Big Island students are about to benefit from increased access to a college education, thanks to a groundbreaking new partnership between UH Hilo and the Dorrance Family Foundation. UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney has announced the Hawai‘i launch of the Dorrance Scholarship Program, an innovative four-year scholarship program designed to benefit local students who are the first in their family to attend college.
Beginning in 2012, up to ten eligible students will receive need-based scholarships of $8,000 per year to attend UH Hilo. Awards will be renewable for a total of eight semesters of funding, and additional cohorts of scholars will be added in subsequent years. The Dorrance Scholars will also be required to participate in funded, custom-designed summer programming providing academic enrichment, international travel, and employment preparation.
The new Hawai‘i program is an extension of the highly successful Dorrance Scholarship Programs, which have operated in Arizona for the past 13 years. Administered by the Arizona Community Foundation, the programs have opened doors to higher education and boosted graduation rates for more than 400 first generation college students at Arizona’s three public universities. Recipients of the Dorrance Scholarship on the Big Island will be among the most fortunate students in Hawai‘i—the total educational and programmatic value of each award is estimated to be more than $60,000.
UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney commented, “It is a privilege for UH Hilo to partner with the Dorrance Family Foundation in opening this visionary program to Big Island students. Expanding access to higher education and workforce development for our local high school graduates is an investment in the future of our community. We hope that every eligible high school senior will consider applying for the inaugural class of Dorrance Scholars at UH Hilo.”
Several members of the Dorrance family live on Hawaii Island, and have been very supportive of community programs. They’re the ones who have helped bring the program to the island and to UH Hilo. The family members are heirs to the founder of Campbell’s Soup.
Some 70% of UH Hilo’s current enrollment of 4,000+ students depend upon financial aid to fund the cost of attending university, giving UH Hilo the highest percentage of students receiving aid of any of the ten campuses in the University of Hawai‘i System. Almost 42% of UH Hilo students, moreover, qualify for Pell grants, the federal aid which reserved for students with the highest financial need. The majority of UH Hilo students—approximately 70%–are the first in their family to attend college, way above the national average.
According to Dr. Luoluo Hong, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, “This scholarship is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students. Recipients aren’t just receiving financial aid support for their college education: they are going to benefit from an entire range of programs and support services, all designed to help them be successful in college and graduate on time.”
Applications for the Dorrance Scholarship are currently being accepted online at www.dorrancescholarship.org; the deadline is February 22, 2012.
Eligibility criteria:
- Seniors in good standing who will graduate from an accredited
Big Island high school - First-generation to attend college (neither parent holds a
four-year degree) - Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA
- Verification of SAT or ACT test score
- Admitted to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
- Demonstrated financial need (completed FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov)
- Reside on campus freshman and sophomore year
- Agree to participate in all aspects of the scholarship program
- Signed Dorrance Scholar Participation Agreement
- Meet all application related deadlines
Benefits of the Dorrance Scholarship
- $8,000 per year
- 8 semesters of funding
- summer transition experience
- conservation program
- mainland semester
- entrepreneurship experience
- international travel
- Dorrance advisor
- cultural enrichment
- community outreach opportunities
- tutoring and mentoring
For more information about the Dorrance Scholarship, please contact Maria Martin, Hilo Scholarship Coordinator at mmartin@azfoundation.org or (808) 557-6343.
