Our Scholarship Programs
We are proud of our scholarship programs for Cleveland-area students.
Scholarships are currently awarded only to incoming freshmen. Applications are available through area high school counselors in the late fall. The deadline for applying for 2009 scholarships has passed.
The Mary Anne Harshman CLASS Scholarship
This generous, twelve-quarter scholarship is named for Mary Anne Harshman, a long-time leader in the OSU Alumni Club of Greater Cleveland who passed away in July 2005.
Richard and Barbara Snyder Scholarship Fund
Dick and Barbara Snyder celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on September 18, 2005. At the suggestion of both the Alumni Association and the Office of University Development, they have established a scholarship fund. Distribution of scholarships from this fund will be handled by the OSU Alumni Club of Greater Cleveland’s scholarship committee.
Alumni Scholars Program Awards
These scholarships are funded by the Ohio State Alumni Association.
History of Our Scholarship Programs
Until the mid 1980s, the only scholarships the club awarded were the Alumni Scholars Program (ASP) awards, which were and still are funded by the Alumni Association (our parent organization). Mary Anne Harshman was the scholarship chair, and Dick Furry and Dick Snyder were the other members of the scholarship committee. They decided to award a tuition scholarship, and in 1986 Sandy Shell became our first scholarship student. Since the club was funding the entire scholarship, she would be the only scholarship student for four years, and then the club would select another student. But the frustration grew as wonderful students were interviewed in subsequent years in which no funds for a tuition scholarship were available. It was clear that a way to fund a student every year was needed. One suggestion was to find one wealthy member who would fund an entire scholarship for a student. Another wish was that every OSU graduate in Cuyahoga County would give just $1 a year, but the problem was that many of these alumni were not members of the club.
The solution that was eventually adopted was to ask twelve sponsors to each contribute the equivalent of one quarter’s tuition during the four-year period. Enough sponsors were recruited to begin the current program, which was named the Cleveland Alumni Sponsored Scholarship (CLASS). The students in turn would write a letter at the end of each quarter to his or her sponsors. Craig Kullik, Fairview valedictorian, was named the first CLASS Scholar in 1991.
Several changes have been made in the CLASS program during its fifteen-year existence. By the time the third scholar was named, it was evident that trying to get the right letters to the right sponsors was a record-keeping chore, and it was decided that all sponsors would get the letters from all the CLASS students. The next change, in the mid 1990s, was that, owing to rising tuition, the club would have to pay part of the tuition. In the late 1990s, because of the gap from June (end of spring quarter) to December (end of fall quarter), CLASS students were asked to write a letter every quarter, including summer quarter, whether or not they were in school that quarter. Finally, early in this decade, because of the huge increases in tuition, the CLASS scholarship was stabilized at a fixed rate that would not change with increasing tuition.
Because of the CLASS program and its sponsors, the club can now select an outstanding student every year. In 2005 we selected our fifteenth CLASS Scholar, Megan Vandrak. We also held our sixteenth annual Scholars Reception since a reception was held in 1990 to recognize Sandy Shell’s graduation from Ohio State.
Succeeding Mary Anne Harshman, Dave Furry served for several years as scholarship chair. Debra Light served as scholarship chair from 2004 to 2008. Currently, the position is vacant.
This has been a very successful program and we have been fortunate to have an exceptional group of CLASS Scholars through the years and many caring and generous sponsors.
Dick and Barbara Snyder celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on September 18, 2005. At the suggestion of both the Alumni Association and the Office of University Development, they have established a scholarship fund. Distribution of scholarships from this fund will be handled by the OSU Alumni Club of Greater Cleveland’s scholarship committee.
Both Dick and Barbara are past presidents of the Greater Cleveland Alumni Club, and together they established the first CLASS Scholarship. Dick is also a past treasurer and long-time scholarship committee member. Barbara has been a long-time member of the board of directors, having established the newsletter and serving as editor for many years.
Ways You Can Help
Become a CLASS Sponsor
Please contact Barbara Snyder (440-845-3652 or osubgs@aol.com) for more information.
Donate to Our Scholarship Funds
Visit giveto.osu.edu. Select “other” (at the bottom of the list) where indicated and enter either of the following account numbers in the special instructions field:
CLASS fund #309312
Snyder fund #480182
