Discovery Fund Grants
Grants from the Discovery Fund are awarded to students to help enrich their Berea College academic program through a domestic off-campus educational experience. Students can apply for a grant for off-campus travel as part of a course, an internship, an independent study, a service-learning experience, a conference, or an exchange. Students can apply for more than one Discovery Fund Grant, but the total awarded to a student while he or she is enrolled at Berea College cannot exceed $1,000. Grants are intended to serve as a supplement to the student’s own or other resources, and will cover only a portion of the cost of off-campus travel. This program is coordinated by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (310 Lincoln Hall). Forms are available in the #Academics public folder on Outlook or in the Student Service Center’s Self Serve Room (101 Lincoln Hall).

The New Horizons Grant
The New Horizons Grant is available to provide funding for international travel. Please contact Soren Peterson, the Education Abroad Adviser, for further information. Forms are available in the International Center, 205 Woods-Penniman and in the #International public folder on Outlook. Students may receive two New Horizons Grants while enrolled at Berea except for students who receive scholarship support for a semester abroad through the Berea Term Abroad program or the Foreign Language Department can only receive one New Horizons grant.

Grants for Graduate School Travel and Application Fee
Limited funds are available to assist qualified students with the cost of applying to and visiting leading graduate or professional schools. The purpose of these funds is to encourage and enable students to consider enrollment in the nation’s best graduate and professional programs, many of which are located some distance from Berea. Students are eligible for a maximum award of $550 during their tenure at Berea College, which may be used for more than one trip or application fee. Students should pick up the application in the Student Service Center’s Self Serve Room (101 Lincoln Hall), then submit it to Curtis Sandberg in the Office of Academic Services, 110 Lincoln Hall, as early in the term as possible.

Six Academic Scholarships
The Office of Academic Services coordinates the administration of six of the college’s academic scholarships and awards, most of them based on the student’s GPA, class rank, and sometimes geographic location. More information is available from  Rita Fox in the Office of Academic Services, 110 Lincoln Hall. These scholarships/awards include:

The Henry W. and Edna Austin Award
State Senator Henry W. and Edna Austin of Oak Park, Illinois, provided funds for these awards honoring fine academic performances by Berea College students. To be an Austin Scholar is a significant recognition of academic excellence. Austin Scholars are members of the sophomore class, and a student may be selected only once.

Class of 1942 Scholarship
The Class of 1942 Scholarship Fund was established by members of that class. The scholarships are awarded for study at Berea College to students with superior academic achievement who have demonstrated Christian character, financial need, and the capacity to persevere. A scholarship is given annually to one student from each class.

The Helen Dingman Book Awards
These awards recognize students (or groups of up to 5 students) whose achievements or accomplishments during the current term reflect the effective synthesis of any two of these three components of a Berea College education: learning, labor, and service. Nominations can be submitted by any member of the Berea faculty, staff, or student body and at any time throughout the term. They should be submitted to Jim Strand and must:

1. clearly describe the accomplishment and
2. explain how this particular accomplishment demonstrates the successful synthesis of Berea mission.

The book awards, made possible through the generosity of a College patron, are named in honor of Helen Dingman, a professor of Sociology (then called Social Work) at Berea College. Among her many accomplishments, Dingman established the college’s Opportunity School Program, which brought mountain people to campus for three weeks of learning, culture, and collaborative work.

The Jerome W. Hughes Humanities Enrichment Award
The Jerome W. Hughes Humanities Enrichment Award was established by family, friends, and former students of Dr. Hughes, professor emeritus of English at Berea College. The purpose of the award is to support financially a variety of activities that may enrich the experience with and appreciation for the humanities of both current students and alumni who graduated within the last five years. Students can submit an application without nomination or invitation for this award. Applications are available in 110 Lincoln Hall.

The Francis S. Hutchins Scholar
The Francis S. Hutchins / Robinson Mountain Fund Award, established in 1989, is given annually to a rising junior or senior from the eastern Kentucky counties served by the E.O. Robinson Mountain fund. The award is given to the student submitting the best work of research, art, or literature on an Appalachian topic. To be eligible, the student must have a superior academic and labor record and demonstrate a commitment to the eastern Kentucky region. The scholarship is given to honor the work of the late President Emeritus Francis S. Hutchins, who served on the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund Board. Eligible students are invited to submit entries.

The Doris & Harold Rosenbaum Scholarship
The Doris & Harold Rosenbaum Scholarship was established in 1994 to assist students who have been accepted by or are eligible candidates for enrollment in the nation’s leading graduate and professional programs. Students are to be nominated by faculty members.

There also are many more scholarships available at the college; see Scholarships in the Berea College Catalog. In addition to the #Scholarships and Fellowships public folder on Outlook, some announcements may be made by College departments in the #Academics public folder.
The annual Scholarship Day event, a joint effort between the Office of Academic Services and the Labor Program Office, honors student achievement each April. Students are recognized for their induction into honor societies and for their receipt of academic and service awards and scholarships. For more information, contact  Rita Fox.