GREENEVILLE – Supporting the abundant talent displayed by high school students in East Tennessee, Tusculum University has created a new scholarship for participants and award winners of the Congressional Art Competition sponsored by U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st.
Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president, announced Monday, April 22, that all students who participate in the event and receive a certificate will receive a $1,000 scholarship ($500 per semester). Students who finish in second or third place in the annual event will earn a $1,500 scholarship ($750 each semester), and the first place winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship ($1,000 each semester).
Dr. James Hurley
The scholarships are contingent on a student enrolling in Tusculum as a full-time student. The student will be able to receive the scholarship each of his or her four years as an undergraduate.
“What Dr. Hurley is doing is making an investment not only in Tusculum University but in this region,” said Dr. Roe, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Many students in the 1st District need financial assistance when they attend college, and it is really impressive that Dr. Hurley was kind enough to offer economic help for the students that participate in the competition.
“Any time you can make college more affordable, you create a life-changing event in someone’s path. Going to college changed my life, and I would not be standing here today if I had not received a college degree. Dr. Hurley’s contribution to scholarships here was very magnanimous, I thought.”
Dr. Hurley said the idea of creating the scholarship arose from his visit to the 2018 Congressional Art Competition held on the Tusculum campus in Greeneville. He felt it was important to celebrate Roe’s event and its promotion of artistic talent among students in the region. He also commended Roe’s support of the Pell Grant program and other student financial aid and noted the congressman has valiantly fought for higher education.
“I started thinking about the amounts that would be fair to the institution and to the students and would be somewhat equivalent to an athletic scholarship,” Dr. Hurley said. “It would be an excellent way for a student to continue pursuing their dreams as artists, and we would highly encourage them to continue in that direction.”
Dr. Hurley said many students with whom he spoke after announcing the scholarship indicated they wanted to learn more about enrolling at Tusculum, which is the first institution of higher education in Tennessee and is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year. The students indicated the scholarship might make a difference in their decision.
“This is a great way for us to serve the region and attract more students to our exceptional university,” Dr. Hurley said. “In addition, when the congressman is supporting educational initiatives, we should partner with him. As a liberal arts-based institution and a civic arts-outreach institution, this scholarship is a great way for us to align with the mission of the university.”
Tusculum offers a robust art and design program, with concentrations in studio art and visual communication. The program is based in the Shulman Center, which is a stand-alone art facility that represents the university’s commitment to that field. The center also contains the Clem Allison Gallery, which enables students, professors, professional artists and community members to showcase their works.
For more information about Tusculum, please visit www.tusculum.edu. More detail about the annual Congressional Art Competition is available at www.roe.house.gov.