THIBODAUX – First-generation college students who graduated from South Lafourche High School have a new resource to supplement their education at Nicholls State University.
Henry Lafont Jr. and Kim Corales Lafont recently contributed $60,000 to create the First-Generation Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship. With a matching contribution of $40,000 from the Louisiana Board of Regents, the endowment totals $100,000.
“Henry’s and Kim’s gift is very special for many reasons,” Dr. David Boudreaux, vice president for institutional advancement, said. “Henry is a Nicholls graduate and a current member of the Nicholls faculty. To the best of my knowledge, this is the largest single gift given by an active faculty member at Nicholls. Kim, a Nicholls alum by choice, graduated from another university but chose to make Nicholls the beneficiary of her generosity. The scholarships will be available to first generation college students, whose lives will be fuller as a result of their educational experiences.”
Scholarship recipients, who will be selected on a competitive basis, are eligible to receive the award for a maximum of eight semesters. They must maintain a 2.66 GPA to renew the award – a minimum of $1,000 per academic year. They must also be Louisiana residents as well as Pell Grant awardees, and they must have already been admitted as full-time Nicholls students.
The number of scholarships that may be awarded annually will not exceed four.
“It was a real pleasure to work with Henry and Kim to make this scholarship a reality for future graduates of South Lafourche High School,” Boudreaux said.
