New scholarship encourages Southeastern students to graduate in four years
Contact: Christina Chapple
10/3/07
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University is offering a unique new scholarship to encourage students to complete their degrees in four years.
Beginning with the current freshman class, the new “Progression Scholarship” will reward students who make steady progress toward completing their degrees on time by giving them a scholarship equal to a percentage of their tuition and fees – 10 percent for sophomores, 30 percent for juniors, and 50 percent for seniors.
The scholarship will be awarded to qualified students beginning in fall 2008.
“Our degrees are four year programs,” said President Randy Moffett. “We are encouraging students to place a priority on enrolling in the right classes, successfully completing those classes and moving toward their degree in the four-year time frame.”
To qualify for the Progression Scholarship, students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average and complete 25 percent of their degree in their first year, 50 percent in the second year, and 75 percent in the third year.
Those who keep their academic timelines on track could receive as much as $2,880 by graduation. The average award to qualified students will be $320 in year one, $960 in year two, and $1,600 in year three.
“As far as we know, Southeastern is the only university in Louisiana offering such a scholarship incentive,” Moffett said. “We are committed to helping our students succeed. We pledged to dedicate a portion of our recent budget increase to developing new programs targeting student retention and progression.”
He pointed out that the new scholarship will have both short and long term benefits for its recipients and for Southeastern. “It is a simple fact that graduating on time saves both the student and Southeastern money,” Moffett said. “Since so many students combine work with school, the scholarship support may allow some students to work less and take the courses they need to graduate on time.”
Students’ progress will be tracked by the university’s new degree progress reporting system, said Stephen Soutullo, assistant vice president for enrollment management. Students do not need to apply for the scholarship. Those who qualify to receive the financial award will be notified and their university account will be credited automatically next fall, he said.
“We will initiate a communication plan that includes such thing as e-mails and letter to fully explain the scholarship’s benefits and requirements,” Soutullo said. He said detailed information about the Progression Scholarship soon will be available on Southeastern’s web site at www.selu.edu/progression and from students’ academic advisors.
More News...
