Students Arrive for Scholarship Competition

About 100 semi-finalists begin arriving at Westmont Friday, Feb. 5, for the first Augustinian Scholarship competition that will award scholarships worth at least $35,000 per year to 30 applicants. Twenty-six students receive a $140,000 four-year scholarship, and four will receive the full-tuition Monroe Award each year beginning this fall.

More than 50 students will participate Feb. 5-6, and another 50 will take part in activities Feb. 26-27.

An extraordinary gift from a generous donor funds the new Augustinian Scholarship and Honors Program. By 2019, 120 Augustinian Scholars will benefit each year from significant financial assistance and challenging coursework.

“We’re committed to making a Westmont education affordable for all students and families, and we deeply appreciate this incredible gift that will make a difference for so many students,” says President Gayle D. Beebe.

Augustinian Scholarship candidates, who applied Early Action to Westmont, were chosen because they earned excellent high school grades and test scores, demonstrated an aptitude for leadership, and professed a desire to grow in the Christian faith.

Westmont is also increasing academic scholarships by 38 percent for students enrolling in fall 2016, making the college more affordable for many applicants. “Thanks to substantial support from our many friends, we’re able to offer additional scholarship assistance to incoming students,” Beebe says. “We continue to seek ways to help bright and committed students afford the cost of college.”

Augustinian Scholars will benefit from Westmont’s rigorous liberal arts curriculum and Christ-centered education. The honors program features specially designed leadership classes, opportunities to serve as student leaders and gain hands-on experience, semester-long study abroad, training in spiritual formation, and residence with other Augustinian Scholars on campus in the senior year.