All Vanderburgh County students who want to attend the University of Evansville have a new incentive. A new scholarship, the William L. Ridgway Award, will offer $18,000 per year to all Vanderburgh County students entering UE in Fall 2009. In order to maintain the scholarship all four years, students must live in university housing, perform at least 10 hours of community service per semester and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5.

New Scholarship Offered to All Vanderburgh County Students

All Vanderburgh County students looking to enter the University of Evansville in the coming academic year received a $72,000 incentive today, with the announcement of the University’s William L. Ridgway Award.

The Ridgway Award will offer $18,000 per year (up to four years) to all Vanderburgh County students entering UE in Fall 2009, enhancing the University’s place as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Value” institutions. The goal, as envisioned by Dr. Ridgway, is to make the cost of UE comparable to that of tuition and housing at Indiana’s two nationally-recognized public institutions.

"The Ridgway Award was created in collaboration with Dr. William L. Ridgway, embodying his desire to ensure Vanderburgh County students have access to the University of Evansville," said Thomas Bear, UE's vice president for enrollment services. "With this award, any student who has graduated from a high school in Vanderburgh County, or whose parents' permanent address is in Vanderburgh County, will be able to receive a quality, private, personal education at a price comparable to what they would encounter at the state's largest four-year public institutions."

As part of the award, Dr. Ridgway also expressed the need for recipients to be involved in the Vanderburgh County community and University campus. Thus, in order to receive (and maintain) the award, students must satisfy three stipulations annually:

- live in University housing

- perform at least 10 hours of community service per semester

- maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5, on UE's 4.0 scale

The Ridgway Award will first be available to incoming freshman and transfer students during the 2009-10 academic year. In order to be eligible, students must be accepted to UE, meet all listed criteria, and visit campus on or before April 18.

“When I envisioned this award, I wanted to ensure more than student access to UE,” Ridgway said. “I also wanted to make sure that our community grows and retains the talent it will need to prosper in markets that span the globe. The Ridgway Award embodies my vision."

All students meeting the criteria established by Dr. Ridgway are eligible to receive the award. Accepted UE students and their families looking for more information on the Ridgway Award should contact the UE Office of Admission at (812) 488-2468 or admission@evansville.edu.

Source: University of Evansville & Inside INdiana Business