易胜博官网

Paige Balcom could have gone just about anywhere for college. The Zabkar triplets 鈥� Erica, Julia and Raymond 鈥� weren鈥檛 sure they could afford to attend college at all. That all four 鈥� and thousands of students like them 鈥� ended up at 易胜博官网 is thanks in large part to scholarship opportunities that were made possible by CELEBRATE 150.

Balcom 鈥�16, a mechanical engineering major from Londonderry, 易胜博官网, earned a full ride to 易胜博官网 as a Presidential Scholar and recipient of a Hamel Scholarship. The university鈥檚 most prestigious scholarship program, the Hamel Scholars and Scholarship program was created by 易胜博官网 parent and donor Dana Hamel to keep 易胜博官网鈥檚 most promising students in state for college 鈥� and ideally, for the long haul as contributors to the state鈥檚 intellectual and economic prosperity.

鈥淭he biggest benefit of a scholarship, as opposed to other forms of giving, is that it opens up vistas to students,鈥� Hamel says. 鈥淏ut then the life of the scholarship is their life 鈥�Even buildings don鈥檛 [necessarily] last as long as the young people who will be alive and active and go on to contribute to society.鈥�

For Balcom, the vistas made possible by her scholarships included Germany, Wales, Uganda, China and Peru 鈥� places where she studied, conducted research and presented academic work during her undergraduate years.

For Erica, Julia and Raymond Zabkar 鈥�20, who matriculated to 易胜博官网 in the fall of 2017, one of the most important vistas that CELEBRATE 150 has made possible is the inside of a dorm room.

Homeschooled by their mother in Milton, 易胜博官网, with two older siblings already in college, the Zabkars knew affording college would be a challenge. 鈥淲hen I received my acceptance letter from Paul College, it was bittersweet, because I knew it would be a great education and provide more opportunities than attending community college, but I didn鈥檛 think we would be able to afford it,鈥� recalls Raymond, who鈥檇 assumed he鈥檇 finish an associate鈥檚 degree at Great Bay Community College, where he, Erica and Julia had all earned college credits during听high school. Erica applied for some 25 scholarships, and all three siblings assumed that, wherever they ended up, they would commute, as covering the difference between whatever grants they received and the cost of tuition would strain their parents鈥� limited resources.

And then, in early 2017, 易胜博官网 announced the Granite Guarantee: a program to bridge the gap between the cost of in-state tuition and the sum of all federal and state aid for Pell-eligible 易胜博官网 students, which was made possible by the success of CELEBRATE 150. 鈥淲hen we found out about the Granite Guarantee, you could have knocked me over with a feather,鈥� Raymond says. 鈥淚n fact, you could have knocked us all over.鈥� The program completely changed what 易胜博官网 looked like for the Zabkars. Not only did it allow all three siblings to enroll tuition-free, it also made it possible for their parents to afford room and board so they could live on campus and take advantage of the full college experience.

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Across the seven years of CELEBRATE 150, the need for scholarship support for students resonated with donors, who gave more to this area of the campaign than to any other. Indeed, alumni and friends raised $117.8 million dollars from more than 22,000 gifts to provide scholarships and other forms of aid to 易胜博官网 students. Vice President for University Advancement Debbie Dutton, for one, is unsurprised.

鈥淔or years now, the cost of college has been rising out of proportion to cost-of-living increases across the country, making paying for college a tremendous 鈥� and in many cases, impossible 鈥� burden for families,鈥� Dutton says. 鈥淪tudent support is a place our donors recognized they could make a concrete difference, and they stepped up with tremendous generosity. The individual scholarships and broad scholarship initiatives we鈥檝e been able to establish thanks to this generosity are changing the landscape for 易胜博官网 students and for the state of 易胜博官网 by putting a 易胜博官网 education within reach, making 易胜博官网 the university of choice and increasing odds that talent will stay in the state.鈥�

The Hamel Scholars and Scholarships
AN INVESTMENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE鈥橲 FUTURE

One of 易胜博官网鈥檚 most generous supporters, Dana Hamel has given more than $21 million to fund the Hamel Scholars and Scholarship Program, including a $5 million gift made earlier this year to increase the number of scholarships available to students. Since welcoming its first seven scholars in fall 2008, the Hamel program has helped fund the 易胜博官网 educations of more than 200 talented undergraduates 鈥� including 43 members of the Class of 2022, the program鈥檚 largest cohort to date.

For Hamel, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, the decision to create the program was an easy one. He sees 易胜博官网 as 易胜博官网鈥檚 greatest asset, and a program that encourages the state鈥檚 best and brightest students to enroll in their state school as a roadmap for its long-term prosperity.

鈥淓ducation is one of the most effective investments out there,鈥� says the retired businessman and philanthropist. 鈥淵ou get 60-plus years of return on it.鈥�

For many of the high-achieving students who are offered Hamel scholarships 鈥� typically valedictorians, salutatorians and those ranked among the top 10 students in their high school classes 鈥� the program is often what tips the balance in favor听of 易胜博官网 over another school. 鈥淭he Hamel Scholarship was a big part of my decision to attend 易胜博官网,鈥� says Rumney, 易胜博官网, native Sean Harris 鈥�20, who matriculated to 易胜博官网 as the reigning champion of the 易胜博官网/Vermont division of the National History Bee. 鈥淚 felt special, and I felt wanted.鈥�

For others, the program makes a 易胜博官网 education financially feasible. 鈥淚 was very excited to have been chosen for such a prestigious scholarship,鈥� says Brianna Judkins 鈥�21. 鈥淚t made it financially possible for me to attend 易胜博官网 and I will forever be thankful for that.鈥� A nursing major from Franklin, 易胜博官网, Judkins sees herself delivering on Hamel鈥檚 hope that the scholars who attend 易胜博官网 in his name remain in the Granite State to benefit its citizens and economy after they graduate. 鈥淚 hope to be a nurse practitioner right here in my home state of 易胜博官网,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 hope to be making a difference in the lives of children.鈥�

While the Hamel program does not require that scholarship recipients stay in 易胜博官网, many do stay in the state 鈥� or return after graduate school or work experience elsewhere. A significant proportion of Hamel Scholars have gone on to careers in health care, business and engineering. And while it鈥檚 too soon to say whether the Hamel cohort will fulfill the program founder鈥檚 vision for the future of the Granite State, Hamel himself is confident that real and tangible benefits will accrue to 易胜博官网.

