University Times

Faculty and staff at Pitt’s Bradford campus have joined together to create the first-ever book scholarship fund for UPB students.

The Pitt-Bradford Faculty/Staff Book Fund was created by members of the Pitt-Bradford Staff Association and the Faculty Senate. The new fund will be administered by the Office of Financial Aid to juniors and seniors who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and have been active in some sort of service to the community.

“It is the first example of this particular type of relationship between faculty and staff, and I’m so pleased that this cooperation will make a new resource available for our students,” said Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs.”

In support of the scholarship’s creation, the Philo and Sarah Blaisdell Foundation in Bradford has given a gift of $5,000 to UPB that is being used to match any gifts to the new fund up to $5,000.

According to K. James Evans, vice president and dean of student affairs, the scholarship will help many deserving students meet the increasing costs of a college education.

Last term alone, Evans said that he authorized nearly 50 book advances to students who did not have the money to pay for their books at the beginning of the term. Evans added that most students rely on their student loans to cover the cost of their books, and the loans do not come until the students are weeks into the term.

“The Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship Award recognizes that books are a significant expense for any student, and it can provide support for students who otherwise might not be able to come up with adequate funds for their books,” Evans said. “Also, it is an award that can have monies added to it as the years go by, with the result that even more students can benefit from it.”