MANSFIELD – The Mansfield Senior High School Class of 1953 gave a boost to students pursuing higher education at The Ohio State University at Mansfield through support of the new Tyger Scholarship Fund.
The class’s reunion committee decided recently to donate its remaining funds to the scholarship campaign, according to class member Dick Walters. On Thursday, Walters presented just over $1,000 from the remaining class fund to Ohio State University at Mansfield.
The university established the Tyger Scholarship in March 2012 and it has already received financial support from the Mansfield/Malabar Alumni Association and But for Ohio State Mansfield campaign donors. It provides Senior High graduates a $2,000 scholarship in their first semester, renewable at $1,000 in the second semester for students who meet a minimum 3.0 grade-point average.
Lowell Smith, a member of the Mansfield City Schools Board of Education, is optimistic about growing the Tyger Scholarship Fund. Local alumni will be receiving a mailer later this month with more information about how they might support the initiative.
“Tyger Scholarships are an exciting opportunity for future Senior High graduates,” Smith said. “I am confident we will have the support of our alumni.” The fund could eventually allow Ohio State Mansfield to offer full scholarships to all eligible Senior High graduates. One-year tuition is approximately $8,000.
“This is a wonderful partnership between our campus, Mansfield City Schools, and Mansfield Senior/Malabar Alumni Association,” said Nick Orosan, Ohio State Mansfield’s interim senior director of advancement.
“It’s a great step in encouraging local youth to remain in Mansfield, earn a college degree, and become life-long residents of our community.”
Dana Haag, secretary of the alumni association, said the group is solidly behind the campaign to boost scholarship funding.
“We already were awarding an alumni association scholarship, but our board decided to put our funds into the Tyger Scholarship fund,” Haag said.
To become eligible for a Tyger Scholarship, an applicant must complete all four years at Senior High with their original class, take the ACT and complete the Free Application for Student Financial Aid. Applicants also must enroll full time for the fall semester at Ohio State Mansfield and participate in an early-arrival program to support their transition to the college environment. Scholarships will be made to all qualifying applicants, pending availability of donated resources in the fund.
Norman McCracken, Terry Saprano Plew, Earline Fowler Tucker, Phyllis Rowan McPhern, Judy Hout Long, Salli Stoodt Rohm, Nancy Snyder Sholays, Mary Lou Day Sidle and Robert Wixon are also on the Class of 1953 committee.