Sending young adults off to college can be one of the most joyful and terrifying experiences for a parent. Will they get along with their roommate? Will they eat a nutritious meal every once in a while? And, most ubiquitous of all, how do we pay for all of this?
The Georgia United Methodist Foundation is grateful to be a part of the Dollars for Scholars program, providing a solution to at least one of those questions. The collaborative scholarship brings together donations from local UMC churches, the Georgia United Methodist Foundation, the UM Higher Education Foundation, individual donors and higher education institutions to offer funds to students looking to continue their education at Methodist-affiliated institutions.
Each student who receives these scholarship funds begins with the backing of their own congregation, whose funds are matched by the Dollars for Scholar program offered by the GUMF and the UMHEF Dollars for Scholars scholarship, for a total award of up to $4,000 annually.
Reverend Tracy Sever of Zoar United Methodist Church sent her two sons to college, thanks in part to this Methodist-based scholarship. When their first child, Austin Sever, decided to attend Young Harris College, his Mom was already well versed in the options available to him for scholarships. She went on to explain, “Being a United Methodist pastor, I had heard about the scholarship and knew we should apply.” A self-proclaimed “bargain shopper,” Tracy had received scholarships through her own Methodist congregation when she had attended college. She says proudly, “no scholarship is too small,” pointing out that “they add up quickly.” And with two sons in college, Sever knows the importance of saving where you can. “My advice to everyone is,’Just apply.’ The scholarships are out there. Every penny counts.”
Austin followed his Mom’s advice and applied for the Dollars to Scholars scholarship and received it each of his three years while pursuing a history major. However, when it came time for their second son Wesley to attend college, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his family by attending a Methodist-affiliated school. But after visiting his Mom’s alma mater, Reinhardt University, there was an undeniable connection. “You were right,” he told his Mom after the campus tour, “I love it.”
And again, the Sever’s home church, in coordination with other donors, Reindardt University and the GUMF came together under the Dollars for Scholars program to provide Wesley with a scholarship for each year of his undergraduate attendance. Enrolled as a freshman in 2023, Wesley is currently pursuing a degree in creative writing and plans to continue applying for the scholarship annually.
Tracy is grateful both her sons found a home away from home at United Methodist Institutions in Georgia and the GUMF is grateful to have played a role in getting them there. “These scholarships have enabled us to let our children attend private schools at a lower cost than if they had attended public institutions,” she said.
The scholarship is a collaborative effort that the GUMF is proud to participate in, making it their mission to help young Methodists find their purpose.
