"If you recall, the early nineties were years of expressions of contempt for "welfare mothers." I felt like a pariah, and that sensation was enormously corrosive. Your scholarship was an important gesture of validation when I felt very vulnerable. What I never forgot was the meaningful and lasting gift I was given, in the form of dollars wrapped in respect and admiration. The sense of acceptance I felt remains with me even now... I went on to graduate with a B.S. in Family Studies, and applied my skills to a year of service as an AmeriCorps member. I graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and became a member of the American Bar in 1999. My children have witnessed all of this progress, and I am pleased to say that we now live a middle class life; I am delighted to pay taxes! The kids don't remember food stamps and medical assistance, but have vivid recollections of constant studying, work, and volunteer services."

- E. W., University of Maryland

The Foundation Mrs. Newcombe created continues and extends her interest in scholarships but does not make grants directly to individual students. Colleges and universities receive grants from the Foundation for scholarship aid to designated groups of students. Each academic institution is responsible for selection of recipients and scholarship administration according to the Foundation's guidelines. Campus committees of counselors, faculty members and financial aid officers review applications, award scholarships and report to the Foundation. The Foundation's staff arranges conferences regularly with program coordinators.

Adult students now comprise a large portion of the enrollment at most colleges and universities, with a majority of these non-traditional students being mature women. The Newcombe Foundation created scholarships for returning or second-career women in 1981. Although at that time adults were appearing as students on many campuses, they were seldom able to qualify for financial aid. While aid formulas have changed so that independent and part-time students have increased access to federal, state and institutional aid, educational costs have increased exponentially. The major portion of financial aid now comes in the form of student loans, an especially discouraging factor to mature women students, who typically have family responsibilities. Newcombe Scholarships enable recipients to offset reliance on loans, which can be critical as they manage the costs of tuition, housing, and caring for family members.

The Foundation's 2008 grants to this program of Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Women Students totaled $754,000 for scholarships in the 2008-09 academic year, with an additional $236,000 offered as matching challenges to build Newcombe Funds at the same institutions. Each challenge grant will be awarded to the recipient institution after verification of deposit to the Newcombe Endowed Fund has been received. In 2008 grants were awarded to:

During 2007-08, the typical recipient of this Newcombe Scholarship for Mature Women was 36 years old, a good student with a 3.5 GPA, more likely to be single (67%) than married (33%), and likely to have children or other dependents (59%). In addition to their studies, the majority of recipients worked full-time or part-time and also volunteered in their communities.

From its inception through the end of the 2007-08 academic year, the Foundation provided a total of $13.1 million in grants for Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Women Students. Over 15,000 scholarship awards have been recorded at 52 colleges and universities, making it the largest of the Newcombe Scholarship programs in terms of money, lives affected and number of funded institutions.

The 27 Newcombe Endowed Scholarship Funds that benefit mature women students reached a market value of almost $4.1 million by spring 2008. Cumulatively, these Funds have produced over $745,000 in income for Newcombe Scholarships.

Colleges and Universities:
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