This is the first scholarship of its kind, created to reduce significant portions of recipients’ current outstanding educational debt, according to a press release.
Each scholarship will be applied to the recipients’ bursar accounts to eliminate any current outstanding tuition, according to the release. Students will be able to use any remaining balances to pay off student loans and cover living expenses for the upcoming academic year.
“We are fortunate to have a graduate of IU step up and provide an innovative approach to private giving that will enable promising students to pursue their intended careers upon graduation,” said Dan Smith, IU Foundation president and CEO, in the release. “This funding will allow these students to make job choices based on their studies at IU and their true interest in journalism.”
Students that received top evaluation out of a scale created by the IU journalism faculty were eligible to apply for the scholarship. The nine recipients went through an interview process with the donor and a committee composed of members from IU Foundation and the journalism faculty before officially receiving the award, according to the release.
The recipients of the scholarship award are: Hannah Alani of Bloomington, Indiana; Anne Brackemyre of Zionsville, Indiana; Gregory Gottfried of River Vale, New Jersey; Kate Halliwell of Lafayette, Indiana; Holly Hays of Bloomington, Indiana; Leah Johnson of Indianapolis, Indiana; Megan Jula of Blacklick, Ohio; Samantha Schmidt of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Anicka Slachta of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“The trajectory toward success for these deserving students will be helped greatly by these innovative forms of assistance,” said James Shanahan, IU Media School at IU dean, in the release.
