Arkansas State University alum starts scholarship fund
by January 17, 2019 5:33 pm 315 views
Dr. B. D. Tiner, an Arkansas State University alumnus who lives in San Antonio, Texas, is establishing an endowed scholarship program at his alma mater. He is setting up the Hite and Glenda Tiner Memorial Scholarship Fund in recognition of his parents. He will give an initial endowment of $50,000 and, he plans to add $10,000 per year over the next five years to bring the total to $100,000, at which point the endowment earnings will begin funding a scholarship each year.
Earnings from the endowment fund eventually will provide scholarships for outstanding students graduating from Pocahontas High School who plan to attend ASU and major in pre-professional programs in medicine, dentistry or pharmacy; physical therapy; or nursing. Tiner is a native of Pocahontas.
“With this scholarship, deserving students from Pocahontas High School will be given the opportunity at Arkansas State that my brother and I had. The pre-professional education I received at A-State set me on a course for a great and rewarding career in the highly competitive specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery. I have achieved goals that I would have never dreamed possible and it all began at Arkansas State University,” Tiner said.
Tiner’s long-term plans include an estate gift that will boost the award to a full tuition scholarship.
“My parents, Hite and Glenda Tiner, inspired me in so many ways to do my best in life,” he continued. “Neither of my parents had the opportunity to attend college, but they recognized the value and importance of education. From the day my brother and I were born, my parents sacrificed everything so we could receive the education they were never afforded. I am pleased to establish this scholarship to honor their commitment to education and the sacrifices they made.”
After completing a bachelor’s degree in zoology at A-State, Tiner earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio.
Tiner served in the United States Navy for 25 years and retired in 2000 as a Captain. He and his wife Brenda (ASU Class of 1973) are the parents of two adult children, Lauren and Colby.
Another ASU scholarship program, the Seven License2HOWL Scholarships are available to freshmen entering Arkansas State University for the 2019-20 academic year. These scholarships are valued at $5,000 for the year, and are renewable for recipients who continue to meet criteria and re-apply.
Beginning this year, ASU will utilize the same application process for License2Howl (L2H) Scholarships that is used for other privately funded scholarships for incoming freshmen. The deadline to apply through the application link is Feb. 1, 2019.
Arkansas residents who will be full-time freshmen on the Jonesboro campus, have a minimum ACT superscore of 23, and a high school GPA of 3.25 or above are eligible to apply for the L2H Scholarship.
The acceptable GPA has changed from 3.5 to 3.25 this year in an effort to attract more students. The selection committee will also evaluate each applicant’s demonstrated leadership qualities and student involvement.
The scholarship is funded by alumni and friends who purchase the ASU license plate, which features the Red Wolf head, through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The official collegiate license plates were approved by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1993, with $25 of the $35 annual fee earmarked for the program.