Walker Foundation Gives $1 Million to Need-Based Scholarships at the University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult for lower- and middle-income Arkansans to pay for a college education, both at the University of Arkansas and other institutions across the state. As the University of Arkansas seeks to provide financial assistance for the many students who struggle to afford a higher education, the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation has given $1 million to the Access Arkansas program, which will make a substantial difference in helping students achieve their goals.

In 2007, the university launched Access Arkansas, a program committed to raising money for need-based scholarship support, particularly for undergraduate students.

“Our foundation supports initiatives that better the lives of others, and we believe in supporting students and encouraging others to do the same,” said Debbie Walker, executive director of the foundation. “The partnership we have enjoyed with the university for many years is one I hope continues for a long time. I cannot wait to see the difference made in students’ lives because of this gift and because of the Access Arkansas initiative as a whole. It is a rewarding experience to be involved in improving the lives of others and, by supporting this initiative, we are supporting the well-being of the entire state.”

At the University of Arkansas, data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which analyzes a family’s ability to pay for college, reveal that the average funding gap for students who meet the Access Arkansas criteria has risen from $9,050 in academic year 2006 to $11,770 in academic year 2009. Exit interviews for the past four academic years show that nearly 30 percent of interviewed withdrawing students worked 40 or more hours a week while attending the university. On average, another 37 percent worked between 11 hours and 39 hours each week. For the students who are able to remain in school, the average student’s undergraduate debt upon graduating is approximately $20,000.

“Providing scholarship money for students who need it most is a top priority at the University of Arkansas,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “There is an immediate need to equip more Arkansans with bachelor’s degrees, and Access Arkansas will go a long way toward meeting this goal thanks to the generous support of our benefactors. We do our best to keep increases to a minimum each year, but the unfortunate truth is that many students and their families are stretched thin. This generous gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation will make a significant difference in our efforts. Each scholarship we are able to award can be the deciding factor for a student struggling to stay in school. I am deeply appreciative of the support shown to the university by the Walker family.”

The Walkers created the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation in 1986. Since that time, their generosity has touched the lives of thousands of Arkansans, and their impact on the University of Arkansas has been tremendous. From student scholarship endowments to athletic program contributions to supporting capital projects like the Pat Walker Health Center and the Willard J. Walker Hall in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, students reap the benefits of the Walkers’ generosity every day on campus. Now, through this commitment to Access Arkansas, many more students will be positively affected by a family clearly committed to education and student success.