NNU Among Idaho Universities to Receive $1,000,000 from Albertson Foundation

Northwest Nazarene University is one of the eleven Idaho universities to receive a $1,000,000 grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation to assist in their statewide “Go On” initiative.  The intent of these funds is to help boost post-secondary success for Idaho students, and to increase higher education enrollment and a higher completion percentage.

“We are elated and very grateful to the Albertson Foundation to be a recipient of these funds,” said President David Alexander.  “The university is privileged to partner with them in immediately identifying, encouraging, scholarshiping and educating Idaho’s students to complete their education and reach their full potential on the way to becoming civic and community leaders.”

The Foundation has stipulated that these automatically renewable funds (as long as criteria is being met) be awarded to undergraduate Idaho residents, and are to be directed to support five categories of students:  1)  first-generation two- or four-year college students; 2) need-based students re-entering college either part- or full-time in pursuit of a degree; 3) core-certified students from any community college in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution; 4) a full- or part-time student who has never attended college and is one year or more out of high school; and, 5) merit-based for high school seniors with high overall student performance, having included successful completion of four math and four science courses.

NNU’s Director of Financial Aid Wes Maggard stated, “We currently administer over $14 million in grants and financial aid scholarships to over 95% of our students; these funds will definitely allow us to help many additional students “go on” to completion of their college education and will reduce the financial burden that students bear with student loans.”

The university’s current effort to increase diversity among the student body will be boosted with these grant funds, and it will also further assist in attracting and retaining transfer students even though NNU has enrolled an already high transfer-student ratio over the last several years.