Salem, Ohio – John Tonti, President of the Salem Community Foundation, and Steve Nameth, Dean of Kent State Salem and East Liverpool, recently announced an update to the Salem Community Foundation Tuition Grant Program available to students attending Kent State Salem. All Kent State students who have a Salem mailing address (44460) are now eligible to apply for this scholarship. Students in good academic standing can receive a scholarship that can be up to 15 percent of their needed tuition and fees for the spring and fall semesters.
A public non-profit trust, the Salem Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Salem and the immediate area. According to Tonti, “the Salem Community Foundation grant became a reality in the fall of 1998 because of community leaders, including Eileen and Bruce Gordon, who believed that education is a key to building a stronger community.” He added “that since the first award students attending Kent State Salem students have received scholarships totaling more than $610,000.
Kent State Salem’s Dean, Dr. Steve Nameth, stated that the Salem Community Foundation is keenly aware of the needs of local students. “Recently, the foundation expanded the scholarship to include those students continuing on to complete their bachelor’s degree,” said Nameth. “Although Kent State Salem has the most affordable university tuition in the area, the foundation recognized that many students had family commitments beyond the classroom,” he added. Nameth concluded by saying that “expanding the scholarship could benefit more than 100 students.”
“The Salem Community Foundation scholarship is a true blessing for our areas students. The Foundation’s generosity has helped thousands of residents, including traditional and adult students earn their college degree,” added Tina Smith, Public Relations Coordinator for Kent State Salem.
Applications for the Spring 2014 scholarship are available now at the campus. Applicants must be a permanent resident of Salem, Ohio (defined as mailing zip code 44460) for at least one year, be pursuing their associate or first bachelor degree and attend Kent State Salem. This program is for the fall and spring semesters only. If you are a new freshman, there is no minimum GPA requirement. Current Kent State Salem students and transfer students must have a 2.00 cumulative GPA. Early Admission students are not eligible for this grant. The maximum award is up to 15 percent of needed in-state tuition costs for classes at Kent State Salem.
For more information on the Salem Community Foundation Tuition Grant application, please visit the Kent State Salem’s website at www.col.kent.edu or call 330-332-0361 or visit the Salem Community Foundation website at www.salemcommunityfoundation.org.
At the Kent State Columbiana County campuses, students can earn more than 20 different degrees, including 13 bachelor’s degrees. The Kent State Columbiana County campuses, which include Kent State Salem and Kent State East Liverpool, are home to more than 3,400 students. For more information please visit www.col.kent.edu or call 330-332-0361 for the Salem Campus or 330-385-3805 for the East Liverpool Campus.
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Photo: Pictured are John Tonti, President of the Salem Community Foundation, Melissa Costa, Foundation Grants Coordinator, nursing students and scholarship recipients Laura Brown and Chelsea Withers, Dr. Steve Nameth, Dean and Matthew Butts Executive Director of Advancement.
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Media Contact: Tina Smith, 330-337-4247, tsmit170@kent.edu