body and the increases in tuition have exceeded the growth in available scholarship money. We hope the Comprehensive Campaign will reverse this trend.

Sincerely,

Lynn Kahle, Chair Scholarship Committee


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