Wofford offers funds to new Citizen Scholars

Wofford College has enhanced its commitment to the Spartanburg County Foundation’s Citizen Scholars Institute by offering scholarship dollars to new scholars who decide to attend Wofford.

The Citizen Scholars Institute identifies and works with at-risk 6th- through 12th-grade students to help them prepare for the college selection and application processes.

Wofford will offer $20,000 a year in scholarship money – $80,000 over a student’s four years at the college to Citizen Scholars who qualify as Life Scholarship recipients through the S.C. Lottery Scholarship Fund. Citizen Scholars who qualify as Palmetto Fellow Scholarship recipients will receive $25,000 per academic year – $100,000 over four years – from Wofford.

“Among Wofford’s goals is to enroll more first-generation students – those who are the first in their families to attend college – and that approach aligns perfectly with the Citizen Scholars program,” says Brand Stille, vice president for enrollment at Wofford.

Wofford already guarantees 20 first-generation scholarships valued at $25,000 per year in each entering class; typically, 15 percent of new students enrolling at Wofford are first-generation students. The enhancement of the relationship with the Citizen Scholars program by adding scholarship dollars renews and strengthens Wofford’s commitment to that population of students.

“Wofford has had a great relationship with the Citizen Scholars program for years,” Stille says. “We’ve enrolled many outstanding students who participated in this program. Providing scholarships to Citizen Scholars supports our goals of enrolling more first-generation students, more Pell Grant-eligible students and more minority students.”

Gloria Close, executive director of the Citizen Scholars Institute, says, “This scholarship opportunity is life-changing for Citizen Scholars throughout Spartanburg County and equalizes educational opportunities for students who show perseverance and the academic abilities to succeed. The Citizen Scholars Institute and the Spartanburg County Foundation are grateful for strong partnerships and community support, and we recognize that the accomplishments of this program could not be possible without such support. These significant scholarships fuel our efforts and benefit not only students, but Spartanburg County as a whole.”

Spartanburg County’s seven school districts select Citizen Scholar candidates each year. Citizen Scholar staff and mentors meet with the students often and assist them in planning for college, learning about the application process, working on interview skills and other preparation work.

Citizen Scholar high school juniors and seniors are assigned a Wofford student as a mentor as they concentrate on final preparations for college entry. The scholars also meet with program leaders once a month for workshops that emphasize important steps along the way to entering college.

The program has had deep impacts on Wofford students.

Senior Ashley Cox, a chemistry major from Moore, S.C., was accepted for Wofford admission after being involved in Citizen Scholars starting at the end of her 5th-grade year.

“The former director of the program really pushed me to go to Wofford because she knew that I could accomplish anything I put hard work into,” Cox says. “When I received my acceptance letter, I was so overjoyed that I called my mentor, Monte Remaley, and the (then) director, Jocelle Allen, to tell them.

“That moment was so memorable because I did not think I would have the financial capabilities to even attend Wofford. To at least have the acceptance letter, it allowed the ball to be in my court, and I ran with it.”

Cox has worked with high school students in support of Citizen Scholars, stressing the importance of first impressions and preparation for college studies.

Bradleigh Mills, a Wofford first-year student from Boiling Springs, S.C., says participation in Citizen Scholars influenced both her college choice and her approach to her high school years.

“I participated in enrichment activities and seminars that prepared me for professional and academic settings,” says Mills, a double major in biology and Spanish. “The life lessons I learned are ones that I continue to cherish. The opportunities that I have received just from having a connection to the program are exceptional.”