Central offers five new two-year scholarships

Central professors Alison Scoville and Audrey Huerta received $612,840 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to go towards five new two-year scholarships for Central students.

The scholarship program is designed to increase diversity within the STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) programs.

“The focus is on underrepresented minorities,” Scoville, biological sciences professor, said.

Though the program emphasizes on recruiting minorities, it is open to anyone who meets the academic and financial requirements.

Scoville, who used to teach at Haskell Indian Nations University, saw a huge opportunity to connect with the Native American tribes in Washington through this program.

“A lot of the biological concerns we have in this area are also tribal concerns,” Scoville said.

She also noted that the large Hispanic community in this are a may benefit from the program.

Scoville and Huerta’s scholarship is a five-year program called SOLVER (Sustainability for Our Livelihood, Values, Environment, and Resources). It provides a $20,000 two-year scholarship for both transfer and non-transfer students.

The SOLVER program also supplies instructional materials and resources that will enhance the current curriculum, said Scoville in an April press release for the new scholarship.

According to Matthew Cziske, assistant director of admissions, scholarships are about getting students to bring forward their best to Central’s campus, no matter their expertise.
“It really opens the door for people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity,” Cziske said.

Many students are looking at prospective institutions and asking themselves how they can afford to go there, said Cziske. The cost of higher education is growing and scholarships really help reduce the cost.

“It’s like a coupon,” Cziske said in reference to scholarships. “You’re more likely to go to a place if you have incentive.”

According to Cziske, scholarships are one of the easiest ways for students to get money for their education and there is a wide range of scholarships available at Central.

Central also gives out a full ride scholarship to eight students each year called The Presidential Scholars Golden Ticket.

“Scholarships are a way to attract students to Central and retain them,” Cziske said.

Central’s offered scholarships are always changing. Cziske recommended that students regularly check to see if there have been any changes in scholarships at www.cwu.edu/scholarships/

“Five scholarships will be awarded this year,” Huerta, geological sciences professor, said in an April press release. “And we are seeking applicants for them now.”