Applications open for Dye Foundation scholarship program | Local News

Each scholarship has a value of $1,500 per semester ($12,000 total) awarded for up to eight consecutive semesters in the fall and spring.

Applicants must be citizens of the United States; a resident of Lake, Newton, Porter, or Jasper counties; A current senior at a participating high school in those four districts; Have a GPA of at least 3.25; and be accepted to Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana Northwestern University, Purdue Northwestern University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), or Ball State University.

Each application is evaluated on the basis of academic, non-curricular, potential and personal attributes, said Karen Calvin Olah, Administrator of the Scholarship and Director of the Scholarship.

“We want the whole package,” Calvin Olah said.

Although test scores are optional, additional consideration will be given to applicants who achieve a minimum composite of 1200 SAT/25 ACT or greater, she said.

Scholarships are automatically renewed after each semester, provided the recipient maintains scholarship eligibility.

Targeting Northwest Indiana, the Jim and Betty Dye Scholarship Program was established by James W.

Since 1994, the Jim and Betty Dye Scholarship Program has awarded more than 1,700 scholarships and is one of the largest privately funded scholarships available in Indiana.

Calvin Olah said officials received about 680 applicants last year.

The scholarship program quickly expanded, initially offering scholarships to four Griffith High School students.

Calvin Olah said that in recent years, about 200-225 scholarships have been offered to students throughout Northwest Indiana.

Jim Day, who died in 2019, was a lifelong resident, businessman, and philanthropist in Northwest Indiana.

After graduating from Hammond High School in 1949 and Indiana University in 1953, Jim served as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers in Japan and Korea, then returned to build several successful businesses in real estate, lumber, construction, agriculture, and investment management in Lake, Newton, Porter, and Jasper counties.

He and his wife, 50-year-old Betty Day, have raised five children.

Betty Day, born in Kenora, Canada, passed away in 2007.

The deadline to apply for the Jim and Betty Dye Scholarship is March 1.

Information regarding the scholarship program can be found at dyescholarships.org.