News Announcement
For more information, please contact Cheryl Kight
or Lynne Briggs, 614-649-1950 ext. 111

GAR FOUNDATION MAKES $50,000 SCHOLARSHIP GIFT TO THE OHIO FOUNDATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

The GAR Foundation, located in Akron, has provided $50,000 in scholarship support to the 2009-2010 annual campaign of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC). 

With a cumulative giving total of nearly $4 million in scholarship, unrestricted and programmatic funding, the GAR Foundation has supported the mission of OFIC to provide access to independent higher education to Ohio’s students for 28 years.   For the past two years, the foundation’s gift has been directed specifically to support students enrolled at one of 12 OFIC member colleges and universities located in northeastern Ohio.  The GAR Foundation is currently providing scholarship support to 24 students enrolled at those institutions.

Melissa Soltis, from Macedonia, Ohio, is a GAR Foundation scholarship recipient and a senior student in Nursing at Ursuline College.  “I chose Ursuline College because of its excellent Nursing program”, she wrote to her scholarship donor, “but I didn’t think I would be able to attend there because of finances.  Thank you for helping my dreams of going to Ursuline College and becoming a nurse come true.  I am extremely grateful.”

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 Ohio independent colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 98,000 students.  For 60 years The Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster. 

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