Centre College announces $50M in scholarships for underserved, low-income students
Centre College has received $50 million to use toward scholarships for underserved students over the next 10 years.
The Schuler Education Foundation, which financially invests in higher education to support students at liberal arts colleges, will give $20 million to Centre as a grant. Additionally, Centre has received a $20 million gift from an anonymous donor, matching the grant amount, and the university will raise $10 million in the next decade to go toward the scholarship fund.
In total, the $50 million is the largest grant in the college’s history, and will specifically be for scholarships for students who are Pell Grant eligible or with an undocumented status.
The funds will allow 120 students to attend Centre over the next 10 years, covering tuition for those students, Centre College President Milton Moreland said. Through other funds available on campus, low-income students have the opportunity to have nearly all of their expenses covered by scholarships, he said.
“Centre is dedicated to diversity and inclusive excellence, and I think this is a testament to that,” Moreland said.
This grant will allow students from a variety of economic backgrounds to attend Centre College, Moreland said. With support from the college, and removing the stress of paying for an education, students can focus on learning and bettering themselves.
“One of our top goals is to help students from whatever background they come from, to have great opportunities in life and to be in this Centre family with a great deal of support,” Moreland said. “What we have seen through that support is they have become leaders. They have become great community members and citizens, and they have certainly done well in all enterprises that they go into.”
Without scholarships, tuition, room and board at Centre is $60,370 for the 2022-23 school year, according to the university’s website.
“I am deeply grateful for the generosity of the Schuler Education Foundation — as well as our anonymous donor — for helping us to provide an ambitious model of support for deserving students,” Moreland said.
About the Schuler Education Foundation
Centre is one of 10 colleges that has been selected to participate in the Schuler Access Initiative, which helps enroll students who are Pell-eligible or undocumented at liberal arts colleges around the country.
“A liberal arts education is unique to the United States and has proven to be a great foundation for success in post-graduate studies,” said Jack Schuler, co-founder of the Foundation. “By partnering with these five additional top colleges who serve a broad range of students, we have the opportunity to support even more undocumented and Pell-eligible students.”
“Our family focuses on underrepresented, undocumented and low-income students, because we know that they are smart, capable, hard-working, ambitious students who, when given equal access to opportunities, do great things to benefit our communities,” said Tanya Schuler Sharman, co-founder of the Schuler Education Foundation.
Existing programs at Centre
Centre currently has scholarship funds available to first-generation students, Moreland said. Through those funds and programming, low-income students have become “leaders on campus,” Moreland said. He hopes the grant will do something similar for other students, he said.
The Grissom Scholar Program, which gives first-generation students a full-tuition scholarship for four years, has a 95% graduation rate, higher than the rest of the student population, Moreland said.
“A place like Centre can have a big impact on students’ lives, regardless of what background they have and what demographic they come from,” Moreland said.