President Mark Lombardi, PhD, has contributed $500,000 to the Martin T. Lombardi Endowed Scholarship, increasing the scholarship fund he created in 2014 to $1 million. Recipients of the scholarship receive a 50 percent tuition discount annually to Maryville. This commitment comes as an increasing number of college students face tougher economic circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“While this pandemic impacts all of our lives in a variety of ways, one of the worst elements is that it places even greater economic challenges on a large number of young people seeking Maryville’s high-quality education,” Dr. Lombardi said. “One way I can help make a difference for students in underrepresented groups is to increase my personal commitment to the scholarship fund. It will help students now and well into the future.”

The scholarship has provided support to more than a dozen students since 2014, and the doubling of Lombardi’s original gift will allow twice as many students to receive this support.

The Martin T. Lombardi Endowed Scholarship was established in 2014 by Dr. Lombardi to honor his late father.