Most college students depend on financial assistance for tuition, room and board, books and all of the other costs of higher education. In fact, 93 percent of Albright students require financial assistance to pursue their academic dreams.

In November, Albright College scholarship recipients attended the fourth annual Scholarship Luncheon to thank the donors who have endowed scholarship funds. For the 2001-02 academic year, the College awarded more than $11 million in Albright funds towards scholarship and grant aid to support students.

Currently there are more than 200 endowed scholarship funds in Albright’s portfolio. Scholarship endowments work to benefit students and the College in perpetuity. Funds are often created in the name of individual class years, a company or profession or, more often, in memory of a loved one.

One such scholarship, the Nancy Ratajczak-Shuman ’60 Memorial Scholarship, was recently established under the leadership of Nancy Neatock Dettra ’53. At this year’s luncheon, Dettra spoke about her experience in setting up the scholarship and working to raise the money needed to have it endowed.

Patrick Sasse ’02 also spoke of his gratitude for the scholarship he has received while at Albright. During his junior year, his father lost his job and Sasse had to decide if he should finish his education at a less expensive state school or could continue at Albright, paying the majority of the expenses out of his own pocket. Had it not been for the J.F. Crowell Memorial Scholarship, Sasse wouldn’t have had a decision to make.

He received enough aid through that scholarship fund to be able to continue his education at Albright College, the school he had come to think of as his home.
The College’s faculty, students and staff are extremely grateful for the many individual, corporate, and foundation donors whose generosity is helping generations of talented students pursue their academic dreams at Albright College.

For information on contributing to an existing endowed scholarship fund, or establishing a new endowed scholarship fund, contact Jason Ketter, associate vice-president of development, at 610-921-7500.