Local donor establishes $2.35 million scholarship for exceptional student(s)

A local retired professor will establish a new student scholarship at Roanoke College that places it among the most generous financial aid packages in the country. Structured to ensure that exceptionally motivated and talented students will graduate virtually debt free, this scholarship will provide the full cost of recipients' tuition, room, board, books, and mandatory fees, as well as expenses related to an Honors Distinction Project, an independent project that builds a graduate-level portfolio of practical experience in research or creative works.

On condition of anonymity, the donor established the scholarship in honor of his grandmother, who influenced his intellectual pursuits. The Seubert Endowed Scholarship for Honors Students will be awarded based upon a student's demonstrated academic record and scholarly potential. "In my career, I was privileged to work with many great minds," says the benefactor, "and I believed that truly meritorious academic achievement deserved an extraordinary reward."

"It's the first of its kind at Roanoke College," says Dr. Brenda P. Poggendorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. "In my experience, few colleges or universities offer a merit-based award this generous and all encompassing." The renewable, endowed scholarship will fully fund one or more students who maintain their Honors Program status for the duration of their Roanoke academic career, regardless of their families' ability to pay for college.

"The scholarship will be a powerful resource for recruiting exceptional students and providing them with remarkable experiences that lead to personal and professional success," affirms Dr. Chad T. Morris, Director of the Honors Program.

At present, approximately nine percent of the College's 2,000 students participate in its selective Honors Program. Roanoke's Honors Program has its own general education curriculum designed to provide enhanced academic rigor, heightened intellectual discourse, and significant engagement with communities beyond the classroom. Program participants pursue independent research and fields of study that have placed them among the most prepared college graduates in the U.S.

"Families recognize the value and distinctiveness of a private higher education. This scholarship places Roanoke within reach of anyone willing to work hard enough to be the best," says Dr. Richard A. Smith, Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Shirley C. and Donald E. Morel Dean of the College.

For more information about the Honors program or other scholarship programs at Roanoke College, please contact the Admissions Office at 540-375-2270 or admissions@roanoke.edu.