By Jaci Schneider, Copy Editor

Presidential and National Merit scholars now have more flexibility in the time frame of their educations.

The scholarship recipients now will have nine semesters to complete their coursework and can take classes during the summer and have their scholarships apply toward their summer tuition.

The changes will apply to all scholarship recipients immediately, said Dr. Chris Willerton, director of the Honors Program and professor of English.

“It will be a little more expensive for the school,” Willerton said, “but it will serve the students, and the flexibility is worth it.”

Willerton said the Presidential/National Merit Finalist Scholarship Board approved the changes in collaboration with the Provost’s office and Phil Schubert, vice president for finance.

Willerton said the board realized many students would be better off taking summer courses or graduating in nine semesters, especially students in leadership roles on campus who need to take fewer hours some semesters, students with double majors and students who study aboard.

“It seemed to us there were hardships that we might be able to get around,” Willerton said.

The changes will also allow more students to study abroad during the summers, Willerton said. In the past, the scholarship recipients’ tuition was not covered during the summer, so taking summer courses was an expensive option.

Presidential scholars receive half and full tuition scholarships from the university. They must retain high grade point averages, make due process toward their degrees, remain in good standing with the university, participate in the Honor’s Program during their freshman year, live on campus and complete community service hours.

The program was begun on an eight-semester basis, Willerton said, because university income goes down in the summer and most degrees only take eight semesters to finish.

“We made this change based on our experiences,” Willerton said. Many students take nine semesters to finish their degrees or take summer courses because of illnesses, leadership positions and changing their majors.

“The purpose of the program is to bring gifted students here,” Willerton said. “And we want to treat them right.”

The board had already made exceptions in the policy for two groups – education majors and students in the Accelerated Professional Career Track in Psychology program.

Sarah Woodruff, senior interdisciplinary major from Nashville, Tenn., is a Presidential Scholar who could have benefitted from the changes if they had been made earlier in her college career. She is taking 19 hours this semester, so she can graduate in May.

“I would have loved to have the option of taking summer classes,” Woodruff said. “It’s too bad I missed out on that.”