Chris Banyas
Life Editor
How far would $10,000 go toward making your academic dreams come true? Maybe a better question would be: How far would $10,000 go toward erasing your financial nightmares?
A new charity is currently offering two $10,000 scholarships and multiple $1,000 scholarships for non-traditional students who will be attending Idaho State University during the 2014-2015 school year.
For the purposes of this scholarship, non-traditional refers to individuals 25 or older who have been accepted or are already enrolled as full-time students with good academic standings.
“Mountain View Charity formed in the last six months and its primary donor is Mountain View Hospital in Idaho Falls,” said Amy Brumfield, one of the board members of the charity. “They only want to support people and organizations that are in southeastern Idaho.”
The charity is made up of three different branches: community service, medical care grants and scholarships.
“We want to support local scholars and we want to support them at local institutions,” said Brumfield.
One of the $10,000 scholarships is funded by Mountain View Charity, while the other is funded by the James G. Adamson Scholarship Fund.
When asked which programs would be eligible for the $10,000 scholarships, Brumfield said, “Any main academic undergraduate degree, but not at the vocational schools, just because their tuition isn’t as high.”
Students participating in vocational programs are eligible for the $1,000 awards.
Applicants will need to answer the following questions in no more than 500 words: Why should this charity invest in your education? How do you see your education changing your life and the lives of others?
A letter of recommendation is also required as part of the application process, which cannot be written by a family member.
“We’re going to bring our top five candidates in to give presentations to the board and then two of our students will have $10,000 scholarships.” said Brumfield.
The large number of non-traditional students, who, in many cases, have small children and have worked various jobs before reaching the point of pursuing their education, are reasons for the scholarship’s focus.
“What we really hope is to show people that we see them as worth our investment. We want them to know that they are worthwhile and that we see that their education has immediate payoff for them, but also a lot longer term,” said Brumfield. “We just see it building our entire community, which benefits by having bright brains that are well fed.”
To apply, students should visit www.mvcharity.com/our-mission/scholarships, and can contact Brumfield at ude.usinull@ymamurb for more information.
The deadline for all application materials is May 19, 2014.
