Scholarships

Alex G. McKenna Economic and Policy Scholarship Award

A $16,000 ($4,000 per year for four years) Scholarship for four years of undergraduate study at Saint Vincent College in persuit of a major offered by the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government.  The scholarship is funded by a grant from the Philip M. McKenna Foundation, Inc. of Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Who is eligible

Any high school junior or senior student may enter the competition. The winner will be the student who ranks highest based on the criteria listed below and who elects to attend Saint Vincent College to persue a major offered by the Saint Vincent College McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government.  Students need not have taken a course in economics or business in order to do well in this competition.

About the Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded primarily on the basis of an essay topic announced each fall concerning President Bush's economic policy and the impact this policy will have on the economy in the future.  The essay, with a bibliography listing all sources, must not exceed five double-spaced pages typed in 12 point font.  In addition, the essay should include a title page with a title, the applicant's name and the applicant's high school.  Applicants will be judged on the merit of their essay as well as their high school achievements.  Applicants will submit completed essays with a copy of their SAT or ACT scores, a high school transcript, and a list of extracurricular activities. 

We encourage you to submit the material in person on our annual Scholarship Day.  Dr. Gary Quinlivan, the Dean of the McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, will conduct a formal presentation for interested students and parents which will provide valuable information regarding the wide range of opportunities afforded by the McKenna School at Saint Vincent College.  If you are unable to be with us on Scholarship Day, you may submit your essay via e-mail as an attached Word document to Dr. Andrew Herr.  Alternatively, you may mail your material to: 

Dr. Andrew R. Herr
Associate Professor of Economics
300 Fraser Purchase Road
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA 15650

Only material postmarked on or before Scholarship Day will be considered. Questions may be directed to:

How to Register

Obtain a registration card from your Guidance Counselor, or contact:

Office of Admissions & Financial Aid
Saint Vincent College
300 Fraser Purchase Road
Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 15650-2690.
Phone: 1-800-782-5549

Fill out and return the card at least ten days prior to the date of the essay competition. 

Criteria for Maintaining the Scholarship

The scholarship is for $4,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study at Saint Vincent College in persuit of a major offered by the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government.  Renewal of the award is contingent on maintaining a 3.25 Grade Point Average.  The scholarship award will be announced about a month after the competition.

George Washington Fellowship

The Center for Political and Economic Thought sponsors a fellowship program founded in the 1998-1999 academic year. The program provides a stipend, support for attending academic conferences, and books for each fellow. Fellows will engage in a year-long scholarly project with a faculty member from the Center, which is designed to be a broad learning experience for the fellow in a non-classroom atmosphere.

Background

The George Washington Fellows Program is named after our nation's first president in order to focus on the theme of citizenship. Washington emphasized in his writings and addresses that the success of the new American republic would depend upon the nation's ability to become a sacred union of citizens. The Program seeks to attract students interested in scholarly inquiry into the key questions of American citizenship, paying careful attention to the duties and responsibilities of individuals in a free, well ordered society. Applications for projects in the following areas will be accepted: American political thought, American economic thought, political or economic thought generally, American culture and religion, and American constitutionalism.
 

What is the Nature of the Project?

Fellowships are not designed to be an independent study, nor are they intended to require the same type of work that would be involved in taking a course. Rather, fellowships will support a scholarly relationship or conversation between the student and faculty member on the issue or question posed in the application. Once a proposal has been awarded a fellowship, a faculty member will be assigned and the student and faculty member will determine a set of readings appropriate to fostering an in-depth discussion of the question at hand. Fellows are expected to read and think seriously about the selected works, to meet regularly with the faculty member to discuss the works, and to produce a piece of work at the end of the fellowship period that reflects what has been learned in the reading and discussions. This final product is not intended to be a thesis-type major research project, but instead a thoughtful and tangible reflection on the year's learning experience.

What Kind of Support is Provided?

Stipend: Fellows will receive a stipend of $1,000. The stipend will be paid in installments of $500 at the beginning of each semester. Payment of the stipend in the Spring semester is contingent upon satisfactory progress during the Fall semester. Normally, the stipend should not affect a student's financial aid package, but students are encouraged to verify this with the Office of Admission and Financial Aid.

• Books: A modest budget will be available to purchase the books that a fellow will need to read for his or her project. The faculty member will determine which books are necessary, and books will be purchased directly by the Center.
• Academic conference support: It is often the case that there will be a scholarly conference going on that will bear directly on a fellow's academic interest. Beyond this, it is worthwhile for students to have the experience of attending an academic conference. Accordingly, the Fellows Program will provide a modest amount of financial support for participants to attend scholarly conferences that both the student and faculty member agree are of particular merit.
• Year-end dinner and other occasional events: The Center will sponsor a culminating social event for its George Washington Fellows, where each fellow will share his or her thoughts on what has been learned from the fellowship experience. The Center may also sponsor occasional get-togethers for those participating in the Fellows Program.
• Completion of the Fellowship Program will be noted on the student's academic transcript as a zero-credit entry.

Who may Apply?

Successful fellowship applicants will have outstanding records of academic achievement and a demonstrated interest in scholarly inquiry. Students majoring in Political Science, Economics, or Public Policy are eligible to participate during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Particular emphasis will be placed on those applying for fellowships for the junior or senior year, but truly superior sophomore applications will also merit consideration. Fellowship proposals must focus on a key question or issue suggested by one of the themes mentioned in the section on Background.