Incoming students have the opportunity to be awarded $2,500 from the Panther Promise Scholarship to help pay for Eastern’s cost of attendance.

President Bill Perry said the Panther Promise Scholarship is a promise that the university will work with families to make their students able to come to Eastern.

“We know that the decision to go to college is a big decision, and we know that the cost is a real consideration for most families,” Perry said. “What we found out by looking at the profiles of our students was that in certain income ranges, the federal estimate of the expected family contribution is a daunting number for a family.”

Perry said the scholarship is another way the university is trying to address the affordability issue by helping families cope with the financial burden they have to bare in order for their students to attend Eastern.

Brenda Major, the director of admissions, said the Panther Promise Scholarship is directed toward families with low-middle and middle class household income.

The income range to be eligible for the Panther Promise Scholarship is $33,526 to $67,050.

“The cost to attend Eastern can be too much for parents with everything they have to juggle in this challenging economy,” Major said. “The Panther Promise is geared toward students who otherwise would have been saddled with loans instead of gift aid.”

The scholarship is available to Fall 2012 incoming students, and they can continue to receive the scholarship for a period of eight semesters if they maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete a certain number of credit hours.

Perry said the maximum amount awarded is $2,500 and since there could be different family contributions that people could be dealing with, the amount needed might be different.

“It is not just a blanket amount,” Perry said. “It is tailored to each individual student’s and family’s situation.”

The Panther Promise Scholarship can be awarded to about 500 students during each academic year and they must be full-time students living in Illinois.

Major said the scholarship was presented to the state legislature during the Spring 2011 semester, and Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill on Aug. 24.

“The Panther Promise Scholarship opens the door that makes Eastern not only a possibility, but a reality to many students,” Major said.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.