Awards, Scholarships, and Emergency Fund

Awards

On March 8, 2024, International Women's Day, the Women's Center will host its annual Women's Center Award and Scholarship Ceremony. Award nominations will be open until March 1, 2023.

The categories are as follows:

Student Advocate Award

This award recognizes an outstanding student who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing gender equity on the Wright State campus. The recipient actively engages in initiatives, advocacy, or projects that contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for all students.

Staff Trailblazer Award

The Staff Trailblazer Award honors a staff member who has shown exemplary commitment to gender equity within the university community. This individual has gone above and beyond their role to implement initiatives, policies, or programs that foster inclusivity and equality.

Faculty Champion Award

The Faculty Champion Award celebrates a faculty member who has displayed outstanding dedication to promoting gender equity through teaching, research, mentorship, or leadership roles. This award recognizes their efforts in cultivating an environment that supports the academic and personal growth of all students.

Alumni Impact Award

The Alumni Impact Award acknowledges a Wright State alumna who continues to make significant contributions to gender equity beyond graduation. This individual has demonstrated a sustained commitment to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and equality in their professional or community endeavors.

Community Organization Partner Award

The Community Organization Partner Award recognizes a local organization that has collaborated with the Women's Center to advance gender equity in the broader community. This award honors their impactful initiatives, support for gender-related programs, and commitment to creating positive change beyond the university campus.

Nomination Form

You can submit someone for nomination using the button below. Both self and peer-nominations are accepted. Awards will be distributed at the discretion of the Women's Center.

Scholarships

Kim and Shelley Goldenberg Scholarship for the Women's Center

• Purpose: The Kim and Shelley Goldenberg Scholarship for the Women's Center was endowed by former Wright State president Kim Goldenberg and his wife Shelley in 2006. The scholarship fund provides financial support to students who have demonstrated leadership potential and/or community service.
• Support: The scholarship cycle will provide a single, one-time award.
• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be an undergraduate student.
  • Have demonstrated leadership potential or commitment to community service.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be in good academic standing, maintaining a GPA of 2.5.

Wilda Murray Ehrenfried Scholarship

• Purpose: This scholarship was established by the family and friends of Wilda Murray Ehrenfried for her 90th birthday and helps provide funding for students with dependent children.
• Support: The scholarship cycle will provide two, one-time awards. The recipients' names are engraved on a display in the Women's Center.
• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be a current or future admitted students with dependent children are eligible.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Jo Angela Freeman Saxon Scholarship for Working Parents

• Purpose: In the early 1980s, Jo Angela Freeman Saxon worked full-time as a kindergarten teacher, attended college full-time to complete her degree, and was the sole provider for three small children. The scholarship was started in 2008 by her friends and family to ease the financial stress faced by working parents as they seek to better the lives of their families. 
• Support: The scholarship cycle will provide a single, one-time award.
• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be an undergraduate student.
  • Work at least part-time.
  • Have at least one dependent.
  • Demonstrate financial and/or circumstantial need.
  • Be in good academic standing, maintaining a G.P.A. of 2.5.

Lillie P. Howard Student Need-Based Grant

• Purpose: This fund was established in 1997 by Lillie P. Howard, Ph.D and additional gifts have also been made by family, friends, and co-workers in her honor. The fund assists students whose financial needs are not currently met by existing financial aid programs or for whom loans would be overly burdensome. This fund addresses immediate, short-term, and unanticipated financial hurdles or to help students out of any financial bind which threatens their ability to continue their education.
• Support: The amount of each grant is dependent on the need of the student and the funds available.
• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or continuing student at Wright State University.
  • Be in good academic and judicial standing.
  • Be able to document unusual financial need over and above their financial aid eligibility.

Lillie P. Howard Student Need-Based Grant Application (PDF)

How to Apply

The Office of Financial Aid offers an online scholarship application process. By submitting one application, first-year students, continuing, and transfer students can apply for multiple donor-based scholarships funded through the Wright State University Foundation and also scholarships funded by the university. This scholarship application spans university-wide for undergraduate and graduate students. For more details on possible scholarship opportunities, use the new scholarship search to see what you may qualify for.

Emergency Fund

The Women’s Center emergency fund was created to support students active with the Center through emergency situations such as housing insecurity and food insecurity. Funding is distributed at the discretion of the Center, and funds available depend entirely on donations. To help support the Emergency Fund, Give to the Women’s Center.