King’s has received $1.4 million over five years, with $280,000 to be awarded to 56 students every year.
The University of King’s College is delighted to announce the new Debra Deane Little and Robert Little Academic Scholarships for Varsity Athletes. Up to 14 renewable scholarships are to be awarded annually to incoming students to the Foundation Year Program who will also play varsity sports.
“It’s wonderful for our students and for King’s that we are able to officially announce this significant new gift that supports our university’s students and our athletics program, which is a vital part of the holistic education we offer,” says King’s President William Lahey.
With an initial five-year gift of $1.4 million from the Deane-Little family’s Alpha Aquilae Foundation, $280,000 will be awarded annually to 56 students. The scholarships will be offered each year to 14 incoming full-time scholar-athletes enrolled in the Foundation Year Program. Each scholarship will be renewable for up to three years, provided the students maintain scholarship standing.
Valued at $5,000 each per year ($20,000 per recipient), as many as 56 students will hold a Debra Deane Little and Robert Little Academic Athletic Scholarship by 2022/23 and in subsequent years. And, for the next three years, the family has agreed to offer 14 additional scholarships to scholar-athletes in each of our upper years while the first three-years of scholarships are being offered to incoming students.
“These scholarships are a vote of confidence in our scholar-athletes, our academic mission and our athletics program.”—King’s President William Lahey
“Balancing the demands of academics with varsity athletics can be challenging for students. We’re so impressed by King’s scholar-athletes and how they organize their time and manage their considerable commitments. We are happy to be able to reward their efforts through our financial support,” says Debra Deane Little. “We hope it allows and encourages them to simultaneously stay focused on their studies while enjoying the health benefits, camaraderie and competition of varsity sport.”
King’s varsity athletics program comprises Blue Devils soccer, basketball, rugby, volleyball and badminton teams. King’s Foundation Year Program is an intensive, one-year course of study on what are considered fundamental texts from the ancient to contemporary world. Students read and analyze literary works of Dante, Homer, Augustine, Darwin, de Beauvoir and Arendt—among many others. Student athletes, some of whom play on multiple teams, thus find themselves juggling a rigorous schedule of reading and a paper due every two weeks, plus practices, games and tournaments throughout the school year.
“The Debra Deane Little and Robert Little Academic Athletic Scholarships recognize and reward those students who demonstrate achievement in scholastics and athletics,” says King’s President William Lahey.
“Students who complete our demanding Foundation Year Program while competing at the varsity level exemplify that kind of achievement. These scholarships are a vote of confidence in our scholar-athletes, our academic mission and our athletics program. King’s is grateful to the Deane-Little family for their remarkable generosity in honouring us with this gift.”
