HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, announced that Bryant Bank has made a $1.5 million commitment to the UAH College of Business (COB), one of the largest gifts ever made to the College.
This pledge will go to benefit business students at the University by establishing a non-endowed scholarship fund to the College to be called the Bryant Bank UAH Business Scholarships.
An initial disbursement of $100,000 will be followed by 14 annual payments in the same amount through 2035.
“We appreciate the confidence that this gift from Bryant Bank represents,” says Dr. Jason Greene, Dean of the UAH COB. “As one of the largest in the college’s history, we believe it speaks to the importance of business in our University and in our community. We are committed to building these partnerships to fuel innovation in business in the Huntsville community, and we are grateful for Bryant Bank’s leadership in helping us do so.”
Annual distributions from the fund shall be used for one or more scholarships awarded to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in the College of Business.
"Students who come to UAH and study business are getting a high-quality education, and now it's even easier and less expensive to access because this would be a scholarship that they don't have to repay and makes it all the more worth it, and really makes it possible for some students for whom finances might be a barrier," said Greene.
Entering freshman students must have a minimum high school cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale. Existing or transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for college-level coursework.
Preference shall be given to students based on each of the following: students with unmet financial need; students who are from Alabama communities served by Bryant Bank; and students who are graduates of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.
“On behalf of the ownership group, Board of Directors and our team at Bryant Bank, we are excited and honored to present this gift to the UAH College of Business,” says Bryant Bank President, Ken Watson. “While these funds will be specifically deployed to increase interest and enrollment in the Business School, this investment will also provide valuable future resources to our growing business community. We are truly blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to support UAH, its leadership team, faculty and students, and we know this donation will help ‘empower potential,’ which is one of our Core Values at Bryant Bank.”
Students shall receive awards of $2,500, $5,000 or $7,500, and the larger of these awards shall be given to students with a greater need and who are receiving less financial support from other UAH scholarships or grants. Scholarship award recipients shall be selected by the University's Financial Aid Committee.
Each scholarship shall be for one year. Recipients may be eligible for an additional year up to a maximum of four years, or until degree requirements have been met, whichever is shorter, as long as the recipient maintains full-time enrollment and continues to make satisfactory progress toward a degree with a minimum GPA of at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
A scholarship award may, in addition to paying the cost of the recipient's tuition, fees, and books, also pay other academic-related expenses. Each scholarship recipient shall be known as a “Bryant Bank UAH Business Scholar.”