Alumni association holding $6,000 tuition raffle

The alumni association is raffling off a free year of tuition.

“For the price of two Starbucks coffees, you could win $6,000 to cover your tuition,” said Melissa Dudley, manager of alumni communications and administration.

The raffle, to be held through Dec. 20, which will give a $6,000 scholarship to the winning student. Tickets cost $10 and anyone can buy one. Anyone can buy a ticket for a student or people can simply buy blank tickets to help support the scholarship fund.

“We want to sell about 2,000 tickets. That’s our minimum goal,” said A.J. Chalifour, chair of the communication committee of the alumni board and former student body president. At $10 a ticket, that’s $20,000.

Chalifour said they’ve reached out to USM’s corporate partners and some have already bought blocks of tickets.

A small portion of the ticket sales will go to fund alumni association activities and program, but the bulk of what’s left — after the $6,000 — will go to their scholarship fund. The alumni association gives up to six $1,500 scholarships every spring.

The winning student will be able to use it to cover tuition, which would be roughly $6,000 for 24 credits for in-state students, or any other student expenses.

The winner must be an enrolled, matriculated student and taking at least six credits for both the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters to receive the full award. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. The student will receive $3,000 for Fall 2011 and the other $3,000 in Spring 2012. Graduating seniors cannot win unless they’re planning on going to graduate school at USM for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Chalifour said he hopes to present the raffle to the Board of Student Organizations and give a cash prize to whatever group sells the most tickets.

Anna Ivanova, student senator, said she hopes student government will help sell and promote the raffle. “I think student government will help facilitate this a little,” she said.

“Around the holidays, we will be contacting everyone’s parents, saying this is a great holiday gift,” said Dudley.

We’ve never done it before,” said Dudley. “I’m hoping it will take off.” She said there’s been a lot of excitement from the people they’ve told so far.

“Every time we mention it to someone their eyes light up,” said Chalifour.

Dudley said they will be sending out an e-mail about the raffle to all students  in October.

The winner will be announced on Jan. 18.

Although they don’t have printed tickets for purchase yet, you can still buy one online here.