Scholarship Aid

Westminster College Offers 150 $74,000 Young Presbyterian Scholarships

In 2002, as Westminster College celebrated its 150th Anniversary, the Board of Trustees took a serious look at the question of what it means to be a PC(USA) related college.  As a result, the decision was made to offer up to 150 scholarships, worth $17,500 annually, to outstanding PC(USA) students and offer them a way to continue to grow in faith and leadership while on our campus.

“We determined that Westminster College can best serve, in the words of our Presbyterian founders, by providing for the mental and moral education of young men and women who are stand-out church members in the eyes of their pastors,” according to former Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson, whose father was a Presbyterian pastor.

The scholarships are given to all PC(USA) congregations, in essence, to award a student of their choosing who meets the qualifications.

Selection criteria for the Young Presbyterian Scholarship is based on the student’s grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and recommendation by their pastor. One scholarship recipient is permitted from a congregation each year. Pastors must send a letter of recommendation to Westminster by Oct. 31, and prospective students must apply to Westminster by Nov. 15.

Williamson added, “This program offers churches an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of young people by nominating a member of their congregation to receive a four-year $68,000 scholarship.”

Westminster College is enjoying a record amount of interest from prospective students. Westminster has set records for applications for four straight years, and limits its incoming classes to approximately 350 students from an inquiry pool of nearly 20,000.

For more information, contact David Rhodes, dean of admissions, at 1-800-942-8033, or Carey Anne Meyer LaSor, coordinator of the Young Presbyterian Scholarship Program, at 724-946-7365. For information about Westminster College, visit http://www.westminster.edu/



For religion students and others who are pursuing a career in the ordained ministry, christian education, or other church vocations.

The following list of scholarships and other awards, including the description of the criteria for awarding each, is taken from the 2001 edition of Westminster Undergraduate Catalog, pp. 44-60. Important criteria and restrictions (eg. class standing, QPA, major, vocational plans) are highlighted in bold type. Where Class standing is mentioned, we should interpret this as referring to the class during the academic year in which the award will be received (which will normally be the year following the one in which the names are submitted). Any exception to this will be duly noted.



Endowed Scholarships

William Berlin Scholarship Fund

This fund was established in 1996 by Mr. George Berlin in memory of his father, Mr. William Berlin, who served as a trustee of Westminster College from 1961 to 1969. The scholarship(s) will be awarded annually to juniors and/or seniors who plan to enter the Christian ministry or pursue a religious vocation. These students must also have maintained high standards of scholarship, been actively involved in community service, and demonstrate some form of special need. The determination of special need will be made by the Director of Financial Aid, and may include such factors as unusual circumstances, which contribute to the hardship and family income. If there are no candidates in a given year who meet all of these criteria, the President of the College and the Dean of Admissions will award the scholarship to a student who best exemplifies its general ideas of academic achievement, a commitment to service and some form of special need.

James Corry Scholarship Fund

This scholarship will be awarded annually to the tuition of a senior majoring in religion or Christian education who has demonstrated commitment to a church-related vocation. Awarded primarily on the basis of financial need, preference will be given to the child of an ordained minister. Applications should be made during the junior year by applicant with a minimum GPA of 3.000

Erwin Cummins Memorial Fund

This fund was established in 1974 by a bequest of Mrs. Lena Dodds Littell in memory of her brother-in-law, Judge Erwin Cummins. The income is to be applied toward scholarships for young men attending the College and preparing for the Gospel ministry or for the mission field.

The John C. Hanley Speech Scholarship

The income from a gift made in 1953 in honor of the Rev. John Cheaney Hanley, D.D., is awarded to the sophomore student who demonstrates excellence in an annual competition for speeches that relate Christian faith to contemporary culture.

The Dr. J. Y. Jackson, and Mrs. Mary N. Jackson, Iva M. Jackson Scholarship Fund

Established in memory of Dr. J. Y. Jackson and Iva M. Jackson and in honor of Mary N. Jackson in order to provide annual assistance to a student with financial need who intends to enter a church-related vocation and who maintains at least a 3.000 GPA.

