UALR Receives $1 Million Endowment

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) has been selected for a $1 million endowment that will support scholarships for non-traditional college students who want to return to school to finish their college education.

The Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco selected UALR for the endowment, the only institution in Arkansas to offer the Osher Re-Entry Scholars Program.

The endowment ensures ample funding will continue into perpetuity and help bridge the gap in the cost of education for even more UALR students.

“This endowment could be a game-changer for higher education in Arkansas,” said Laurie Ann Ross, who was Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the time she wrote the grant and subsequent reports.

“It represents two years worth of reports that show how we are reaching a segment of students who benefit most from the extra financial support this funding provides. Osher Scholars are returning to school, staying in school, and finishing their degrees,” said Ross, whose current title at UALR is Director of Development and External Affairs.

The scholarship is for working adults between 25 and 50 years old with a cumulative gap in their education of five years or more who are pursuing their first baccalaureate degree.