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
Gravina, Sue Lee Memorial Scholarship
The Sue Lee Gravina Memorial Scholarship was established in 2022 by Kenneth Lee, Ph.D., who wished to create a legacy honoring the life of his sister. Dr. Lee is a member and Fellow of The American Physical Society and a retired physicist. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1966. From 1966-1972, Dr. Lee completed his Ph.D. for Theoretical Plasma Physics at UCLA. He and his wife, Elise, reside in Los Alamos, N.M., and are both retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Sue was raised in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from East High School, along with her brothers: Kenneth, Raymond and Keen. She graduated from The University of Akron in 1968 with a degree in mathematics and began her distinguished career at Price Waterhouse. She later joined a division of Smith International, Dyna-Drill Technologies in Irvine, California, and became a manager of forecasting and financial analysis. Sue and her husband, Richard, and son, Stephan, lived in Huntington Beach, California at the time of her passing on June 16, 1987, following a prolonged fight against cancer.
The Sue Lee Gravina Memorial Scholarship supports full-time, undergraduate students, entering or continuing, at The University of Akron. To be considered, students must:
- Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher or a college GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Be in good standing in their college/school
- Major in applied math, mathematics, computer science, accounting, or a STEM-related field
- Have demonstrated financial need
Consideration will be given to graduates of East Community Learning Center (formerly Akron East High School). In the event there are no eligible candidates, the scholarship may be provided to an Akron Public Schools student with financial need who is enrolled at The University of Akron.
The scholarship is renewable for students who continue to meet the above criteria.
Selection of recipients will be made by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
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