Need-Based Scholarship Gifts Doubled Now Through June 30

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When Debbie Walker of the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation announced a $1 million gift to the University of Arkansas in support of need-based scholarships, she wanted to encourage others to get involved and support students with financial need. In order to bring that goal to life, the 2011 Walker Challenge was born: a two-and-a-half month initiative that will use funding from the foundation’s gift to match contributions from alumni and friends. The Walker Challenge doubles the impact of gifts made to support the Access Arkansas need-based scholarship fund, now through June 30. 

“Education is a critical component of success and opportunity,” said Walker, “and we want to be a part of making a University of Arkansas degree an attainable goal for students with financial challenges. The cost of higher education prevents many students from beginning their college journey or from continuing in school, and we want students to complete their education.”

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

“The Access Arkansas initiative, through support like that of the Walker Foundation, will go a long way toward increasing the number of Arkansans who earn and benefit from a bachelor’s degree,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “With the help of these need-based scholarships, students are able to concentrate more of their time on their academics and, in many instances, lessen the financial pressure to work extra hours outside of school to make ends meet. Need-based scholarships help provide recipients with the resources and perhaps the extra incentive to complete their college degree. The matching funds provided through the Walker Challenge provide an outstanding opportunity to make scholarship dollars go further.”

More than 16,000 students have received scholarships, grants, loans or Federal Work Study assistance during the current academic year. Even with this incredible number of students helped, the average amount of unmet need for each student this year is still $3,780, but for students who qualify for Access Arkansas scholarship support, that number rises dramatically to $11,770. 

“The statistics showcasing the amount of debt most students have accrued by graduation is astonishing,” said Walker. “If our support helps to make those first years out of college a little bit easier, we have accomplished our objective.”

The goal of the Walker Challenge is for University of Arkansas alumni and friends to contribute $50,000 to Access Arkansas, which when matched, will raise a total of $100,000 for need-based scholarships. Gifts of up to $5,000 per household received by June 30, 2011 will qualify for the challenge. Visit http://annualfund.uark.edu/walkerchallenge or call the office of annual programs at 479-575-2944 to learn more about doubling your impact today.