Scholarships for Online Students Provide Financial Help, Confidence Boost: Deadline Feb. 15

January 26, 2023 | by Casey Kraichoke, Global Campus

Each year, the University of Arkansas Global Campus provides thousands of dollars to online students through the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship. Not only does the scholarship help bridge the gap in access to education for some students, it also boosts the confidence of those who may be returning after a long gap in their education.

The number of Manning scholarship recipients has grown more than seven times the number given in the scholarship's inaugural year. In recent years, the Global Campus invested more than $1 million in the scholarship's endowed fund. Generous donors have added to that amount through fundraising efforts such as "All in for Arkansas."

The scholarship was awarded to four students in 2018, seven students in 2019, 23 students in 2020, 25 students in 2021, and 29 studentsin 2022.

The scholarship honors the memory of William E. Manning, Jr., a passionate U of A educator, who joined the Global Campus in 1975 and died in 1993. Friends and co-workers of Manning established the scholarship fund with about $4,000. Manning, who was 51, was studying in a U of A doctoral program and was the director of credit studies, a forerunner of today's U of A Global Campus.

"The University of Arkansas opens access to people who may face obstacles of distance and time by offering online degree programs, and this scholarship further expands opportunities by helping students overcome one of the major barriers to higher education — cost," said Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education and head of the Global Campus. "We continue to grow this scholarship, and we are proud of the Manning Scholars who work hard to realize their lifetime goals."

Meeting Students' Needs

Online students often have competing financial obligations. Scholarships like this can help them breathe a bit easier while reaching for those professional goals. The financial support helps recipients avoid the burden of additional student loans and graduate on time.

John Emett was one of 29 online students to receive the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. The scholarship came as a great help to the hard-working father of five.

"It is a great honor, but what was already a very cost-effective program has become even more cost-effective for me," said Emett, Ed.D in Educational Leadership. "I have a lot of mouths to feed, especially with inflation these days, so having that extra cash has been huge for me and my family."

John Emett

Moving Forward

For nontraditional students, especially those who return to school after a long gap, being awarded the scholarship is a boost of confidence and helps reaffirm the decision that pursuing higher education is the right path forward.

"It's a joyous feeling and a relief that someone else is willing to invest in your education," said Emma Raines BSBA in Supply Chain Management. "It helps me because they want me to succeed."

Emma Raines

Uses For Funding

The scholarship funds can be used for tuition and fees only, allowing students to use their own funds to pay for other things and so meet their specific needs and improve their educational experiences.

"I was very excited to receive this scholarship," said Felicia Nazarali, BSBA in Supply Chain Management. "It will allow me to upgrade my computer system at home because it's very outdated and very slow. I can now do all my online work very efficiently. I am able to do all the video conferencing and Teams meetings and things like that through class that I need to do."

Felicia Nazarali

For Andrea Embrey, M.Ed. in Special Education, the scholarship helps her pay for the cost of her books, as well as some classroom supplies for her students.

Andrea Embrey

LPN to BSN student Laura Wenger uses the scholarship to occasionally obtain child care to have uninterrupted times to study and purchase the tools required for her courses and clinical experiences.

Laura Wenger

"I think that it's great that there's a scholarship specifically for online students because it's really given online students a spotlight and shows that online education is of no lesser value than traditional face-to-face teaching," saidTrinity Barnes, B.A. in Communication.

Trinity Barnes

For graduate student Nathanael Martin-Nelson, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, he was very excited about receiving the scholarship, as his previous understanding and experience had been there was not a lot of financial support for graduate students.

Nathanael Martin-Nelson

Application Information

To be considered for the scholarship, students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate online degree programs must complete the scholarship application and essay by Feb. 15. Scholarships will apply to tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 academic year, and each of the awardees will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which will be distributed $1,000 per fall and spring semester. The scholarship committee will give preference to scholarship candidates who demonstrate financial need, academic merit and/or significant community service. Preference also will be given to first-generation higher-education seekers and Arkansas residents.

"The scholarship application process provides Global Campus with a unique opportunity to get to know our students," said Jamie Loftin, assistant vice provost for distance education. "The essay portion allows students to shine and explain their why, their reasons for why pursuing higher education are important to them."

Learn more about U of A online students on the Student Experience page of the U of A ONLINEwebsite, where online degree programs are showcased. Anyone can donate to the scholarship fund online.

Photo of Casey Kraichoke

Casey Kraichoke

Blog writer

Casey Kraichoke is a graduate assistant for the Global Campus at the University of Arkansas and a current Ph.D. student in the College of Education and Health Professions Curriculum and Instruction Department. She is a Fayetteville native, an avid Razorback fan, and has received two degrees from the U of A: a master’s in 2017 and bachelor’s in 2014.

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