Gov. Mitch Daniels saluted Ball State University President Jo Ann M. Gora Jan. 26 for her decision to create a student scholarship fund in lieu of a formal inauguration ceremony.

"We welcome President Gora into the higher education family in Indiana," said Daniels. "We applaud her imagination and the efforts of Ball State to use inauguration funds in a way that will directly assist students."

With the Inauguration Scholarship Fund, Ball State established an initial goal of awarding $20,000 scholarships to 15 freshmen who will enroll this fall. The university created the fund with $150,000 it saved in direct and indirect costs by not holding inaugural events.

"We are sensitive to the fact that the cost of college is increasing, and we're also trying to think of innovative ways to make a difference in the lives of our students," said Gora. "Celebrating and supporting our students makes more sense than having a formal inauguration." 

Ball State has received commitments from 11 benefactors who are giving $10,000 each to the fund. With just four more of these "Medallion" gifts, the university will reach its initial goal, Gora said.

"We deeply appreciate the gracious generosity of these 'Medallion Benefactors,'" she said. "Many of the university's friends and supporters are applauding this initiative, and we hope to go beyond the initial goal to provide several additional scholarships to outstanding young Hoosiers."

Ball State alumni Arthur Wilmes and Robert Damler are consulting actuaries with Milliman Inc. of Indianapolis and both have served the university as members of the Actuarial Science Advisory Board in the Department of Mathematics. Wilmes and Damler, 1979 and 1987 graduates, respectively, are sponsoring one of the Medallion gifts.

"One of the most basic economic development investments we can make in Indiana is the education of our citizens," Wilmes said. "Milliman Inc. is pleased to join Ball State University in supporting these exceptionally talented students who display the qualities necessary to be the state's future leaders."

The recipients will be announced in April during a small ceremony in which Daniels will officially install Gora as Ball State's 14th president.

Scholarship awardees, who must be Indiana residents, will be selected from the pool of candidates for the Whitinger Scholars program, Ball State's most distinguished academic scholarship. The students invited to apply for the scholarship write an essay and are interviewed by the selection committee.

Students receiving an Inauguration Scholarship will also receive a Ball State Presidential Scholarship, which are offered to all students admitted to Ball State's Honors College and cover half of tuition.

"The combination of the two scholarships will cover nearly two-thirds of these students' educational costs, and they will have the flexibility to use the Inauguration Scholarships in a variety of ways, such as paying for room and board, books or a semester abroad," Gora said.

During President Gora's first address to the university's faculty and staff in August, she listed her top priority as putting students first. This scholarship affirms that providing outstanding educational opportunities to students will be a prominent theme during her presidency, Gora said.