The endowment will provide two $10,000 scholarships every year for students with disabilities, as well as match funds for the office to hire a graduate assistant to provide enhanced support to the students who use the office's resources.
"It's more than just financial aid," Chester Goad, director of disability services, said. "There are certain individuals who can benefit from a person who is proactively helping them. It could be academically; it could be socially."
The Carlene Hall Memorial Endowment scholarships will go to students with disabilities who demonstrate financial need and have a GPA of at least 3.0. Hall herself was physically disabled; as a result, special consideration will go to students with similar conditions. However, all disabilities, including learning and emotional, will be considered.
Both scholarship recipients have already been selected for the 2011-12 school year, but the services of the graduate assistant will be available to all. The endowment will fund the graduate assistant for at least the next five years and the scholarships will go on in perpetuity.
The Office of Disability Services works with more than 200 students across academic disciplines.