Centra Bank has made a $50,000 gift to benefit students at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. It’s the third year in a row Centra Bank has made the contribution to the local campus. Members of Centra Bank presented the check to Chancellor Francis K. Achampong on Dec. 3. The gift provides scholarships to undergraduate students who are Fayette County residents enrolled at the campus as part of the Centra Bank Trustee Scholarship. Since it was established in 2008, 17 students have received Centra Bank Trustee Scholarships.
"The Centra Bank Trustee Scholarship is a tremendous asset to local students who wish to pursue higher education at Penn State Fayette, and we value Centra as a partner in education," Achampong said. “Particularly when the economy is challenging, as it is now, students often need assistance in meeting the costs of a quality education. More than 90 percent of Penn State Fayette students have a demonstrated need for student aid, so this gift will go a long way in helping our students prepare for their future careers and realize their dreams.”
Following the check presentation, Centra Bank founder and CEO Douglas J. Leech Jr. recalled his time as a Penn State Fayette student. “Penn State Fayette affords the ability for students to study right here locally while working and living at home. That was my personal situation. I attended class, worked for my dad’s construction company and lived with my parents. This set of circumstances continues to remain the norm for many Penn State students. My Penn State education really made a difference in my life and my career by having the ability to get a world-class education just four miles from our family’s home. It is my hope that this scholarship will help other Fayette County students get the same wonderful advantage that I had.”
The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program is designed to keep a Penn State education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial means. The program has a unique matching component -- the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship.