An official with the University of Wyoming  told the Legislature’s Joint Education Committee  that the Hathaway scholarship is having the desired result in making more high school students successful when they attend U-W.   Students can receive three types of scholarships and U-W’s Mike Massie says data shows those who get the highest scholarship perform the best.  But Massie says data also shows something interesting about students who qualify for the lowest scholarship.  While many struggle in the first year, Massie says they improve.

“The key is that once we get em beyond the first year or two, they really do quite well and for those who persist and graduate…they graduate with nearly a B average.  And that’s a success story.”

Massie says that shows that U-W and Community Colleges need to work hard to help those students get through their first year.  Massie also told the committee that more students are taking tougher classes within the success curriculum in an effort to qualify for the highest scholarship.

“So what we are seeing is the Hathaway scholarship program is producing more scholars at the top level then when we started.”

Senator Chris Rothfuss is looking at amending the Hathaway law to allow U-W summer school students to use the fund to pay for 3 credit hour classes.  Senator Bill Landen wants to explore the possibility of putting more funding into the scholarship to address cost of living increases after Massie confirmed that the buying power of the scholarship has decreased.