VCU news

By Stacy Sneed
VCU School of the Arts

The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust has awarded the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts a $500,000 grant for scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.

The grant will provide much-needed immediate support for students in the 2022-23 academic year, helping to retain a significant number of students.

“This is an amazing opportunity for our students at VCUarts,” said Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D., dean of the School of the Arts. “The generosity of the Kenan Charitable Trust allows us to further our creative and intellectual goals for graduate and undergraduate students. We couldn't be more thankful.”

VCUarts is deeply committed to the university’s mission of advancing knowledge and student success. Its departments and programs expand the boundaries of new knowledge and emphasize research, creative expression and interdisciplinary collaborations.

The school will use the funds to distribute 43 need-based scholarships for qualified graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in the 2022-23 academic year.

This scholarship opportunity will allow VCUarts to offer support to continuing second-year graduate students and ensure their progress toward graduation.

“VCUarts is in a distinct position to be a catalyst for engaged learning on a campus that is centered on the student and that fosters inquiry and innovation,” said Daniel Drake, executive director of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. “Its holistic programs promote diversity and inclusion and meet our goal of improving lives by helping and educating people.”