The Elder Advocates Scholarship

Criteria: ($500 Award) The Elder Advocates Scholarship will be awarded to worthy juniors or seniors who demonstrate outstanding performance within their chosen discipline and who have demonstrated an interest in intergenerational approaches to meeting the challenges of our aging society.

The Elder Advocates Program, which began in 1985, grew out of elder students’ participation on campus and their desire to come together, share experiences, and find a way to contribute to the life of the campus. Worcester State University not only observed the Commonwealth law that elders receive tuition-free education, but by a vote of the Board of Trustees, eliminated fees for elders as well.

Elders enjoyed their intergenerational learning experience and came to appreciate the struggles of the younger students. In looking for ways to give back to the University, the Elder Advocates decided to create a scholarship fund.

Initially, the scholarship was instituted in memory of Anne C. Collins, an elder who returned to college in her seventies and was just a few months away from graduation when she passed away. Over the years, elder students have developed a number of fundraising strategies to continue this scholarship.