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
Oldham, William M.Endowed Scholarship
The William M. Oldham Endowed Scholarship was established in 2018 by William M. Oldham, with the intent that the endowment be funded with a bequest at the time of his death.
William (“Bill”) M. Oldham and his wife, Patricia (“Pat”) J. Oldham, both graduated from The University of Akron in 1964 with degrees in history and education, respectively. After graduation, Pat started her career as a teacher in the Akron Public Schools. Bill went on to attend The University of Akron School of Law, from which he graduated first in his class in 1967.
Following his law school graduation, Bill clerked for The Honorable Girard E. Kalbfleisch, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland, Ohio. Soon after his clerkship, he was hired as the first Akron Law graduate to work at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. Bill went on to serve as the firm’s Managing Partner from 1980 to 1985. He also served as President of the Akron Bar Association from 1983 to 1984.
In 1986, Bill took a short sabbatical from the practice of law and became Akron Law’s first Practitioner-in-Residence. In 1990, Bill left Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs to form his own firm, Oldham & Dowling. He later formed the Oldham Company LLC with his son, Joe, where he remained until his retirement in 2018. Bill’s practice focused on litigation, probate law, estate planning and adoptions. In 2008, Bill received The University of Akron School of Law’s Outstanding Alumni Award. He is also a founding member of the Scanlon American Inns of Court, a group mentoring young lawyers and law students.
The William M. Oldham Endowed Scholarship will provide scholarship assistance to deserving students enrolled at The University of Akron School of Law.
The William M. Oldham Endowed Scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving student(s) at The University of Akron School of Law, as determined by The University of Akron School of Law’s scholarship committee in consultation with members of the Oldham family. The scholarship is to be used toward the cost of tuition and fees.
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