Emeriti Council awards $10,000 in book scholarships

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Twenty-five deserving undergraduate students at Western Michigan University have been awarded $400 Emeriti Council Book Scholarships this spring to help them purchase textbooks and supplies.

Thanks to the generous support of WMU emeriti, a total of $10,000 was awarded. Representatives from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships selected the recipients on the basis of financial need and academic merit. The recipients included sophomore, junior and senior students.

The Emeriti Council established the scholarships in 2004-05 to help students defray the cost of textbooks. Since then, a total of $102,000 in scholarships has been awarded to 284 students.

"I can't tell you how thankful I am to have been chosen for the textbook scholarship," one student wrote. "A few days before receiving the email, I was worrying about having the money for books, so it couldn't have come at a better time. It is a bigger blessing than you know."

Two scholarship options

The Emeriti Council has set a goal of awarding at least $10,000 in Emeriti Council Book Scholarships again in 2017-18.

In addition to the that scholarship fund, the council oversees the endowed Emeriti Medallion Scholarship Fund. To date, 13 students have been awarded Emeriti Medallion Scholarships. This year's recipient received a scholarship valued at $60,000 over four years.

A tax-deductible gift to the WMU Foundation may be made on behalf of either fund. Such gifts may be made online at mywmu.com/emeriti or by mail using the gift-giving form in the Emeriti Council's fall 2016 newsletter.

About the Emeriti Council

The Emeriti Council is a 12-person body elected by and from WMU's emeriti—employees, usually faculty members, who have been given the honor of retaining their University titles after retiring. Councilmembers serve for two-year terms on a staggered basis.

The organization's principal goals are to:

• Maintain open lines of communication between the emeriti and WMU's administration and faculty.
• Foster strong relationships between the emeriti and the University.
• Support and serve the emeriti in various ways.
• Support the University's growth and development.

For more information about the Emeriti Council, visit wmich.edu/emeriti.

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