The William Rutherford Jamison & Jane Mehaffey Jamison Scholarship Fund

It was established in 1983 by bequest from the estates of Anna Marie and Sylvia G. Jamison, both graduates of Westminster. It aids students who have financial need and who plan to enter careers in the ministry, missionary, educational or medical fields.

McCauley Aid Fund

This aid fund was established by a bequest in 1963 from the estate of Thomas McCauley of Philadelphia, Pa. The income is used for the assistance of worthy and needy students intending to enter the ministry or other Christian service.

Dr. W. Donald McClure Memorial Scholarship Fund

This fund was established in 1977 by members of the Newlonsburg United Presbyterian Church, Murrysville, Pa., where Dr. McClure ’28 was pastor before beginning a 40-year career in the mission field in Ethiopia and the Sudan. The fund includes gifts from members of the church, Westminster alumni, and other friends. Income from the fund provides aid for students with need who are preparing for the pulpit ministry, either at home or in the mission field abroad.

John Orr Scholarship Fund

In 1972 to honor Dr. John Orr, professor emeritus of religion, a group of alumni enlarged the fund he established in 1962 as the Karux Bible Award. Annually, the interest from this new fund is awarded to a seminary-bound pre-ministerial student who has done outstanding academic work in a minimum of four courses in the field of religion. The scholarship, determined on the basis of three and one-half years’ record, is announced by the chair of the religion, history, philosophy and classics department.

Timothy E. Prosser Memorial Grant

This fund was established in 1976 by the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Prosser of Emlenton, Pa., as a memorial to their son. Income from the fund is awarded annually to a third year student who plans to enter the ministry or the Christian education field. Neither financial need nor scholarship is a consideration.

Mrs. William L. Smith Scholarship

The income from a fund established in 1957 by Mrs. Mary Smith Crawford of Sewickley in memory of her mother, Mrs. William L. Smith, is given to a man or a woman in the senior class who is preparing for a church-related occupation and who needs assistance.

Josiah Stephenson Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was created by a bequest in 1963 from the estate of Josiah Stephenson, New Castle, Pa. The income is used to assist young men preparing for the ministry.


Endowed Prizes and Awards

John F. McBurney Bible Award

This endowed fund was established in 1987 by a bequest from the estate of M. Elizabeth McBurney in memory of her husband. The award is for outstanding scholarship in the area of religion or philosophy to a deserving student in accordance with the College scholarship policy.

The Mary McKinney Eichenauer Bible Awards

To promote interest in the study of the Bible, these awards were established in 1936 by J. B. Eichenauer of Pittsburgh in memory of his wife. Three prizes are announced at the Spring Honors Convocation. Prize winners are determined by the results of a competitive examination conducted by the Department of Religion, History, Philosophy and Classics.

The Robert P. Pomeroy Bible Awards

These awards, established in 1936, consist of Bibles and are awarded to two members of the first-year class doing outstanding work in Bible-content courses.


Related Endowed Scholarships for which pre-ministerial students may compete

Gilbert H. Taylor Memorial Scholarship

This fund was established in 1987 by a friend of the classics as a memorial to Professor Gilbert H. Taylor, who taught Latin and Greek at Westminster from 1925-53. Income is awarded annually to a new or continuing student of Latin or Greek on the basis of merit. Preference is given to a student majoring in Latin, but if there is no deserving Latin major, the scholarship is awarded to a deserving student minoring in Latin or Greek.

J. Hilton Turner Classics Scholarship

Income from this permanent endowed scholarship fund, which was established in 1997, is awarded annually to one or two students who show the most progress in Latin or Greek language. This fund is the successor of the J. Hilton Turner Classics Prize, which was established in 1987 to honor Dr. Turner, professor of Greek and Latin from 1952-84.


Prizes, Awards, and Scholarships (non-endowed)

Religion

The American Bible Society Award, a Bible provided by the American Bible Society, is given to the sophomore student whose work in religion courses has been superior.