President’s Match Program to Boost Launch
From the April 2009 issue of UConn e-Momentum
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University of Connecticut’s largest college or school, has established two new programs, CLAS Scholars and CLAS Fellows, to raise support for meritorious undergraduate and graduate students who need financial aid.
The CLAS Scholars program provides scholarships for high-achieving undergraduate students, and the CLAS Fellows program provides fellowships for graduate students.
“A central concern of ours is making sure that an outstanding liberal arts education at UConn is available to everyone. Contributions to the CLAS Scholars and CLAS Fellows funds mean that we are able to broaden access to UConn for highly qualified, deserving undergraduate and graduate students,” says Dean Jeremy Teitelbaum.
Need-based scholarships often provide the critical margin of support that enables students to not only reach UConn, but to complete their studies, explains Teitelbaum. These programs will reduce the burden of loans and work study hours on undergraduate students from low- and middle-income families.
The college is strengthening fellowship support because a robust graduate program is essential to any top-tier research university. Graduate students help further research, discover new knowledge and teach undergraduate courses. Fellowships supplement research and teaching assistantships, offset living costs and support educational expenses like travel and academic conferences.
Unlike the undergraduate student body, which includes predominantly students from Connecticut, the graduate program enrolls a higher number of students from around the country and world. Fellowships help CLAS compete for the best students. In addition to increasing funding for traditional nine-month fellowships, the college wants to increase the number of 12-month fellowships, offering year-round support so students may continue their research through the summer.
For more information about supporting the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, please contact the UConn Foundation's development department. For more information about the President’s Challenge Award program, click here.
