The gift is designed to support the Keesee Scholars Program at Bluefield College, a needs-based scholarship program that provides awards in amounts up to $5,000 per student per year at BC.
“We appreciate the Keesee Fund and the annual support rendered to our students to help defray their college expenses,” said Bluefield College President David Olive. “Charles Keesee was passionate about helping educate and train future generations of Baptist preachers, missionaries and lay leaders. His legacy is benefiting numerous students at Bluefield College, and we are grateful for his vision and his passion that lives on today.”
To be eligible to receive Keesee Scholarships, students must be citizens of the United States, residents of Virginia, North Carolina or South Carolina, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
First preference for recipients of awards is given to Baptist students who are planning to enter full-time Baptist religious work. Second preference is given to other Baptist students. The remaining scholarships are awarded to eligible students who are not Baptist.
The Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund was established in 1941 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Keesee of Martinsville for “the purpose of aiding worthy men and women to obtain an education.” The Fund distributes more than $3 million annually to select colleges, divinity schools, and seminaries. Bluefield College has received more than $1 million from the Keesee Fund since the organization added the school to its Scholars Program in 2007.
“More than 90 percent of our students depend on financial aid to attend Bluefield College,” said Ruth Blankenship, BC’s vice president for advancement. “Through generous gifts like this from the Keesee Fund we are able to meet that need and to make our quality, Christ-centered higher education more accessible to the students of this region.”
For more information, contact the Bluefield College Financial Aid Office by phone at 276-326-4215 or by e-mail at [email protected]