Riverside, Calif., February 4, 1999--La Sierra University President Lawrence T. Geraty recently unveiled a new program to attract greater numbers of academically successful high school and transfer students to La Sierra. In addition, the new program offers incentives to encourage students to remain at La Sierra through completion of their undergraduate degrees.

"We are acknowledging students for the solid results they have achieved prior to coming to La Sierra, and as importantly, we are encouraging the completion of their undergraduate degree programs with us," said Geraty.

Titled The La Sierra Commitment to Excellence Program, Geraty said participation starts with eligible members of the Class of 2003 (Fall 1999 entering freshmen and Fall 2000 transfer sophomores). The program will be open only to students who have a university GPA of 3.0 or better.

Specifically, The Commitment to Excellence Program is a "loan to scholarship" program which varies in value, depending upon academic performance, from $500 to $4,000 per academic year during the students' junior and senior years.

Fall 1999 freshmen who complete six full-time quarters of regular tuition, on-campus courses at La Sierra, and meet the prescribed GPA requirements, will receive from $1,000 to $3,000 in loans during their junior year of study. As seniors, they will receive $2,000 to $4,000 in loans.

Upon successfully graduating from La Sierra, the students' loans will become Commitment to Excellence Scholarships and as such they will not require repayment.

In addition, Alejo Pizarro, vice president for financial administration, noted that beginning in the Fall of 2000, transfer sophomore students who complete three full-time quarters of regular tuition, on-campus courses, and meet GPA requirements, will receive from $500 to $1,500 in loans in their junior year. As seniors, they will receive from $1,000 to $2,000 in loans. Upon successful graduation from La Sierra, the loans will become Commitment to Excellence Scholarships and not require repayment.

The new Commitment to Excellence Program is being funded by La Sierra endowment funds and was approved by the University's Board of Trustees on January 24. It is unprecedented in the University's 75 year history.

Students who receive the loans and who leave the university before completing their four-year baccalaureate degree programs will not have their loans amortized and will need to repay their loans to La Sierra in the same manner as is done with other loan programs at the University.

Tom Smith, Vice President for Enrollment Services, explained that the new Commitment to Excellence Program is designed to complement already existing academic merit scholarship programs offered to entering freshman and transfer students. "We hope that students, parents and counselors recognize the University's earnest attempts to recognize student academic achievement and the value of students spending their full-time of undergraduate study at La Sierra. We want La Sierra students to succeed and to take full advantage of the integrated study programs the University offers because we believe that our values-centered university studies program uniquely prepares students for successful twenty-first century careers."  

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