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
Skeeles, Bill and Mary Baseball Scholarship
The Bill and Mary Skeeles Baseball Scholarship was established in October 2021 through a generous gift by Bill and Mary Skeeles. The scholarship will support students who are members of The University of Akron Baseball program.
During his college days at The University of Akron, Bill Skeeles '77 was a member of the baseball program. Those experiences helped shape his ability to work with a team and become a leader. Those life lessons provided a strong foundation for Bill, as he and his wife Mary became successful entrepreneurs, founding PointeNorth Insurance Group in 1996.
Born in Steubenville and raised in Richmond, Ohio, Bill started playing baseball at a young age and was coached by his father. His passion for the sport of baseball grew, leading him to The University of Akron where he could pursue his education and play the sport he loved.
Bill is Principal, CEO and President of Pointe North Insurance Group. He leads and sets the organization's strategic course and guides efforts to grow and support the Independent Agency system through mergers and acquisitions. PointeNorth is one of the largest insurance agencies in the southeast with local ownership, approaching $500,000,000 in annual premiums and serving over 50,000 businesses and households.
Bill earned a B.S. in economics from The University of Akron in 1977. After relocating to Atlanta in the late 1970s, Bill received his Jurist Doctorate from The Woodrow Wilson School of Law and became an Independent Agent and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC).
Bill has served in the leadership of and remains active in a number of civic and industry related organizations, including the Atlanta Jaycees and Kiwanis Club, Atlanta Country Club, Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia, Secure Risk, the Big I and PIA and serves on a number of insurance carrier advisory councils.
Mary is Principal and COO at PointeNorth Insurance Group, focused on operations, transition, and culture management. Prior to joining the firm, Mary served in a number of operational leadership roles for several Fortune 500 companies and new ventures.
A native of Indiana, Mary attended Indiana University and the University of Evansville.
Active in a number of community and civic organizations, she and Bill enjoy fishing, hiking, travel, and golf. They are also the proud parents of Katie, a graduate of Birmingham Southern College and member of the women's golf team. The couple resides in Marietta, Ga.
Bill and Mary have been donors to The University of Akron since 1980, including a gift to install artificial turf and build new grandstands at the baseball facility, thus establishing Skeeles Field, which has been the home of Akron Zips Baseball since 2020. By creating this scholarship, Bill and Mary look to continue their support of the baseball program and its student-athletes.
The Bill and Mary Skeeles Baseball Scholarship must be awarded to members of the baseball team at The University of Akron, with no more than three recipients in an academic year. First consideration will be given to student-athletes who attended a high school in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. If a student-athlete from an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference school is not available for the scholarship, the Athletics Director, or their designee, along with the head baseball coach may select other recipients. It is also preferred student-athletes are in good academic standing.
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