Celebrating 100 Years With Goal of 100 Scholarships

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Barbara Moss

2 min read

UConn’s School of Engineering is celebrating its centennial in a big way. The school, together with the UConn Foundation, has set a fundraising goal to establish 100 new scholarships.

The need for more scholarship support is driven by a sharp rise in enrollment. Over the past decade, the number of engineering students has increased 100 percent—now at 4,255 students—and the next decade will see further growth.

Amy Hernandez '16 (ENG)
Amy Hernandez ’16 (ENG) will graduate with a degree in materials science and engineering. (Credit: UConn Foundation)

With eight applicants vying for every space, all admitted are worthy of merit-based scholarship and most also have financial need. Scholarships from private donors currently provide partial or full support for only 183 students a year. For that reason, the School of Engineering is encouraging all alumni and friends to consider creating a permanently endowed scholarship in their own name–a commitment of $50,000 over five years.

Amy Hernandez is one of those talented students. She had no thought of becoming an engineer until her junior year in high school when a chemistry teacher encouraged her to try something totally new.

“My parents don’t make enough to pay for my education so there were worries that I would be working while studying, and that would be a huge distraction,” said Hernandez. “Having scholarships didn’t just take a financial weight off my shoulders, it also helped me decide where I was going to go to school.”

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