The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges                      
250 E. Broad St., Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3722

For more information, please contact Cheryl Kight,
614-649-1950 ext. 111 or kight@ofic.org

For immediate release

THE GAR FOUNDATION MAKES $50,000 GIFT TO THE OHIO FOUNDATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

January 19, 2011 - The GAR Foundation, located in Akron, has made a gift of $50,000 to the 2010-2011 campaign of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC).    This gift provides $30,000 in scholarship support as well as $20,000 in unrestricted funding that will benefit all 34 OFIC member colleges and universities.

The company’s scholarship funding is directed toward students from Summit County attending the one of 12 OFIC member colleges located in northeast Ohio: Baldwin-Wallace College, John Carroll University, Ursuline College, Lake Erie College, Notre Dame College, Hiram College, the University of Mount Union, Walsh University, Malone University, Oberlin College, Ashland University, and The College of Wooster.  Scholars must be nominated by their institution’s Financial Aid Director and must be active in community service in the northeast Ohio area.  The GAR Foundation is currently supporting 12 students in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree.

Unrestricted funds are used in areas identified by the individual institutions as those of greatest need, such as financial aid, technology upgrades, library and laboratory needs, or for support of educational programs. 
 
With a cumulative giving total of nearly $4 million, the GAR Foundation has supported the mission of OFIC to provide access to independent higher education to Ohio’s students for 29 years.  

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 Ohio independent colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll nearly 100,000 students.  For 61 years the Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, University of Mount Union, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein University, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster. 

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