Purdue News
Purdue News
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July 31, 2002 Purdue students and staff to benefit from new scholarshipsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the first time ever, the Purdue University Senate is soliciting donations for two campuswide faculty-supported scholarships. One scholarship fund will be earmarked for students with high financial need. The other fund will support service staff who would like to take courses to upgrade their job skills for improved job security. University Senate Chairman Terry Stewart says the state budget crisis prompted the University Senate to act. "The whole Purdue community is affected by the state budget shortfalls this year, but two groups are being hit harder than most," Stewart says. "Our students will pay 10 percent more tuition this year, and there are fewer opportunities for our service staff because we have reduced staffing levels through attrition and had to reassign others." Stewart says each scholarship fund will be established as a cash account, not an endowment. "This allows the donations to have full and immediate impact on the burdens being borne by students and staff," Stewart says. Bill Harper, past chairman of the Senate Faculty Affairs Committee, came up with the idea for a scholarship campaign. He says the Purdue faculty is caring and responsive. "It seemed to me that our Purdue faculty would be especially sensitive to the very real economic problems our budget situation has created for both students and staff," Harper says. "The idea of initiating some kind of help was strongly supported by the University Faculty Senate leadership." The scholarships will be awarded this fall. Their number and the amounts will be determined by the amount of donations received. Faculty who wish to donate can make a lump-sum contribution or authorize monthly payroll deductions. Letters with an attached form will be mailed to all faculty in August. The scholarships will be awarded each year based on continuing contributions. Information on scholarship applications can be requested by contacting Stewart at (765) 494-0138, tstewart@purdue.edu; or Bill Harper at (765) 494-1518, wharper@purdue.edu. CONTACT: Terry Stewart, (765) 494-0138, tstewart@purdue.edu; Bill Harper, (765) 494-1518, wharper@purdue.edu. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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