LSA Scholarships has been named the 2019 Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) in recognition of the LSA Passport Scholarship Program. Over the past twenty years, this prestigious award has been given to scholarship providers who exemplify leadership in college access and student success with innovative scholarships and support services. This year’s award was announced on October 3, 2019 at the NSPA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A partnership between LSA Scholarships, the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS), the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP), and the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), the LSA Passport Scholarship Program provides financial and program support for first-year, Pell Grant-eligible students so they can obtain a U.S. passport. NSPA recognized LSA Scholarships and their partners for their dedication to “eliminating the financial and perceived social barriers around acquiring passports” and for providing “low-income students the key piece of documentation they need in order to pursue study abroad opportunities or international internships.”

“Receiving this recognition from peers is an amazing experience,” says Doug Fletcher, Director of LSA Scholarships. “It highlights the value of the work that we do for students in the LSA Scholarships Office, but the honor is not ours alone. It is a testament to the relationships that have been fostered between LSA Scholarships, the Center for Global and Intercultural Studies (CGIS), the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP), the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), as well as our LSA Advancement teams and donors to the College of LSA.”

Full video of the NSPA Award Dinner and Ceremony is available via NSPA’s Facebook page. LSA Scholarships Senior Manager, Katherine Weathers, accepted the award in the Institutional Provider category on behalf of LSA Scholarships and their partners. This year’s winners from other categories included the Fund for Education Abroad (Small Provider), and Wallin Education Partners (Large Provider).

About NSPA:

The National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) is a nonprofit, member association established in 1999 by Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Fastweb.com, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Scholarship America to facilitate the creation of scholarship effective practices, encourage professional development, and establish cooperative relationships among scholarship providers. NSPA is dedicated to supporting the needs of professionals administering scholarships in post-secondary institutions, private and community foundations, public charities, as well as corporate and government programs.