UCA honors program receives $500,000 pledge

University of Central Arkansas alumni and philanthropists Linda and Rush Harding have pledged $500,000 to benefit the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College.

In 2002, the Hardings established the Holloway-Hicks Scholarship to benefit African-American students. In 2004, they gave more than $1.4 million to UCA, which was the single largest gift in university history at that time. Those funds were used to support student scholarships and to construct Harding Centennial Plaza, a signature landmark on the campus.

“Nothing has impacted our lives and the lives of our family as much as UCA,” said Rush. “Linda and I are so pleased to make this gift, and we look forward to supporting our alma mater in a meaningful way for years to come.”

Rush served on the UCA Board of Trustees for 21 years, serving as chair three times. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest honor for a UCA alumnus, in 2007.

Established in 1982, the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College at UCA has become one of the most full-featured in the nation and is a leader in providing enhanced educational opportunities in a living/learning environment designed to develop citizen-scholars. The Schedler Honors College enrolls 300 students with an average ACT of over 29 and average high school GPA over 4.0. Nearly 1,600 Schedler Honors College alumni work in professional and technical fields across the globe. The Honors College is named for its founder, Norbert O. Schedler.

Although the gift will be unrestricted, the Schedler Honors College sees the gift providing great opportunities for Travel Abroad Grants (TAG), which support students interested in participating in trips organized by UCA’s study abroad office. TAG is available for junior- and senior-level students, typically funding 60% to 75% of a student’s global travel.