Ursinus College says it has secured a commitment projected to provide more than $10 million in support for its Abele Scholars Program, a scholarship and mentorship pipeline at the Collegeville school. The gift can fund 10 cohorts of Abele Scholars, according to PHILADELPHIA.Today.
The Abele Family Foundation has backed the program. Joan and Will Abele have supported Ursinus philanthropically for 50 years, according to the same outlet. Will Abele is an Ursinus alumnus and board member, and according to the article, he credited Ursinus professor and wrestling coach Richard T. Schellhase with teaching him that one person can shape another's life. The foundation's commitment supports scholarships, mentorship, staffing, enrichment programming, career development and community-building opportunities.
A Decade-Old Commitment Grows
The Abele Scholars Program supports academically strong students with financial need through a four-year experience, per Ursinus College's own scholarship page. The program is designed to welcome 15 students each fall. The program also emphasizes civic engagement and holistic support.
This is not the foundation's first headline-grabbing gift to the program. Ursinus announced in 2020 that Joan and Will Abele had pledged $11 million through the foundation, calling it the college's largest single private gift in its 150-year history, according to Ursinus College. That pledge, the college said at the time, would continue to provide critical support for the program for the next decade and beyond, and it pushed the school past its $100 million goal for its Keep the Promise comprehensive campaign.
Cohort Size Has Shifted Over Time
Figures describing how many students join each Abele cohort have varied across sources and time. Ursinus's current scholarship page states that each incoming first-year class includes 15 Abele Scholars, while the college's 2020 announcement said approximately 18 first-year students were being targeted for each new cohort. A 2020 report from the Philadelphia Inquirer found the program, then in its second year, already enrolled 24 students. The available evidence does not explain the change in these figures.
Eligibility and Application Deadlines
To qualify for an Abele Scholar award, applicants must be U.S. citizens residing in any of the 50 states or Washington, D.C., and must have an expected Student Aid Index of $40,000 or less based on their current FAFSA. The Abele Scholars application deadline is January 15.
The Abele Scholars Program provides mentorship and career development.
