FAYETTEVILLE -- A $100,000 gift from a Fort Smith couple will establish a scholarship at the University of Arkansas School of Law for American Indian students who are citizens of federally recognized tribes.
The John D. and Jayne Alford Endowed Scholarship for Tribal Citizens will be offered to eligible UA law students who maintain a 2.5 grade-point average. Applicants must also submit an essay. Over the past three full academic years, the UA School of Law has awarded eight degrees to American Indian students, according to university data.
John Alford is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and earned a law degree from UA. He practices law in Fort Smith.
"I want to help other students be successful," Alford said in a statement. Both John and Jayne Alford also earned bachelor's degrees from UA.
The UA law school hosts an American Indian Law Clinic and is home to the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. The food initiative seeks to boost enrollment in agriculture disciplines and to help with research in topics such as health policy and nutrition.
Metro on 03/11/2016