Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, has announced a $10 million gift—made in memory of longtime professor J. Walter “Walt” Weingart—to fund full scholarships for all in-state students with financial need.

The J. Walter and Katherine Weingart Opportunity Scholarships will begin distribution in the fall of 2023, and after a four-year rollout will annually support an estimated 500 in-state students, representing approximately a third of the student body. Financial aid at Whitman has grown by 50 percent since 2015, according to the college.

Walter Weingart served on the Whitman faculty for 35 years before retiring in 2002; he died in 2021. He and his wife, Katherine, previously endowed a similarly named scholarship at the liberal arts college focused on students transferring from community colleges.

“Whitman has long been one of the most generous colleges when it comes to financial aid,” said Adam Miller, interim vice president for admission and financial aid. “Now this new gift will eliminate any remaining barriers to make a Whitman education within reach for Washington state students.”

(Photo credit: Whitman College)