In the 1980s, the Flinn Foundation created the Flinn Scholarship after a meeting with Arizona’s three public universities about problems the state was facing.
“One of the things that they brought up at that time was that they were having a hard time keeping Arizona's most talented students here for their undergraduate experience, and so this scholarship was really born out of that challenge,” said Anne Lassen, vice president of scholarship and education initiatives for Flinn.
That scholarship became a collaboration between the foundation and Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. Today, it’s valued at more than $140,000 and is awarded to cohorts of 20 students each year.
“It is much more than a check, however,” Lassen said. “It is a really comprehensive program that covers tuition, housing, food for all four years. It's also a program that provides an opportunity, really, for the world to be your classroom … We take every cohort abroad on a group seminar — currently, we're traveling to Finland.”
She noted that students have access to an additional $8,000 after their abroad trip to complete an independent study abroad or other opportunities that may advance their college interests, such as attending a professional conference.
Additionally, Flinn Scholars receive support by way of a special advisor and mentorship from peers and alumni.
“Our scholarship is in its 42nd year, and we have over 600 alumni that are in every field you can imagine all across the country and really around the world,” Lassen said. “And it's a wonderful network that is eager to give back and provide support to current scholars.”
That breadth of support reflects the Flinn Foundation’s broader mission, which Lassen said “is to improve the quality of life in Arizona for future generations, and our scholarship helps us accomplish that goal by identifying potential future leaders who will benefit, you know, help to keep Arizona strong and vibrant in the future.”
But who should apply?
“We're looking for young individuals in high school that are already showing in their activities, their service, their involvement that they're making a difference in their community, identifying problems and solving them,” she said.
Students need to be academically strong, but ultimately, Flinn is looking for young adults already making a difference in their community.
And that’s not restricted to larger metropolitan areas. Lassen said Flinn is particularly looking for students from rural areas like Yuma and La Paz counties so that their cohorts are representative of every corner of the state.
“For a place like La Paz County, we don't see as many applicants as we'd love to see each year, and we know that there are really talented, bright students across Arizona,” she said. “And we want to make sure that word is spread that there are outstanding opportunities for talented students to stay right here in Arizona and have an exceptional academic experience at one of their three Arizona universities.”
Lassen also noted that opportunities exist even for students who don't make it into the cohort. Flinn has a semifinalist level that typically consists of about 75 students. Anyone selected at that level is offered a base tuition scholarship by all three universities.
Applications are open now through Tuesday, Oct. 13., at 5 p.m. It’s an earlier deadline than other scholarships, Lassen said, so she recommends students plan early.
“We want parents and students to be aware that it's important to plan early. It's an extensive application, so it will certainly take time to put together all of the materials that are needed to apply for the scholarship,” she said. “So we just encourage people to go to our website, do their research early, start planning because the application will take some time.
"But again, it's valued at more than $140,000. It is truly a life changing opportunity and so worth the time and energy that students will put into it.”
To learn more or apply, visit https://www.flinn.org/flinn-scholars/.
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This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
