By David Fisher, communications intern, University of Utah Marketing and Communications
The University of Utah Alumni Association awarded more than $550,000 in scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year, and alumni living in chapter areas across the country continue to raise funds to support current and incoming students from their areas. Although a number of scholarships have already been awarded for the upcoming 2016-17 academic year, chapters in the Bay Area, Boise and Washington, D.C., are still accepting 2016-17 scholarship applications through April 8.
The Bay Area chapter alone is offering three scholarships, each worth up to $3,500, which are available to current U students and incoming freshmen who graduated from a Bay Area high school.
“Our main priority in the Bay Area chapter is to award scholarships to deserving students,” said Riley Smith, B.S. ’06, president of the U alumni chapter in the Bay Area. “We hope these scholarships will motivate students to continue to work hard throughout their education. We want to see students succeed.”
To raise funds for scholarships, alumni chapters sponsor events, such as alumni baseball games, football and basketball viewing parties and family barbecues. For the Bay Area chapter, these events raise more than $1,000 per year, and board members secure additional contributions.
“Through connecting and networking with multiple alumni, we are able to make these scholarships possible,” Smith said.
Smith said the scholarship committee looks for three things in a chapter scholarship applicant:
- Applicant shows a strong passion in their academic interests and plans for after college.
- Applicant is actively involved with extracurricular work, specifically engagement with community service.
- Applicant is in need of financial support that may warrant special consideration.
For more information and to apply for an alumni chapter scholarship, visit alumni.utah.edu/scholarships. To support an Alumni Association chapter scholarship fund or the general scholarship fund, click here.