The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas establishes ‘The Hope Scholarship’
Little Rock, Ark. (August 25, 2021) – The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas has announced a planned gift that has established The Hope Scholarship benefiting four Arkansas organizations that serve low-income undergraduate students, to include Philander Smith College. The $200,000 gift, from an anonymous donor, is augmented by a $100,000 gift from the Foundation pledged over the next four years for a total of $600,000.
“We are very grateful to work with The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas on behalf of Philander Smith College students who are striving toward the completion of their degrees. As college affordability continues to skyrocket, funding initiatives like The Hope Scholarship allow promising scholars to pursue — and afford — their dreams of being college graduates,” said Roderick Smothers, Sr., Ph.D., president of Philander Smith College.
In addition to Philander Smith, the funds will also be awarded to the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy and the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund, both based in Little Rock; as well as Hendrix College in Conway.
Rev. J. Wayne Clark, President & CEO of the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas said, “The goal of this scholarship is to help those students with high potential for success in college who might not be able to afford it otherwise.”
The Hope Scholarship will award $150,00 for the next four years to incoming and current undergraduate students starting in the Fall 2022 semester.