FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 5, 2021
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Dare fall Homecoming participants to give $100,000 in new scholarship support, and Tarleton State University Texans will exceed the mark in record time.
Philanthropy-minded contributors donated more than $130,000 in less than two weeks. Homecoming was Oct. 17-23.
The challenge was made in concert with a $25,000 gift from President James and First Lady Kindall Hurley and an initial $61,000 in matching funds. The Dr. James and Kindall Hurley Scholarship Endowment will go annually to students with significant financial needs.
Inspired by the Hurleys and the benefactors who immediately stepped up, Tarleton Foundation President Rocky Hardin threw down the gauntlet for Homecoming fans this year to give even more.
“The Hurleys’ leadership and dedication deserve a tribute that matches their commitment,” Hardin told Homecoming participants. “My hope is that every Tarleton graduate and friend will catch their vision.”
Many did.
Citizens National Bank of Texas and Sam Pack and his family took the challenge to heart, each matching the Hurleys’ initial $25,000 gift. Their generosity and that of several others means even greater support for deserving students who want to attend Tarleton.
The university’s founder, John Tarleton, “dreamed of a school that prioritized education over the ability to pay for it, investing his life savings to make it a reality,” Dr. Hurley said. “Fall Homecoming challenge results prove his dream is alive and well.”
Nearly 80 percent of Tarleton Texans receive some form of financial assistance, more than 50 percent are the first in their family to pursue a university degree, and some 40 percent are Pell Grant eligible.
“Kindall and I are deeply committed to doing everything we can to ensure these students receive the best education. With the help of our very generous Tarleton family and friends, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible while students are here and long after they graduate.”
Contribute to Tarleton scholarships at donate.tarleton.edu. Donors are encouraged to ask their employer about corporate matching opportunities.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.