Delaware State University celebrated the 10-year-anniversary of the Inspire Scholarship with a bill signing that provides funding for full scholarships at DSU.
The scholarship award has nearly doubled to ensure it covers the full cost of in-state tuition at Delaware State University for four years.
It was previously capped at an amount equal to the state's SEED scholarship. That was about half of a current year of tuition at DSU.
The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Stephanie Bolden (D-Wilmington), is a DSU alum.
"It is very, very important especially with the cost of college education today," said Bolden. "This allows for students that qualify to be able to get a four-year scholarship paid in full which would include their stay on campus as well as books, etc."
Bolden believes the scholarship motivates students.
"It's inspiring kids to go to college, to maintain an average, to get the education that is needed for them to be successful in life or become entrepreneurs or whatever, but they have the ability and the opportunity that's available to them to do so," she said.
Bolden notes increasing the value of the scholarship is important because of the costs of attending college today.
Since its creation, more than 2,500 students have used the Inspire scholarship to attend Delaware State University. Black students have received more than 60% of the scholarships and 65% have gone to women.
To qualify for the Inspire scholarship, a student must have a 2.75 grade-point-average or higher in high school, graduate from a Delaware high school, and not have any felony convictions or have charges pending when applying to DSU.
