UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State and the Botstiber Foundation formalized plans to launch the Botstiber Scholars Program — beginning in the fall of 2016 — in a signing ceremony held Feb. 18 at University Park.
Thanks to the generosity of the foundation, the Botstiber Scholars Program will award full scholarships to an incoming class of four scholars, with plans to extend this level of funding to more students in following years. Selected scholars will be exceptional students with great financial need from a number of countries in Africa. Students in the program will receive support for room and board, health insurance, books and technology, and living expenses, in addition to tuition relief. The scholars program will include leadership training, mentoring and internship opportunities in Africa, and chosen scholars will have demonstrated the wish to return home after graduation with ambitions of improving life in their communities abroad.
“The Botstiber Foundation is providing a life-changing opportunity to young scholars in Africa to study at Penn State. It will not only transform their lives, but the ripple effect on their communities cannot be underestimated,” said Michael Adewumi, vice provost for Global Programs. “We are pleased to partner with the foundation in this transformational opportunity.”
Since 2003, the Botstiber Foundation has awarded full scholarships to 30 students outside of Penn State from countries including Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Greece, Guatemala, Kenya, Macedonia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and others. The Botstiber Scholars Program at Penn State will be an exclusive partnership.
“We chose Penn State as our partner for its academic excellence, diverse and inclusive environment, and global perspective,” said Terrance Kline, administrator of the Botstiber Foundation.
Every year more than 9,000 international students, scholars and faculty from 140 countries choose Penn State, adding to the vibrant global community in State College. Penn State is ranked as a top 50 world university, according to the Center for World University Rankings, which can be accessed at http://cwur.org/2015/.
Supporters like the Botstiber Foundation are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University's land-grant mission of education, research and service. Private gifts from alumni, friends, and philanthropic partners enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom, expand the research and teaching capacity of Penn State faculty, enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty, and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education. The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.