Each year, the LinC Bonner Scholar program at Washburn University accepts 16-20 new members with most of these students having identified financial need. As an intense, multi-year community engagement, leadership development, university honor program we endeavor to utilize university funds such as federal work study to support the students as they engage in their community-based service work. However, we always have a few Bonners who do not, for one reason or another, qualify to receive these funds despite a demonstrated need. This causes them to have to rely on student loan money or outside jobs, which take away from campus and academic engagement.
We would, therefore, like to be able to offer up to three of these students a $1600 ($800 per semester) scholarship to support their continued engagement with the program and the community. Supporting their participation not only benefits the nonprofit organizations and public schools that they work for, but also their personal and academic development. Students who participate in this program are much more likely to graduate from Washburn, go to graduate school and remain engaged in their community than the general student population. Without some financial support, it many times makes it difficult for students to fully take advantage of all the program has to offer in terms of leadership opportunities, academic enrichment, attainment of workplace skills and knowledge, and access to local, national and international experiences and networking opportunities.