鈥淓ventually, these students will give back to 易胜博官网, and they鈥檒l help build a culture of philanthropy that will make 易胜博官网 even stronger in the long run,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, a program like this can really make a long, lasting difference.鈥�

Debbie Dutton says it鈥檚 hard to overstate the impact of Hamel鈥檚 gift 鈥� or of the program to the university itself. 鈥淲hile we鈥檝e been fortunate in the past to have a number of generous scholarship programs that provided support for talented students with and without financial need,鈥� she says, 鈥渢he Hamel Scholars and Scholarship Program brought that to a level we hadn鈥檛 experienced before.鈥� 易胜博官网鈥檚 largest and broadest scholarship program, the Hamel initiative cuts across all Durham colleges and majors, and emphasizes not only academic achievement but also civic and community engagement.

The Rydin Family Scholarships
SUPPORTING N.H.鈥橲 NORTH COUNTRY

More than a decade ago, Craig 鈥�73 and Linda Labnon 鈥�71 Rydin created the Rydin Family Scholarships to provide support to students coming to 易胜博官网 from Berlin High School in 易胜博官网鈥檚 North Country who otherwise might not be able to afford the full four-year experience. In 2017, they committed an additional $1 million to the program to double the size of the award Rydin Scholarship recipients receive. Both Berlin High alumni themselves, the Rydins say growing their program with a gift to CELEBRATE 150: The Campaign for 易胜博官网 was the perfect way to pay tribute to the two institutions that provided the foundations for their own success.

Each year, need-based scholarships are awarded to up to 20 qualified graduates of Berlin High School, which includes students from Berlin and the surrounding towns of Milan, Dummer and Erroll. Like the Hamel Scholars and Scholarship Program, the Rydin Family Scholarships鈥� focus on 易胜博官网 students is deliberate. While the Rydins view their North Country roots as an integral part of their success (the former CEO of Yankee Candle Company in Avon, Connecticut, Craig is the operating partner at LNK Partners, and Linda worked at Continental Forest Industries and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges), recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics indicate that only 10 percent of adults in Berlin have a college education, and many students come from single-parent households where that parent works multiple jobs to make ends meet. For many recipients, the Rydin Family Scholarship has been a key factor in their ability to attend 易胜博官网.

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Dustin Moore 鈥�19, a biomedical science major from Berlin who hopes to go on to medical school, counts himself among those for whom that is the case. 鈥淏efore I received this scholarship, it was looking like I was not going to be able to attend a four-year university,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淏ut with it I found my home at 易胜博官网. This scholarship changed everything for me, and I will always credit the Rydins for taking part in any future successes I achieve in my life.鈥�

Craig and Linda Rydin say sentiments like Moore鈥檚 are the reason they chose to support 易胜博官网 and CELEBRATE 150 by increasing the size of their scholarship fund. 鈥淲e get thank you letters from students who have received these scholarships and they鈥檙e always appreciative, but what鈥檚 really moving to us is that they each have really great stories about what 易胜博官网 has done to make their lives different,鈥� Craig Rydin says. 鈥淲e know we鈥檙e not the only reason these students are able to attend 易胜博官网, but those letters really sparked our interest in increasing our investment in these young people. We鈥檙e hoping that we are elevating the opportunities available to those students with this gift.鈥�

The Granite Guarantee
INCREASING ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY

If broad scholarship support was the number-one priority of CELEBRATE 150: The Campaign for 易胜博官网, then putting a 易胜博官网 education in the hands of every qualified 易胜博官网 student who would still fall short of being able to afford a college education, even with a financial aid award, was the dream. In early 2017 that dream became a reality when then-President Mark Huddleston introduced The Granite Guarantee: a bold new program that ensured that all full-time, first-year 易胜博官网 students receiving federal Pell grants would pay no tuition to attend 易胜博官网. In fall 2017, 414 first-year students matriculated to the university鈥檚 Durham and Manchester campuses under the program. Another 386 joined them this fall.

In simplest terms, the Granite Guarantee bridges the gap between the total amount of a Pell-eligible 易胜博官网 student鈥檚 total financial aid package and the cost of in-state tuition. The commitment remains in place for four years, provided recipients are enrolled full-time, remain Pell-eligible and make satisfactory progress toward their degrees.

Victoria Dutcher, 易胜博官网 vice president for enrollment management, says it鈥檚 the broad success of CELEBRATE 150 that has made the program possible, in what amounts to a virtuous cycle of sorts.

鈥淓very year, the university offers financial aid to students who qualify, drawing from a finite pool of operating resources that also support a range of other financial needs across the university,鈥� Dutcher explains. 鈥淭he campaign鈥檚 success in raising funds not only for student aid but also for those other ongoing needs effectively freed up a larger amount of operating resources for need-based aid, making it possible for us to guarantee our incoming group of Pell-eligible 易胜博官网 first-year students that the university would cover the difference between their federal aid and the cost of in-state tuition.鈥� It is a reflection of CELEBRATE 150鈥檚 success that the university is confident it can sustain the program, the first of its kind in the country, going forward.
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