On Thursday, October 2, nearly 300 scholarship donors and students gathered in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center for the 2008 UA Fort Smith Scholarship Banquet. For many, the banquet was the first opportunity donors and students had to meet and get to know each other.

This year, more than 1,500 UA Fort Smith students are receiving some kind of scholarship award. $1.5 million in available scholarship aid comes from privately donated scholarships. These are the scholarships that area businesses, alumni, friends of the university provide through their endowments and their gifts each year to UA Fort Smith. Foundation scholarships are supporting 309 students this year in disciplines all across the university.

As we look to the future, scholarships for students remain a top priority for the university. While we may never be able to fully fund our students’ financial need, our goal is to provide all the help and assistance we can to deserving young men and women wanting an education. We are tremendously appreciative of the strong scholarship support that alumni, friends, and area businesses provide for our students.

The photos shown below were taken at the scholarship banquet.