IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Gielow VP, Enrollment Services 603-836-2575 NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF ART TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIP AID TO NH SCHOLARS NHIA Offering $8,000 per year to NH Graduates Who Receive NH Scholar Art Diplomas Manchester, NH – In response to the recent news that NH Scholars program will now offer STEM and ARTS pathways, New Hampshire Institute of Art has offered an added incentive for local high school students to reach higher. NHIA is now offering scholarship aid for New Hampshire students who choose a NH Scholars ARTS pathway. NH Scholars prescribes a set of rigorous core courses for all high school students to aspire to. Students who pursue more challenging pathways of ARTS Emphasis will receive $8,000 annual scholarships to attend the Manchester-based college. “We believe in rewarding students who have challenged themselves in high school,” says Kent Devereaux, President of New Hampshire Institute of Art. “These are the types of students we want on our college campus.” As of this fall, NH Scholars is offering the new pathways. These new options require a minimum grade point average (GPA) as well as classes focused on each specific path. These rigorous programs created by NH Scholars will be an incentive program for any student in New Hampshire to realize their dreams of a college education and rewarding career. “Based on changes and challenges of our economy, we are adding to our content and intensity,” explains Scott Power, director of NH Scholars. “We applaud the New Hampshire Institute of Art for investing in our graduates, and for showing there is a direct benefit for the investment of hard work and dedication in high school.” “This is an incredible development, and an exciting new incentive for students to recognize the opportunities they have in front of them,” explains Tom Raffio, chair of the New Hampshire Board of Education. “The NH Scholars new pathways will offer a compass to students, and now New Hampshire Institute of Art is offering a way to make this process more affordable for families.” “College administrators have made it clear that our schools must encourage students to reach higher and take advantage of the challenging classes that are available at the high school level,” says Dr. Virginia Barry, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education. “By offering NH Scholars pathways as a new incentive, I believe this will boost overall college acceptance numbers and result in a better trained workforce.” The NH Scholars STEM emphasis will require four years of English, math and science, with an additional year of a STEM-related course. To receive this recognition, students must carry a 3.2 GPA while also taking social science and foreign language classes. The NH Scholars ARTS emphasis will require the same basic standards as the traditional NH Scholars pathway, but students interested in this option must also take two years from a visual, fine arts, performing arts or graphic design program, and graduate with a minimum 3.2 GPA. The current NH Scholars program will remain. It will continue to require students to take four years of English and math, with three years of lab-science, 3.5 years of social science and two years of a foreign language to qualify for a NH Scholars medallion. There is no GPA minimum requirement for the traditional NH Scholars pathway. NH Scholars is operated as part of the New Hampshire College and University Council, a coalition of 17-members colleges devoted to student development and quality higher education. About New Hampshire Institute of Art Since 1898 the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) has remained committed to its original mission of engaging students, artists, scholars, and the community in the arts through quality education, outreach, and access to creative resources, with a focus on the present and a vision on the future. NHIA is a non-profit, independent college that offers four-year Bachelor of Fine Art degree programs in Art Education, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, and Photography. NHIA also offers two-year Master of Arts in Art Education, and Master of Fine Art programs in Creative Writing, Photography, Visual Art, and Writing for the Stage and Screen in addition to serving over 1,500 students annually through its community education programs. NHIA’s academic and administrative programs and residence halls are housed in 11 buildings spread throughout downtown Manchester with additional studio and exhibition facilities located in Sharon and Peterborough, New Hampshire. NHIA is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). NHIA is also a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). For more information visit www.nhia.edu. ###