UW Receives $120,000 Daniels Fund Grant for Scholarships |  
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Jan. 5, 2007 -- The Daniels Fund has awarded a $120,000 grant to support 37 scholarships for students entering the University of Wyoming or one of six Wyoming community colleges during the next two years.
The Daniels Opportunity Scholarship (DOS) will be used to provide need-based financial aid for two years for non-traditional students, who do not qualify for the Hathaway scholarship, says David Gruen, director of student financial aid at UW. He says the scholarships are expected to average $1,000 annually through each recipient's graduation.
"The grant targets GED recipients, adult learners, foster-care and juvenile-justice youth, returning military, individuals pursuing EMT/paramedic training, and students within two years of completing a degree, certificate or program," Gruen says. He adds that UW, Casper College, Central Wyoming College, Eastern Wyoming College, Laramie County Community College, Sheridan College, and Western Wyoming Community College all joined to create a combined proposal that resulted in the $120,000 grant.
More information about the scholarships can be obtained from the UW Student Financial Aid office at (307) 766-2116, e-mail: finaid@uwyo.edu. Information is also available at the financial aid offices at the participating community colleges.
"Students who most desire a college education are often least able to afford one," says Linda Childears, Daniels Fund president and CEO. "The Daniels Opportunity Award initiative is intended to give a boost to students of all ages and at all levels of society seeking to secure the economic and social benefits of a college education," she added.
The successful cooperative effort among UW and the community colleges has gained national recognition. At an annual meeting of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in New York City, the Wyoming association, in a national competition with the other state associations, was selected for the state award for "service that advances the goals of access and diversity."
The Daniels Fund has been a strong, consistent supporter of Wyoming's higher education institutions, donating $110,000 in 2004 and $150,000 in 2005. Those gifts promoted access to help qualified recipients receive bachelor's degrees and facilitated the transfer process from community colleges to UW. The primary goal of this year's grant is to assist individuals who do not qualify for the Hathaway Scholarship but meet the Daniels Fund profile to complete their stated academic goals.
Bill Daniels established the Daniels Fund in 1997. Daniels, a pioneer in cable television, launched his first cable system in Casper in 1953. When he died in 2000, the bulk of his estate was transferred to the fund, making it the largest foundation in the Rocky Mountain region. The Daniels Fund oversees the Daniels Fund Scholarship Program and the Daniels Fund Grants Program in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. Visit www.danielsfund.org for more information.
Posted on Friday, January 05, 2007
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