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Albright College to award 25 Shirk Scholarships to Berks County Students

by Albright College

Nov 22, 2021

Annual $22,000 Shirk Scholarships will be awarded to local students of academic promise

Honoring the late Albright math professor and coach Eugene Shirk, Albright College will award 25 Eugene Shirk Scholarships in the amount of $22,000 per year to incoming, first year, Berks County students who are dedicated to community service, leadership, strength of character and commitment to excellence. Awardees will learn alongside an incredibly diverse student body, coming to Albright from all corners of the country and the world.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity for academically-talented and driven students to honor the legacy of Eugene Shirk by continuing to live, learn and thrive right here in Berks County,” said Dwayne L. Walker, M.B.A., vice president for enrollment management. “The renewable scholarship will total $88,000 over four years for full-time Albright students who maintain a grade point average of 2.75 or higher.”

Local high school or home-schooled seniors should apply for Albright admission by December 15, 2021 and submit the Shirk Scholarship application by January 15, 2022. A written or video essay is required and scholarship finalists will take part in interviews, either in-person or virtually, during which they will be evaluated on the basis of their school and community service, extracurricular activities, strength of character and academic achievement.

Rightsizing its tuition by reducing it 45% for 2020, Albright College is dedicated to making its rigorous education affordable for all students of academic promise — building on its historic strength of educating students of the middle and working classes.

The college’s continued work on affordability has not gone unnoticed. LendEDU has named Albright one of the Best Colleges for Financial Aid (#105 in the country and #11 in Pa.), Washington Monthly has named it a Best Bang for the Buck, and College Factual calls Albright one of the Top 3 Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania.

Recognizing the college’s work toward closing the gap on education for all students of academic promise across all student demographics, the college has also been named a Top 32 National College for Social Mobility – the U.S. News & World Report’s measurement for enrolling and seeing economically-disadvantaged students through to graduation.

Launched last year, the college’s Advancing Lives Scholarship program provides important need-based aid to rising sophomore, junior and senior students and the college’s Lifting Up Lions fund provides students with resources such as winter coats, personal items, books, laptops and food.

“Tackling the financial barriers to student success must be a multi-pronged approach,” said Albright President, Jacquelyn S. Fetrow, Ph.D. ’82. “Because the purchasing power of middle class families has declined over the past two decades, it is essential that we build our financial structure and academic programs to meet the needs of today’s students — most especially keeping college affordable and providing the academic and other resources that our students need.

“Tuition right-sizing, Advancing Lives upper-class scholarships and our Lifting Up Lions Fund are important components leading towards our ultimate goal of providing an academically excellent and rigorous Albright education and proactively supporting student success.”

Applicants who do not receive Shirk Scholarships will be considered for several other Albright merit scholarships. To be eligible for financial aid, including scholarships and work-study jobs, students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. Contact Albright Admission at [email protected] or 610-921-7700.

Named a top national college by Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education and U.S. News & World Report, Albright College (founded 1856) is home to a diverse community of learners cultivating integrity, curiosity, connection and resilience. The college’s flexible curriculum encourages students to combine and cross majors to create individualized academic programs. Close faculty mentorship and numerous experiential learning options create opportunities for Albright graduates to exceed their own expectations. Located in Reading, Pa., Albright is home to undergraduate students, adult learners and graduate students.

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