Franklin & Marshall College has opened applications for prospective students based in Lancaster County to apply for the Arthur F. and Selma C. Walters Scholarship. The need-based scholarship, funded through the generosity of the late Arthur Walters, covers all or part of F&M’s tuition and is awarded to incoming students who graduate from Lancaster County high schools. 

“Through this generous gift to F&M, Arthur Walters has opened more doors of opportunity to Lancaster-based students,” F&M President Andrew Rich said. “Over the past two decades, the scholarship has benefited more than 100 Lancaster-based students, and we look forward to extending its reach in the years ahead.” 

Seven current F&M students are Walters Scholarship recipients, including Tommie Shi, a senior from Lititz, Pa.

“When I was planning for college, cost was a big factor for me,” said Shi, a computer science and math major. “Without this scholarship, I would never have been able to consider F&M, let alone have the liberal arts education I have today.”

Delaney DeHart, a Huntingdon resident majoring in both English and Spanish, said the scholarship altered her trajectory.

“As a junior at F&M, the Walters Scholarship means more to me than I could ever put into words,” she said. “My financial aid is truly life-changing as a first-generation college student from rural Pennsylvania.” 

In rural North Carolina, the late Arthur Walters started in business as a child raising sheep and selling their wool. Educated in a one-room schoolhouse, he became a voracious reader known for his love of learning, spirited debate, and respect for diverse opinions and beliefs. A firm believer that all people were equal, Walters carried those values into his work as a Lancaster entrepreneur, building multiple successful ventures over a long and distinguished career. In 1945, he founded Manheim Auto Auction, which grew to become one of the world’s largest car auction wholesalers.

The Walters Scholarship is just one of many examples of F&M’s focus on  affordability and the broader Lancaster community. Last week, the College announced a bold commitment to make college affordable for in-state residents admitted to F&M as first-year students.

Franklin & Marshall College encourages eligible students who are considering F&M to apply for the Walters Scholarship. All applicants from Lancaster County High Schools are eligible to be considered. Particular preference will be given to the children and grandchildren of present, past, and retired employees of the Manheim Auto Auctions, as well as students with affiliations with the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Lancaster.

Students interested in the Walters Scholarship may submit their applications to F&M and follow up with our Office of Financial Aid to confirm their eligibility.

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The Commonwealth Commitment makes an F&M education accessible to talented, high-achieving students from our home state of Pennsylvania, regardless of their socioeconomic background.

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