Caroline Chandler, Global Campus Graphic Designer
Students pursuing online degree programs at U of A must apply by February 15 to be considered for the WE Manning Memorial Scholarship, to be awarded in Fall 2023.
Global Campus is asking faculty, advisors, administrators and friends to share this scholarship period with students in online programs.
Approximately 25 U of A students in online undergraduate or graduate degree programs can benefit from scholarships of $2,000 per student. Students can apply for funding for more than 40 courses offered by academic institutions and presented on the U of A ONLINE website.
The Scholarship Committee gives preference to scholarship applicants who demonstrate financial need, academic merit, or significant community service. Preference is also given to Arkansas residents and first-generation college students. For scholarship purposes, a student is defined as a first-generation student if neither parent has a college degree.
The U of A Academic Scholarship Office will announce the awards approximately 60 days after the February 15 deadline. Scholarships apply to tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“I think it’s great that there is a scholarship specifically for online students,” said Trinity Barnes of Newark, Arkansas, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in online communications. “It has really put online students in the spotlight and shows that online education is no less valuable than traditional face-to-face classes.”
Barnes was one of 29 students named to receive Manning grants in the fall of 2022.
The Global Campus awarded scholarships to four students in 2018, seven students in 2019, 22 in 2020, and 25 in 2021. The scholarships honor the memory of William E. Manning, a passionate U-of-A educator who joined the Global Campus in 1975 and died there in 1993. Manning, who was 51, was Director of Credit Studies, a bureau that now facilitates online self-paced courses at U of A.
“The WE Manning Memorial Scholarship helps online students overcome one of the biggest barriers to higher education — cost,” said Cheryl Murphy, vice chancellor for distance learning and global campus director. “This is the sixth consecutive year that we have been offering our scholarship, which specifically benefits students in online degree programs at the University of Arkansas.”
The work of Manning and others in the 1980s and 1990s laid the groundwork for what became the Global Campus, a service unit dedicated to supporting academic institutions in developing and delivering quality online educational and personal development programs. The Global Campus provides instructional design services, technology services, media services, and support with marketing, recruitment, and strategic academic development.
Scholarship candidates must be enrolled in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences online degree programs. the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; the Sam M. Walton College of Business; the College of Education and Health Professions; the College of Engineering; or the school of law.
Donations to the Manning Scholarship Fund can be made through the U of A’s online donations website.
