Named scholarships & funds
When it comes to earning a college degree, the greatest obstacle can be funding.
For this reason, The University of Akron is pleased for the opportunity each year to assist talented, deserving students achieve their dreams, thanks to more than 1,300 named scholarships established through the kindness and generosity of thousands of °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ alumni and friends, corporations, and foundations.
Scholarships truly are the best way to ensure that today’s students persist to graduation. Scholarships allow students to enroll full time and remain focused on their studies; they also reduce drop-out rates, decrease the stress of student loans, and shorten the road to graduation.
If you are interested in making a significant contribution to student success, please consider a gift to scholarships. You may also establish a named scholarship at The University of Akron, which can be created to honor a living person, in memory of a loved one, or to contribute to the growth of an area of study.
To learn more, please contact the Department of Development at 330-972-7238.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
This is not the page to apply for scholarships.
Students who want to apply for scholarships should visit the scholarship page on the Financial Aid site. You can find the link for the online application here.
The Department of Development does not accept applications for or distribute scholarships. Scholarships are distributed through the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid.
Search for a Named Scholarship
Grotefend Endowed Scholarship
The Grotefend Endowed Scholarship was established in 2017 and revised in 2018 through a generous gift from The Grotefend Family Revocable Trust. Through the trust, Ernest and Marianna Grotefend directed half of their estate to The University of Akron for an endowed scholarship supporting students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
A native of New Castle, Pa., Ernest R. Grotefend earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from The University of Akron in 1951 and was a member of Sigma Tau fraternity. He held various positions during his professional career, including assistant plant director for environmental control at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, Okla., and manager at Rose Rock Villa in Norma, Okla. Ernest was also a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Central Oklahoma chapter.
Marianna C. Grotefend was born in Joplin, Mo., and graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1948 with a master’s degree in social work. She was active with Catholic Daughters of America as an officer and worked as a real estate agent.
Married in 1952, the Grotefends were loyal to The University of Akron throughout their lives, providing gifts for more than 40 years to the College of Engineering and the University’s Landscape for Learning Campaign. Ernest’s personal slide rule is among those donated by °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ alumni and friends to create a permanent display in the College of Engineering.
The Grotefend Endowed Scholarship provides full or partial scholarships applied directly to student accounts to cover expenses such as tuition, fees and on-campus room and board.
Consideration for the scholarship will be given to University of Akron students pursuing an academic major in the Department of Mechanical Engineering who are full-time undergraduate or graduate students; academically talented and personally motivated to join the broad intellectual life offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and pursuing degree(s) offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, presently mechanical engineering and aerospace systems engineering.
The scholarship may be renewed at the discretion of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Recipient selection and scholarship amounts will be determined annually by a Department of Mechanical Engineering-elected committee and approved by the department chair.
The scholarship may be renewed at the discretion of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Recipient selection and scholarship amounts will be determined annually by a Department of Mechanical Engineering-elected committee and approved by the department chair.
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