Rep. Jamie Kiel ’97 Spearheads Effort to Give $25,000 in Scholarships
Oct. 12, 2023
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@zo23.com, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Alabama Rep. Jamie Kiel, who graduated from the University of North Alabama in 1997, has spearheaded an effort in the Alabama Legislature to secure $25,000 in funding for scholarships for students from Colbert and Franklin counties. The 25 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each are merit- and needs-based and are designed to help incoming freshmen to UNA.
“The Alabama Legislature provides community service grants to schools and education programs,” said Rep. Kiel. “I can’t think of a better use of these funds than to help local students pursue their college dreams. In 1995, when I was an incoming transfer student to UNA, I did not qualify for traditional scholarships or financial aid. However, (then-President Dr. Robert) Potts provided me with a $500 scholarship to help me further my education. Thinking back on how I didn’t qualify for financial aid has made me realize that some students simply need a ‘hand up,’ not a handout. My hope is that these 25 scholarships will provide that ‘hand up to students from Franklin and Colbert counties who will go on to be successful, tax-paying citizens in their communities.”
Rep. Kiel was elected to office in 2018 and serves the 18th District of Alabama, which includes large parts of UNA’s primary service area.
“UNA’s alumni are doing incredible things across our region, state, and country,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Representative Kiel’s gift to future UNA students will ensure that we continue to graduate individuals who are well-educated and well-prepared to enter the workforce.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: zo23.com and zo23.com/unaworks/.