The Stamps Scholarship is a pretty big deal — so big that the UO only offers it to five high school seniors from Oregon each year. But thanks to the generosity of the Atlanta-based Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, the university will double down in fall 2018 and welcome 10 new Stamps Scholars to campus every fall.

The five additional scholarships will be available to out-of-state students, helping the UO succeed in the competitive market to attract top high school graduates. Currently, the UO is one of only 35 institutions nationwide that offers the exclusive scholarship.

The Stamps Foundation decided to step up its commitment to the university because of the success of its partnership with the UO so far, a shared mission, and the quality of services the university offers its students. This expanded partnership places the university among an elite group of seven institutions offering an enhanced level of student support.

“It’s an exciting spring for the University of Oregon,” said Roger Thompson, vice president for student services and enrollment management. “First, we’re celebrating the annual signing days for our new Stamps Scholars, who will start next fall. We’re also gearing up for commencement when we will honor the first UO Stamps Scholars to earn their diplomas. And now we have this historic news.”

The added scholarships are a testament to the UO’s efforts to support Stamps Scholars. Thompson said the university and foundation will continue collaborating to expand what is already the most successful merit-based scholarship program at the UO.

“Four years ago, we began a successful partnership with the Stamps Foundation,” Thompson said. “We’re as grateful now as we were then, and proud of the results we’ve achieved together.”

Currently open to Oregon high school graduates with top marks, the university’s most prestigious and generous scholarship for undergraduates also requires that applicants demonstrate leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service and innovation. At the UO, Stamps Scholars are automatically granted admission to the Robert D. Clark Honors College.

The Stamps Foundation also provides opportunities for Stamps Scholars from across the country to connect, such as a biennial national convention.

“We are proud to include the University of Oregon among our national partner institutions,” said Randy McDow, executive director of the foundation. “In just four years, the university has demonstrated its steadfast commitment to our mission through the services it offers Stamps Scholars, such as advising, guidance and connections with faculty members, researchers and deans.

“The University of Oregon shares our mission to help talented and driven students reach their goals, and to give these exceptional students opportunities to become meaningful leaders throughout society. I look forward to following the careers of students who will benefit from this partnership in the years to come.”

The first Stamps Scholars programs launched in 2006 at the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech. The program has since grown to serve 1,382 current and alumni Stamps Scholars. More than 240 new scholarship recipients will join the Stamps Scholar program in 2017.