The Betty Goah Program is a scholarship program which, according to the official scholarship page, “recognizes full-time undergraduate students who enhance the educational experience of all students by sharing their diverse cultural experiences through participation in the Goah Diversity Scholars Program.”

 

This program provides a tuition remission scholarship for 15 incoming freshmen every year. Two stipulations are that athletes are not eligible for the scholarship and scholars are only permitted to work for Pioneer Food Service on campus.

 

Many Goah scholars have been confused as to why this particular scholarship is restricted in these ways while other Milligan-issued scholarships are not.

 

Dr. Jeff Smith, director of diversity services, said these restrictions were set in place before he came into leadership over the Goah Program.

 

In answer to why Goah scholars cannot be on sports teams, Smith said that it has to do with the amount of time spent on meetings, events and service projects that the program involves.

 

“The idea behind it is that being a Goah scholar should have much of the same time commitment as being an athlete,” he said.

 

In the same way, Smith said that the job restrictions are based on the nature of the scholarship.

 

“The fact that Goah scholars are not eligible for work study jobs is connected to the fact that the scholarship is tuition remission,” he said. “I think this is to ensure that students who have not benefited from a significant scholarship have access to the limited work study jobs.”