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
Hartley, Dr. Tom T. Endowed Fund
The Dr. Tom T. Hartley Endowed Fund was established in 2018 to honor Dr. Hartley’s
30-year teaching career as a University of Akron professor. The Dr. Tom T. Hartley Endowed Fund will honor his passion as a professor, which inspired countless students to follow their own career dreams.
University of Akron alumni Ming Zhang, M.S in electrical engineering 1989, M.S. in mechanical engineering 1993; and Dr. Cindy Jiang, M. S. in electrical engineering 1988, Ph.D., in electrical engineering in 2013, established this fund with a gift through Interactive Engineering Corp. Currently, Ming serves as president and Cindy as vice president. Both had classes with Dr. Hartley, who also worked as an advisor with Jiang as she pursued her Ph.D.
Dr. Hartley earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and a B.A. degree in physics from Ohio Northern University in 1980. He attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University, earning an M.S. degree in physics in 1982 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1984.
Dr. Hartley joined The °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as a professor in 1984 and retired in 2014 after a fulfilling career, during which his focus on experiential learning impacted both students and faculty.
A recognized expert in fractional-order systems and with colleagues at NASA Glenn Research Center, Dr. Hartley solved fundamental problems in this area. He has extensive experience in battery dynamics, modeling, and management. During Dr. Hartley’s energy-related work with NASA Glenn Research Center, he was involved in International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope
Dr. Hartley began teaching the freshman Electrical and Computer Engineering Tools class in the fall of
The Dr. Tom T. Hartley Endowed Fund provides scholarships that are applied directly to student accounts to cover expenses such as tuition and fees.
Scholarship consideration will be given to full-time undergraduate or graduate °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ students pursuing an academic major in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who:
- participate in experiential learning opportunities, such as student design teams, student organizations etc., and/or
- choose control areas as their undergraduate or graduate research interest.
For students pursuing control area research, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department may also use funds for lab needs such as, but not limited to, research tools, licensing fees and other items to help facilitate control research.
Recipient selection and scholarship amounts will be determined annually by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Scholarship Committee and the department chair. The scholarship may be renewed at the discretion of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The department chair has final discretion as to how the money will be utilized in any given year.
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