Honors Endowments

In 2009 an endowment for the University Honors Program was created to further support student research and scholarships, and additional Honors programming, thus supporting the fundamental goals of the Honors Program.

This endowment was originally created through individual donations yet has been expanded significantly each year through the UHP’s primary annual fundraiser known as “An Opportuni-Tea.” Funds raised through “An Opportuni-Tea” provide additional “opportunities” for ISU's bright and high-achieving Honors students.

In 2019 the Heithoff family generously endowed an annual scholarship to support Honors students. The first Heithoff Scholarship was awarded during the 2020 "An Opportuni-Tea."

The Heithoff Scholarship is designed to help an energetic, thoughtful, caring, and hard-working Honors student who is striving to earn their college degree.  It is to assist somebody who understands what it means to work, somebody who knows how important a college degree is, and a person who (somehow) still finds a little time to give back to their community or their college through volunteering or mentoring.

Recipients must 1) be a continuing, full-time ISU student, 2) have a part-time job, 3) not already receive >75% of tuition/room/board through scholarships, 4) be an active member of UHP, and 5) have a GPA between 2.90 and 3.90.

In 2015 former UHP Director, Dr. Sherri Dienstfrey-Swanson, created the SDS Scholarship for Honors students who are involved in the Honors Program beyond fulfilling regular Honors attendance and program requirements. Recipients of the SDS scholarships are often hard working students who act as UHP Peer Mentors, UHP student workers (Envoy and Interns), or UHP Club Officers.

The Bolinger Family Scholarship Endowment has been initiated in 2022 by Dr. Ron and Patty Bolinger, proud alumni of Idaho State University, to facilitate educational opportunities for the next generation of ISU students. The scholarship is being donated in partnership with their son, current ISU Professor of Management and acting director of the University Honors Program, Dr. Alex Bolinger, and his wife, Brooke.

The Bolinger Family Scholarship Endowment will provide scholarships to current or prospective ISU students who are majoring in a program in the College of Business and who have also been accepted to ISU's University Honors Program. The endowment is halfway to its goal of $25,000, which is the amount needed to begin offering scholarships. Your donation to this endowment will help us to more quickly reach our goal of providing financial support for our remarkable ISU Honors students.