Scholarship program allows for more diversity
After changes were made to the Community Scholars Program this year, students are now provided with scholarships that cover a maximum of 60 percent of tuition instead of the total cost.
By Jill Meninger
Staff Reporter

The Community Scholars Program, which awards scholarships to minorities from six area high schools, is currently not providing full tuition so that more students can be admitted to the program and receive partial tuition, said Cornell Thomas, special assistant to the chancellor for diversity and community.

Thomas said when the program started in 2000 it covered the entire cost of tuition, but now the scholarship will cover a maximum of 60 percent. He said the change will provide more flexibility in looking at the middle and low-income students so there can be more participants.

Ray Brown, dean of admissions, said the admissions office determines how much a student’s family can pay by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and then decides how much aid will be given to the student.

Although the amount of covered tuition has decreased, 15 partial scholarships were awarded this year, Thomas said. He said there were 12 awarded in 2000 and 19 in 2001.

Thomas said the program only gave 15 scholarships because of a lack of outside funding this year. He said in order for there to be more participants in the program, more outside funding is needed.

He said there was support from outside groups for the 2001 participants, which includes the B.E.L.I.E.F. Foundation, which is giving $20,000 a year for five years, and the Citigroup Corporation, which is giving $25,000 a year for five years.

Mike Scott, director of scholarships and student financial aid, said $750,800 of the university’s budget was allocated to the funding of the program for 2002-2003. He said for 2001-2002, $470,850 was allocated and $187,865 was for 2000-2001.

Clement Ogujiofor, a freshman physics major and graduate of Dunbar High School, said he knew the tuition would be an obstacle for him. He said TCU was his first choice because of the scholarship and the student to faculty ratio.

“TCU is giving me a really big opportunity,” Ogujiofor said. “I feel like I have a responsibility now and I have to present myself well.”

Brown said the program has six high schools participating: O.D. Wyatt High School, Dunbar High School, North Side High School, Diamond-Hill Jarvis High School, Sam Houston High School and Poly High School.

Brown said the program was created to bring more diversity to campus because he said TCU was perceived as an unfriendly place to minorities. He said one of Chancellor Michael Ferrari’s goals was to change this perceived image of the campus.

Thomas said the university faces the challenge of preparing students to address the mission statement.

“The purpose of the program is to help us provide the kind of environment our students will live in,” Thomas said. “We are trying to diversify the student body in many ways.”

He said all the funding for the 2002 group is internal but he said corporations have expressed support and when the economy turns around, he said they intend to help.

“I strongly anticipate funds next year,” Thomas said. “The community is ready to step up, but the economy is slowing the community down.”

He said he is confident that the program will get at least one source of outside funding next year for the next group.

Vanessa Pena, a junior biology major and North Side High School graduate, said TCU was her first choice and she applied even though she wasn’t sure how she would pay tuition.

She said the program has been a success.

“It’s not only brought in different ethnicities but it has also brought in the way we think because of our different backgrounds,” Pena said.

Jill Meninger