Criteria
The distributions from this fund shall be used to award one or more scholarships annually, renewable for up to four years, according to WSU’s Policy for Administering Financial Aid restricted by Race, Gender, Color, Ethnicity or National Origin, to WSU students who meet the following criteria:
- First preference is to be given to students from Tri-Cities, Tacoma or Ellensburg, WA. If no suitable candidates can be found, students from the Mid-Columbia region (Yakima to Walla Walla corridor) may be considered, after which students from the state, the Northwest, and the nation will be considered, in that order, and;
- Minority students with first preference given to students of Hispanic origin who have declared their intent to major in journalism, or are admitted to the journalism program at WSU’s College of Communication, and;
- Demonstrated financial need
The amount of the scholarship will be determined by the students’ financial need. If in the selection process, no suitable candidates are found, no scholarship may be awarded.
Information about the top finalists for this scholarship will be shared with the news editors of the Tri-City Herald and News Tribune of Tacoma for their reference in judging appropriate administration of this opportunity through the processes in place at WSU.
History
The Tri-City Herald and The News Tribune of Tacoma, two McClatchy newspapers, share a commitment to increasing the diversity of their newsroom staff. Through the establishment of the fund, a pool of potential journalists will be created. This endowed scholarship will encourage minority students to pursue journalism degrees at WSU. Ultimately the two areas of the State of Washington served by these newspapers will benefit from improved news coverage by reporters who represent a minority view within our multicultural society.