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����ý will offer four new scholarships in 2017 that will benefit students and their communities, making in-demand programs and areas of study more affordable to a wider range of learners.

The will become available this summer to prospective new and existing students within ����ý’s who are seeking teacher licensure or who are earning a master of arts in teaching, master of education, or those pursuing a post baccalaureate teaching license. Through the program, teachers and teaching assistants who are already in the classroom will be eligible for a special discounted rate of 14 percent off per credit hour.

Mary Baldwin has built a strong reputation throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia for preparing superior classroom teachers. In fact, a higher percentage of ����ý graduates earn teacher licensure at the Staunton university than from any other college or university in the state. As a top-rated online school, Mary Baldwin provides convenience and individual attention to students pursuing teacher licensure and master’s degrees through ����ý’s Baldwin Online program.

“Teachers give so much of themselves to their students and our communities,” said Rachel Potter, dean of the College of Education. “We want to provide educators the opportunities to advance their careers. This discount is our small way of saying ‘thank you.’”

The , named for two valleys in Virginia — Shenandoah and Rockfish — will be available to new students living in Augusta, Rockingham, and Nelson counties who are entering ����ý’s new coed and its historic beginning in the fall. Qualifying new students from these counties will receive a $1,500 scholarship, eligible for renewal for up to four years with minimum GPA requirements.

Mary Baldwin President Pamela Fox noted that with ����ý’s expansion into professional studies programs in healthcare and business and entrepreneurship, the university provides a high-quality and affordable education to local learners.

“Mary Baldwin has always been committed to the community around us and we want to expand the opportunity for those students,” Fox said.

Expanding the benefits of an ����ý education to students from a wider region, the will be available this fall to students throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to eligible, new students entering the College for Women or University College and will be renewal for up to four years with minimum GPA requirements.

Fox said Mary Baldwin has taken notice of the circumstances that make Appalachia a region worth targeting for recruitment.

“It’s an entrepreneurial hub,” Fox said. “People living in this region have the will, the talent, and the heart. We want to provide the tools. We want to be part of the solution to a struggling regional economy, helping educate those who want to build the future.”

����ý officials believe programs in entrepreneurship, business, healthcare, and social work are key areas that will appeal to students from Appalachia.

Both the Shen-Rock Regional and Appalachian Opportunity Scholarships are available to men and women, commuters, and residential students.

A fourth opportunity, dubbed , offers a one-time $500 scholarship to new students who enter Mary Baldwin with a recommendation from an ����ý alumna or alumnus.

“We hear from alumni all the time about bright and talented young people who would be a great fit at Mary Baldwin,” Fox said. “We value their opinion and want to help those endorsed students have the financial opportunity to make ����ý their choice.”

More information about each opportunity can be found .

����ý, founded in 1842, is a small, coeducational university offering a range of degree programs from bachelor’s to doctoral. It serves a diverse student population on its main campus in Staunton, Virginia, at its nearby health sciences campus in Augusta County, online, and through regional advising centers throughout Virginia. All programs are coeducational except the Mary Baldwin College for Women. Throughout 2016–17, ����ý is celebrating its 175th anniversary.