Impact of Scholarships I will never forget the moment I received a scholarship I was broke.

. I wasnt receiving financial aid, so I was working and attending school full-time, Marques Paige said. A junior communications major and honors student, Paige gained additional academic and professional experiences by receiving a scholarship. Now with scholarship support and a reduced work schedule, Paige focuses on his education full-time and works weekends as a human services counselor. For more than a year, Paige served as a communications assistant for the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, writing press releases and newsletters, reaching out to members of the community and filming a video series. Soon after, Paige joined with a classmate to start a business, providing graphic design, photography, writing and videography for customers. Now, as an intern at Harrisburgs Patriot-News, Paige recently had his first article published. The scholarship made me realize that someone noticed I was working hard, Paige said. Even the smallest amount of money can help a student progress to the next level. For me, the scholarship has opened the door for possibilities that previously did not exist. Students with limited financial resources receive these expanded opportunities through scholarship support. At Penn State Harrisburg, 78 percent of students receive aid and the total amount of university scholarships awarded in 2010-11 totals nearly $408,000. Students, however, still need support because students possess an average unmet need of nearly $9,000. An unmet need demonstrates the difference between the total cost of a students education for one year and the amount of the expected family contribution combined with all sources of student aid funding received. One-third of Penn State Harrisburg undergraduates serve as the first generation in their family to attend college, and more than a quarter are adult learners, often juggling heavy course loads and full-time employment. In support of For the Future The Campaign for Penn State Students, the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program offers alumni and friends an opportunity to become partners with Penn State in meeting the financial need of our undergraduates. In this philanthropic model, the University matches a scholarship, thereby doubling the funds available for student support. During the campaign, more than $10 million has been raised with more than $4 million toward scholarship support. Make a difference in a students life today by making a gift to an existing endowed scholarship or by developing a new one. Please call the Alumni and Development Office at 717948-6316 for more information.