TYLER, Texas — As the country continues to follow stay-at-home orders, many scheduled events continue to be postponed. UT Tyler’s Southside Bank Patriot Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest is among the postponed events.
It’s an annual event sponsored by Southside Bank, that raises funds for scholarships for UT Tyler students. Although the annual event was postponed, Southside Bank decided they wanted to help students. The bank donated $25,000 in scholarships for students who’ve been impacted financially by the coronavirus pandemic.
Michael Tidwell, President of UT Tyler, says this donation will support the University emergency fund for students.
“It's a fund that individuals in our local community can give to those support students who are in need, Tidwell said. "Whether that student lost their job or maybe they've had a death in the family. For whatever reason can't make rent for the month, we're able to provide some resources to students who are in dire need.”
The Southside Bank Hole-in-One Scholarship will award 25 scholarships of $1,000 for students enrolled for the 2020-2021 academic year. Students who receive the scholarship can use it to support themselves in different ways such as tuition and fees, housing, food, almost anything that a college student would need to provide for their education and themselves.
Any UT Tyler student is eligible to apply. “It is open to any and every UT Tyler student whether that student is here in Tyler, on our Longview campus, our Palestine campus, or even on our campus down in Houston,” Tidwell said.
Lee Gibson, CEO of Southside Bank, says it’s important for the community to support college students when they’re in need because they are the future of our society.
“It's very rewarding to be able to help people in need and education is one of those things that is critical to any community,” Gibson said. “We think it's very important that kids have an opportunity to receive an education, especially if they can't afford to."
The deadline to apply is April 22. Students who are interested in applying will need to write an essay on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their lives. If you would like to apply, visit UT Tyler.
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