Cherokee Nation Councilor Keith Austin (left), District 14, presented Rogers State University’s Tonni Harrald (center), Director of Development, a $500 check in support of the annual RSU unrestricted scholarship campaign which benefits students with unmet financial need. Joining Austin for the presentation were Cherokee Nation Councilor Janees Taylor (right), District 15; CN Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. (second from right); and Amy McCarter (second from left), CN Community Relations Manager.
The annual Rogers State University Unrestricted Scholarship Breakfast continues to set records in support for RSU students with unmet financial needs, thanks to educational partners like Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Keith Austin, District 14 (Claremore), and Councilor Janees Taylor, District 15 (Pryor).
Austin presented a $500 support check to RSU Development Director Tonni Harrald to be awarded to students with unmet financial need. Taylor recently established an endowed scholarship with the Cherokee Nation Foundation which will provide an annual RSU scholarship to a Cherokee business major.
“Councilor Austin’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for Rogers County and Cherokee students throughout the Cherokee jurisdiction is greatly appreciated,” Harrald said.
Native American students comprise nearly 30 percent of the student population at RSU. A majority of those students are Cherokee. First generation college students, many of whom are Native American, comprise nearly 74 percent of first time freshmen attending RSU.
“Making college possible is what our community scholarship fundraising is all about,” Harrald said. “We know 84 percent of all RSU students receive financial assistance in order to attend college. Unrestricted scholarship support makes it possible for us to address some of the unmet financial need of these students.”
The Cherokee Nation is a significant educational partner with RSU, providing scholarship support through individually driven gifts, such as the gift designated for RSU by Tribal Councilor Keith Austin and the CNF endowment established by Councilor Taylor.
“What many do not realize is that affordability is often the greatest impediment for many first generation college students and even those who come from the average middle income family,” Harrald said. “Unrestricted scholarship funds, like the dollars raised through events such as the Claremore Scholarship Breakfast, open and keep the door open to college for many students who do not otherwise qualify for academic and/or tuition waiver programs.”
To support the RSU Foundation’s mission to provide scholarships to students with unmet financial needs, visit our Give to RSU webpage and click on the “Donate” link at the top right hand side of the page.
To learn more about applying for RSU Foundation scholarships and other scholarship opportunities, visit RSU’s Foundation Awards webapge.