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
Coleman, Lester E. and Kathleen A. Chair
Dr. Lester E. Coleman graduated from The University of Akron in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He proceeded to obtain a master’s degree and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois. Dr. Coleman joined Lubrizol Corporation in 1955 as a research chemist and eventually ascended to Chairman and CEO. He held more than 30 U.S. patents and 85 foreign patents and authored 50 magazine articles and magazine publications. Mrs. Coleman has served as a trustee for Hiram College and has been very involved in the Cleveland community.
The Lester E. and Kathleen A. Coleman Chair was created in 2002 by The Lester E. and Kathleen A. Coleman Foundation and a matching contribution from The GAR Foundation. The endowment provides the University with annual financial support for the recruitment and retention of a senior scientist of recognized stature and national reputation in the field of chemistry, with preference given to those concentrating their work in the synthesis or spectroscopic characterization of macromolecular materials. The endowment will fortify interdisciplinary research within the University and will promote interactions between regional and national colleges and universities, government agencies, and other organizations involved in chemistry and polymer science.