Dr. Thorpe was a Trustee and Executive Director of the Murdock Charitable Trust and had deep ties to Alaska through his work to improve the quality of life for Alaskans. Dr. Thorpe enjoyed flying, and for many years owned and flew his own small private plane. A humble and quiet man, Dr. Thorpe’s hearty and infectious laugh could nonetheless often be heard and enjoyed from far away. Understated but wise, he always thought carefully and thoroughly before speaking.
His dry sense of humor and keen wit displayed the apparent spontaneity that only careful thought can produce. Dr. Thorpe did many things well, and was very much appreciated and loved by all those who worked with him. He would wish to be especially remembered as a person of strong faith, deep personal integrity, and deep love for his family.
It is the honor of the Alaska Community Foundation to partner with Murdock Charitable Trust and the Thorpe Family to offer this scholarship award to Alaska’s student.
The Neal O. Thorpe Memorial Scholarship awards successful applicants $7,500 for up to five years (totaling up to $37,500), with the consideration of a fifth year, in extenuating circumstances. The scholarship will be paid directly to the applicant’s school to cover education expenses.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicant must be an Alaska resident
- Applicant must be a graduate/soon-to-be graduate of a high school or equivalent program located in Alaska
Preference:
- Applicant is Alaska Native
- Applicant is the first in their immediate family to pursue a post-secondary degree
Applicant must be accepted and plan to enroll at one of the 14 eligible universities:
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- Alaska Christian College – Soldotna, AK
- Alaska Pacific University – Anchorage, AK
- Concordia University – Portland, OR
- Corban College – Salem, OR
- George Fox University – Newberg, OR
- Montana Bible College -Bozeman, MT
- Multnomah University – Portland, OR
- Northwest Nazarene – Nampa, ID
- Northwest University – Kirkland, WA
- Pacific Lutheran University – Tacoma, WA
- Seattle Pacific University – Seattle, WA
- University of Portland – Portland, OR
- Warner Pacific College – Portland, OR
- Whitworth University – Spokane, WA
Applicant will be Asked to Provide:
- Personal Essay
- High School Transcripts
- Explanation of Expenses
- Education and Background information
- Letters of Recommendation- Two Required
In subsequent years after the initial scholarship award, students must submit the following in order to renew their scholarship. Awardees are eligible to renew the scholarship up to four times. Each year, recipients must submit the following in order to renew their scholarship through ACF’s online system:
- Documentation of enrollment in a qualified institution
- A copy of your university transcript.
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for renewal
IMPORTANT: Scholarship recipients must submit student ID number and program information by June 30, 2024 to ACF through the online system before the award can be disbursed. Failure to do so will be an automatic forfeiture of the award unless student chooses an award deferment.
Contact The Alaska Community Foundation with questions: scholarships@alaskacf.org or 907-334-6700