SGA announces new meal plan scholarship

Troy University’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced a new meal plan scholarship for students living off-campus.

The scholarship will be given to 10 students that live off-campus. They will receive the Carte Blanche Meal Plan (unlimited swipes/100 flex points)  are required to maintain a 2.5 or higher GPA and be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours on Troy’s main campus.

Applications also require each student to be highly descriptive as it is a need-based scholarship.

“I personally am ecstatic about the aid this scholarship will bring to the students who receive it,” said Camryn Easterling, chief of staff of the SGA presidential cabinet and junior marketing major from Deatsville, Alabama.

“Most college students are experiencing similar financial struggles because of school expenses, housing expenses, gas expenses, you name it,” Easterling said.

“To help solve this issue, this meal plan scholarship will help ease some of the financial burdens that these off-campus students in need have to face.”

“If I was accepted for the meal plan scholarship, it would help me with student loans,” said Naudia Kimbrell, a freshman majoring in psychology from Attala, Alabama.

Kimbrell said she applies for scholarships like this because she pays for her own education.

“About half of my school is paid for by scholarships, but the other half comes from student loans,” Kimbrell said. “If I got the scholarship, the money I put towards my meal plan could go towards paying off those student loans.

“Meal plans are a big part of the money students owe Troy. Specifically, students that have higher-cost meal plans. Students that are off campus already have to pay rent, tuition, then groceries, which most students really can’t afford. Offering a meal plan to these students will help so much.”

The meal plan scholarships are part of the contract that Sodexo has with Troy University.

“As SGA, we are responsible for choosing the recipients for the 10 scholarships,” said Betsy Bennet, president of the SGA and a junior human services major from Eufaula, Alabama.

“The scholarship is an opportunity for students living off campus who may also suffer from food insecurities to have a meal every day by being able to eat in the dining hall.”

Bennet said scholarship recipients will be notified by June 1 through their student email.