Mission and History

E. Bronson Ingram, chairman of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust from 1991 until his death in 1995, conceived the Ingram Scholarship Program in 1993 as a way to encourage Vanderbilt students to combine a professional career with a commitment to community service. Ingram's own life exemplified volunteerism and an untiring commitment to mobilizing resources of the business community to assist nonprofit community groups. His endeavors are being continued by his family, including his wife, Martha Ingram, an emerita member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.

The Ingram Scholarship Program challenges students to create and implement substantial service projects in the community. The program supports students who demonstrate a willingness and ability to combine a successful business or professional career with a lifelong commitment to finding solutions to critical problems facing modern society. Ingram Scholars are expected to devote approximately twenty hours each month during the academic year and at least one of their undergraduate summers to relevant community outreach and service projects.

Scholarship Benefits

Ingram Scholars receive full-tuition support each year plus stipends for special summer service projects. Vanderbilt will provide additional need-based financial aid to those Ingram Scholarship recipients whose demonstrated financial need exceeds the amount of full tuition. Scholarships are renewable annually through the senior year contingent on the maintenance of a 3.0 minimum GPA and fulfillment of service-related requirements. Throughout their years as an Ingram Scholar, students are required to maintain a twenty-hour monthly service commitment and to complete at least one, but no more than two, summer service projects. Additional summer support is available for students who work closely with a faculty member on a research/service project. Ingram Scholars meet weekly in large and small groups to discuss individual and collective progress, and to reflect on the personal meaning and societal implications of service. The Ingram Scholarship Program is coordinated by a faculty director who oversees scholar activities associated with the Ingram program.

Application and Selection

To be considered for the Ingram Scholarship Program, applicants must submit these required forms from the Vanderbilt Application Packet for Merit-Based Scholarships: the Student Information Form and the Ingram Scholarship Program Application.

• Applicants may also apply for the Ingram Scholarship online. Ingram Scholarship Program applications for prospective freshmen must be postmarked or submitted electronically by December 1, 2011.
• Currently enrolled students must submit the electronic Ingram Scholarship Application by March 1, 2012.

Ingram Scholars are selected on the basis of commitment to community engagement, strength of personal character, and leadership potential. In evaluating candidates, the selection committee reviews academic records, scholarship application essays, service records, and two letters of recommendation. Ingram Scholar Finalists are also required to interview on campus with the selection committee.

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