BROOKE THAMES
A&C Editor
thamesbe@plu.edu
Lutes entering the Pacific Lutheran University Community in Fall 2016 will be the first students eligible to apply for the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship – a form of financial aid given exclusively to students from the 253 area code.
The 253 PLU Bound Scholarship is made possible by federal, state and PLU grant money. Students who attend high school in the 253 area are College Bound Scholarship eligible and have a grade point average of at least 3.70 can be awarded with this scholarship.
The scholarship ensures awarded students four years of full tuition paid, and the amount of students who can receive this aid is unlimited.
According to PLU’s Division of Marketing and Communications, Matt Burns – a counselor at Wilson High School – says that this scholarship will give kids from the 253 the money they need to attend college. He says he can “use it to encourage and motivate some students who are on the fence” between being good students and great students.
Solidifying PLU as an option for college-bound students in the 253 is the heart of why PLU has created the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship.
According to PLU’s MarCom, Director of Admissions Melody Ferguson says that PLU has awarded scholarships to local students “for decades.” However, none of the similar scholarships have mimicked the way that the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship awards full four year tuition to students from a specific area.
The fact that this scholarship is a new development has some students on campus feeling neglected – as if they’ve been cheated out of an opportunity.
“I’m more bummed than angry,” Junior Eric Zayas said. “I’ve been looking into scholarships, but only first-years can apply [for this]. I’m a junior [so I can’t].”
