July 23, 2008 — Scholarships awarded to African-American students at the University of Virginia by the Walter Ridley Scholarship Fund (www.RidleyUVa.com) will increase from $7,500 to $10,000, the Ridley board announced July 22.

Tracy V. McMillan, Ridley Board chairman, noted that the increase will cover the full cost of in-state tuition and fees and just under half of the out-of-state tuition and fees.

"With this action, we have not only realized another milestone but we have also made tremendous strides towards one of our ultimate goals – providing full-ride in-state and out-of-state scholarships," McMillan said.

The scholarship fund, known as Ridley @ The University of Virginia, honors Walter N. Ridley, the first African American to receive a degree from the University of Virginia. Ridley graduated in 1953 with a doctorate in education and had a distinguished career in higher education administration.

Since the fund's inception in 1987, the endowment has grown to more than $3.6 million. The fund now provides 27 scholarships to African-American students at U.Va. based on academic performance, leadership and community service.