OHIO offers prestigious merit-based and need-based scholarship opportunities to our most competitive incoming first-year students. In addition to generous scholarship funding, these programs provide students with resources to support their success at Ohio University. Eligible students who apply to the Athens campus of Ohio University by the November 15 early action deadline will receive a separate invitation to apply for these highly competitive scholarship programs.
Program Overview
In 1828, John Newton Templeton became OHIO’s first African American graduate—and the fourth nationwide. Arrested in 1835 for teaching other African Americans to read and write, he persevered to become a teacher and a principal. In the spirit of his contributions, the Templeton Scholarship is awarded to incoming first-year students who share Templeton's commitment to building inclusive relationships, community advocacy, and perseverance.
Program Requirements
- Maintain 30 credit hours annually
- Maintain 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Jump to all renewal requirements
Program Experience
Through a cohort-based experience, the Templeton Scholars Program engages aspiring student leaders who:
- Demonstrate the potential to build relationships that connect community members to each other (building connection )
- Demonstrate the potential to address issues that impact the success of their communities (community advocacy)
- Recognize that life’s obstacles, difficulties, and setbacks should not deter our commitment to being successful (perseverance).
We hope that, like John Newton Templeton, our scholars go on to become leaders of social change in their communities. We prepare scholars for their future by providing resources and opportunities that are designed to foster academic, social, career, and personal success. These resources and opportunities include:
- Leadership Development Course – Templeton Scholars typically chose to enroll in OHIO’s Intercultural Leadership Development Course in their first semester. This 1 credit hour course is designed to help scholars increase leadership skills, with a focus on understanding how leaders effectively leverage cultural and social differences to positively impact group dynamics and outcomes.
- Peer Mentoring – Templeton Scholars are connected to an upper-class mentor who serve as a bridge to the campus community. Mentors help new scholars navigate their transition to college by connecting them to student organizations, social opportunities, support staff, and academic resources.
- Faculty Mentoring – Templeton Scholars also receive mentorship from a university faculty member. Faculty mentors help students explore their academic interests and connect to academic opportunities that intersect with their passions.
- Academic Coaching –Templeton scholars are offered opportunities for academic coaching and skill building. Scholars are encouraged to develop an ongoing coaching relationship with our academic support staff. Our staff work closely with the advising offices across the university to support the success of our scholars.
- Career & Professional Development – The Templeton Scholars Program hosts a variety of events and opportunities that prepare students for successful job searches and career outcomes. Students are encouraged to explore how to integrate their passions with their career goals. Examples of events include networking with potential employers, mock job interviews, career panels, LinkedIn workshops, and more.
- Community Impact Project – Templeton Scholars work collaboratively on an experiential learning project that addresses a community need or issue. Based on their own interests and passion areas, scholars are given the support to:
- Explore a community problem
- Develop project ideas for addressing the problem
- Propose their projects to the potentially impacted community
- Work with the community to implement the project
- Assess and report on the project’s impact
- Automatic inclusion in the OHIO Honors Program and access to University honors housing options.
- A merit-based scholarship covering in-state tuition and mandatory fees, room, and board, renewable for four academic years .
Renewal Requirements
The Templeton Scholars Program offers a cohort-based experience for students who share a commitment to building inclusive relationships, community advocacy and perseverance. Templeton Scholars earn a four-year, renewable scholarship. To maintain the Templeton Scholars award, recipients must:
- Register for at least 15 credit hours each fall and spring semester and earn 30 credit hours each academic year. (All courses must be Athens campus-based; Athens-based online courses are permitted.)
- Maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) by the end of each academic year.
- Participate in a community impact project each semester.
- Utilize Templeton Scholars and University-wide student support services, including:
- LINKS (a college transition and support program offered through the Multicultural Center)
- Peer mentoring
- Faculty mentoring
- Academic coaching
- Career and professional development opportunities
- Other University resources
- Attend regular academic progress meetings with Multicultural Center staff.
The Templeton Scholars Program is committed to student success. If a Templeton Scholar does not meet renewal requirements, reinstatement may be considered at the discretion of the director of the Multicultural Center after all program requirements described above are attained. Typically, if reinstatement occurs, it will be effective the semester after the GPA requirement is attained or the year after other program requirements are attained, and students may make a written appeal for earlier reinstatement.