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
DGS Scholarship Support Fund
The DGS Scholarship Support Fund was initiated by gifts from alumni and friends of The University of Akron Strive Toward Excellence Program in honor of longtime program coordinator Deborah Stone. Ms. Stone has run the program for all 25 years of the program’s existence. She has proudly rejoiced with each graduating class and applauds the accomplishments of nearly 600 “Firestone Fellows” who beat all odds and expectations.
Strive Toward Excellence Program (STEP) is an endowed college-preparatory program for seventh- and eighth-grade students from Akron-area schools. In 1988, The Firestone Trust Fund awarded The University of Akron a $3 million gift from which an endowment was established to create The Firestone Fellows Strive Toward Excellence Program, otherwise known as STEP.
Students are inducted into STEP while they are enrolled in the sixth grade and are designated as "Firestone Fellows." They remain in STEP for two years before progressing to the University's Upward Bound Classic or Upward Bound Math and Science program, which assists them throughout high school. Qualified program graduates who attend The University of Akron are awarded Firestone Fellows scholarships.
The DGS Scholarship Support Fund will be funded through ongoing gifts from alumni, family and friends, and other fundraising events of the Strive Toward Excellence Program. Potential candidates who have successfully completed the six-year STEP/TRiO Program must be in good standing and currently enrolled at The University of Akron. Recipients will be selected by the DGS Scholarship Support Committee. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Students interested in an application must contact Deborah G. Stone.
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