Dr. Oscar A. Barbarin established the Oscar and Inez Barbarin Maryland Promise Scholarship in 2019. This endowed fund will support need-based scholarships with preference given to undergraduate students in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland under the auspices of the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise Program.
Oscar and Inez Barbarin, parents of Dr. Oscar A. Barbarin, grew up in New Orleans during the time of rampant segregation and extreme poverty. They were both academically talented students who aspired to careers in the health professions. Though they performed with distinction in high school and were highly motivated to attend college, they lacked the financial resources to do so. Their lives were profoundly affected by their economic disadvantage.
This scholarship is established in their memory. It is intended to support students who have shown strong academic potential but whose financial circumstances might block their full participation in university life. It is hoped that this support will help reduce their dependence on student loans, excessive employment or the need to live at home, so that they will be able to devote more time to their studies.
The Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise will establish a $100 million endowment that will provide need-based scholarships to undergraduate students from underserved populations in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. When you give to the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and the University of Maryland. Click here to learn more about the Maryland Promise Scholarship Program.