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Lisa D. Sewell Student Persistence Award Application

The Lisa D. Sewell Student Persistence Award was created to provide financial support to a domestic, Black/African American, undergraduate, traditional student to ensure persistence and degree attainment.

This legacy award honors the rich ancestry of Willie Sewell and his conviction regarding the value of education for his lineage. It also recognizes the real and perceived barriers that many black students must overcome at predominately white institutions when resources are scarce, and quitting is not an option.

The recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship each academic year ($500 Fall/ $500 Spring) so long as they maintain the qualifications of this award. This $1,000 scholarship would be renewable annually for a maximum of two years while attending Indiana Tech if the student continues to meet the financial and academic criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must be a traditional (day) student with full-time student status
  • Must identify as a domestic, Black/African American scholar
  • Must have a current, completed FAFSA on file in Student Financial Aid
  • Must have Junior/Senior class status as of the upcoming Fall semester
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75
  • Must complete the application in its entirety by the deadline

Application Procedure

Applicants must submit the following application. Once submitted, applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of members of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs. This committee will submit their recommendations to the Financial Aid Office.

The application deadline is April 1st annually. Applicants will be notified of a decision by May 1st and the award will be distributed on September 1st.

The Lisa D. Sewell Student Persistence Award was created to provide financial support to a domestic, Black/African American, undergraduate, traditional student to ensure persistence and degree attainment.

This legacy award honors the rich ancestry of Willie Sewell and his conviction regarding the value of education for his lineage. It also recognizes the real and perceived barriers that many black students must overcome at predominately white institutions when resources are scarce, and quitting is not an option.

The recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship each academic year ($500 Fall/ $500 Spring) so long as they maintain the qualifications of this award. This $1,000 scholarship would be renewable annually for a maximum of two years while attending Indiana Tech if the student continues to meet the financial and academic criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must be a traditional (day) student with full-time student status
  • Must identify as a domestic, Black/African American scholar
  • Must have a current, completed FAFSA on file in Student Financial Aid
  • Must have Junior/Senior class status as of the upcoming Fall semester
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75
  • Must complete the application in its entirety by the deadline

Application Procedure

Applicants must submit the following application. Once submitted, applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of members of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs. This committee will submit their recommendations to the Financial Aid Office.

The application deadline is April 1st annually. Applicants will be notified of a decision by May 1st and the award will be distributed on September 1st.

Address(Required)
Class standing(Required)
In approximately 500 words, please share your journey of persistence and how this award will benefit your academically, financially, and culturally.
Accepted file types: docx, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB.
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