Utah State University-Moab now has more scholarships available for students than ever before.
For the first time ever, students at Grand County High School will be able to apply for local scholarships to attend USU-Moab. The new scholarships are donated primarily by local businesses and individuals, and are exclusively for use by students taking classes at USU-Moab.
Other academic scholarships and financial aid will continue to be available to students in the USU system statewide, including Moab. Adding specific local scholarships in addition to the system-wide scholarships adds to the benefit of the classes and degrees available without having to leave Moab.
“We want to show these local high school students that there are good reasons for attending USU-Moab, especially when they are just starting their educational careers,” USU-Moab Academic Adviser Sam Sturman said. “One of those reasons is the availability of local scholarships.”
Approximately 50 percent of high school graduates from rural Utah communities do not receive any post-secondary education. For many students, scholarships can be a deciding factor in whether or not they pursue higher education. The creation of local scholarships can be a great catalyst for getting local high school graduates to consider college — especially if they hadn’t previously considered attending college.
USU-Moab aims to make starting or returning to education easier. Many high school graduates, after a period of absence from learning, realize the need for more training and education to be competitive in the world of work.
The regional campus has students who are interested in a variety of careers, from allied health to social work and from business to recreation resource management.
USU-Moab scholarship donors for high school students include the Ruth James Dickerson family, Sam Sturman, Rachel Moody of the Real Estate Company of Moab, Jason Taylor of Canyonlands Jeep Adventure and Michael Miller of the Moab Brewery. General scholarships have been donated by the Steve Lawry Family, Howard McPherson, Jeff and Nicole Cornelius, Gordon Beh with Larson & Company CPA, and Arrowhead Motorsports.
This year, USU-Moab hopes to create ten additional scholarships to serve its local students.
If you are interested in supporting the community by becoming a USU-Moab scholarship donor, email Sam Sturman at sam.sturman@usu.edu, or call 435-259- 7432 to discuss the available options.
Local high school students encouraged to apply