By: Jasmine Saunders, Editor-in-Chief

Cover Photo: Carlos Holmes

The Kailyn Lowry Scholarship for mass communications students will be available for students to apply for now. The deadline for the scholarship is the same day the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is due, which is March 15.

The scholarship is $5,000 and will be distributed to students who demonstrate the most financial need. It is a one-year scholarship that will be dispersed between the two semesters.

Students are eligible to apply if they are rising sophomore, junior and senior mass communications majors. Applicants must have a 3.0 or higher GPA, be in good academic standing with the university as well as fill out the FAFSA.

To keep the scholarship, recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA and maintain a good academic standing.

Kailyn Lowry, a “Teen Mom 2” star and published author, is a senior mass communications student who donated $10,000 to the university during Homecoming in October. Half of the money will go toward the aforementioned scholarship fund and the remaining $5,000 will support the Mass Communications department.

“This school has been really great to me and I wanted to give back to them,” Lowry said.

Dr. Francine Edwards, the co-chair of the department and the interim dean for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, is thankful for the donation and commends the donation from Lowry saying that it is a “testament to what she thinks about the department.”

Some students in the department think this is a great opportunity.

“I think her scholarship contribution is great,” said sophomore Tyleia Sharps.

“I believe that it’s awesome that [Lowry] has donated money to the university,” said junior Jabari Jefferson.

“I think that it’s great that she is giving back to her fellow students and institution,” said junior Brittany Alston. “It says so much to be humble to those you don’t know…to give [them] a chance to succeed.”

The scholarship is available on the DSU website.