THIBODAUX – First-generation college students who graduated from South Lafourche High School have a new resource to supplement their education at ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ State University.
Henry Lafont Jr. and Kim Corales Lafont recently contributed $60,000 to create the First-Generation Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship. With a matching contribution of $40,000 from the Louisiana Board of Regents, the endowment totals $100,000.
“Henry’s and Kim’s gift is very special for many reasons,” Dr. David Boudreaux, vice president for institutional advancement, said. “Henry is a ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ graduate and a current member of the ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ faculty. To the best of my knowledge, this is the largest single gift given by an active faculty member at ÐÓ°É´«Ã½. Kim, a ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ alum by choice, graduated from another university but chose to make ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ the beneficiary of her generosity. The scholarships will be available to first generation college students, whose lives will be fuller as a result of their educational experiences.”
Scholarship recipients, who will be selected on a competitive basis, are eligible to receive the award for a maximum of eight semesters. They must maintain a 2.66 GPA to renew the award – a minimum of $1,000 per academic year. They must also be Louisiana residents as well as Pell Grant awardees, and they must have already been admitted as full-time ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ students.
The number of scholarships that may be awarded annually will not exceed four.
“It was a real pleasure to work with Henry and Kim to make this scholarship a reality for future graduates of South Lafourche High School,” Boudreaux said.