UVa’s Ridley Scholarships increase to $10,000

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: July 23, 2008

Scholarships awarded to black students at the University of Virginia by the Walter Ridley Scholarship Fund will increase by $2,500, from $7,500 to $10,000.

The fund’s board decided Tuesday to up the scholarship amount. Tracy V. McMillan, the board’s chairman, said that the increase will cover the cost of in-state tuition and fees. The award will cover almost half the cost for out-of-state students.

“With this action, we have not only realized another milestone but we have also made tremendous strides towards one of our ultimate goals — providing full-ride in-state and out-of-state scholarships,” McMillan said.

Known as Ridley @ The University of Virginia, the fund honors Walter N. Ridley, the first black to receive a degree from UVa. Ridley graduated in 1953 with a doctorate in education.

The fund’s endowment has grown to more than $3.6 million since the fund’s inception in 1987. It provides 27 scholarships to black UVa students based on academic performance, leadership and community service.