In 2002, an exchange between Eastern and the city of Charleston opened doors for Charleston high school graduates to come to school at Eastern.

The stretch of Seventh Street between Hayes Avenue and Lincoln Avenue was sold to Eastern to build the Doudna Fine Arts Center on in exchange for tuition hours for the city, and with the credits, the city created the Charleston City Road Scholarship.

The scholarship has been awarded to high school graduates who reside in Charleston since the fall 2003 semester.

“This has been just a nice thing to have it go back to, particularly, the young students in town when they could have kept this in-house entirely,” said Deborah Muller, the city clerk.

During the April 20 city council meeting, the council renewed the scholarship for 18 Eastern students. Verification from the Eastern Financial Aid Department is still pending for this coming year’s numbers.

“It was a shrewd bit a negotiating on the part of then-Mayor Dan Cougill, because, since this has been in effect, I think they have had three or four tuition hikes,” Muller said. “They have become a lot more valuable as the years have gone by.”

A scholarship committee was comprised of Lillian Greathouse, Dan Downs, William Kirk and Debbie Poffinbarger.

“They are people who are either professionally affiliated with finances or educations,” Muller said.

The committee is given a packet with five different categories of criteria: leadership, financial need, character, educational motivation and awards or achievements. The student must hand in a written statement and the parents’ and individual’s tax documents.

“The application process was very simple and easy to understand,” said Lena Elmuti, a freshman biology major who has received the scholarship. “It has helped me to become financially independent by helping me pay for almost everything by myself.”

This year, every recipient is a renewal from last year.

Because the city would not be providing as many partial scholarships, more full scholarships were awarded than there ordinarily would have been.

Olivia Buttram, a junior psychology major, said she will graduate from school debt free because of the scholarship opportunity.

“Since I have been in college my dad lost his job, so our finances have been an issue within the house, but this has helped me for school despite everything else going on,” Buttram said.

Michael Bower, a freshman athletic training major, said being an athlete and student allows him little time to work, but the scholarship has allowed him to pay for school anyway.

“Over the summer I am able to work so I can have my own money with my tuition paid for,” Bower said.

In order to keep the scholarship, each student must maintain a 2.5 GPA – both cumulative and per semester.

“This is pretty relaxed, there are many scholarships that require a 3.5 (GPA), basically this just asked for a high C, low B average,” Muller said. “I think we’ve had two occasions when we have had to terminate the scholarship due to the grade point requirement.”

After this year’s allowance, the scholarship will be awarded for two more years.

“Last year was the last year a student could have a four year scholarship; we determined that would be the best way to go along and finish these up,” Muller said.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached 581-7942 or kzykowski@eiu.edu.