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For 50 years, the University Without Walls (UWW) Department of Interdisciplinary Studies has been helping non-traditional students achieve the dream of a college degree, offering high-level support and advising, individualized degree planning, an interdisciplinary approach to education, and credit for life and work experience.
As one of the oldest and best-known adult degree completion programs in the nation, we were, and continue to be, pioneers in the field of adult education with a mission centered on access and innovation.
Your gift makes it possible for us to support non-traditional students through vital scholarships, the best advising, and a great education.
Pay it forward. This is the UWW way.
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50 +1 For the Future Campaign
UWW has announced the 50 +1 for the Future Campaign to raise $51,000 in 2022 for scholarships and other forms of support for financially vulnerable UWW students. To be a part of the campaign, simply give to any one of our scholarship funds and it will count towards the goal. To make the biggest impact, please consider giving to the UWW Gift Fund. Here's why: our gift fund is an unrestricted fund that provides us with the flexibility necessary to respond quickly to various student needs. This fund is currently used almost exclusively for scholarships for UWW students with significant financial need.
“Given how committed our alumni and friends are to UWW’s success, I am hopeful we can build a base of funds sufficient to meet demand,” said Joe Bartolomeo, Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and Dean of the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. “We urgently need additional resources to support students who come to us for assistance.”
“It’s heartbreaking to be faced with turning away low-income students in need,” added Jacqueline Castledine, Chair of the UWW Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. “In kindness and community, I believe that together we are up for the challenge of meeting this fundraising goal in support of UWW students facing overwhelming financial challenges.”
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Scholarships
Renowned as the Mother of Civil Rights in Springfield, MA, Ruth B. Loving dedicated her life to social justice and community activism, and was a powerful force to be reckoned with until her death at age 100. In 1988, at the age of 73, she earned her B.A. from UMass Amherst through the University Without Walls with a concentration in Community Education. The Ruth B. Loving Scholarship honors and carries forward the legacy of this accomplished and influential alumna by providing support for socioeconomically disadvantaged UWW Interdisciplinary Studies students. Preference is given to those living in Hampden County, Mass.
Established by Celso Avelar, a long-time friend of UWW, this scholarship honors the memory and spirit of his beloved niece Rute Avelar who passed away in 2003 at the age of fifteen. This scholarship is awarded at least once per year to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need, is in good academic standing, has an area of concentration in Human Services, Mental Health, Applied Psychology or another related field, and whose career goal is to work with people in crisis. Special consideration will be given to applicants who currently work in or whose career goal is to work in the field of suicide prevention.
Created in the spirit and memory of 2009 graduate Misty Bassi, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Misty Bassi, daughter of Sherri and Dominick Bassi, was a 2009 graduate of the University Without Walls, where she completed a degree with a concentration in Literature and Illustration. Deeply interested in creativity and the world of imagination, she was bright curious and thoughtful. She excelled in her interdisciplinary program of study and, in 2006, was the recipient of the William F. Field Alumni Scholarship.
Established to honor the dedication and passion of the UWW faculty, past and present, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing.
Started by the Friends of UWW alumni group, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Preference will be given to UWW students who are first-generation or from underrepresented groups.
Named in honor of a founding director of UWW, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing. Preference will be given to a parent of a dependent child.
Established by and named after Jeffrey Taylor, UWW alumnus and founder of Monster.com, this scholarship is awarded to a UWW Interdisciplinary Studies student who demonstrates financial need and is in good academic standing.