Dr. Ed Jacobs, a professor of counseling at the West Virginia University College of Education and Human Services’ Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling and Counseling Psychology, has created the first endowed scholarship for the department.

The gift will support students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Counseling. The $25,000 endowment will establish the Ed Jacobs Counseling Scholarship. “I decided to start the endowment because I felt it would help one or more students pay for books or some of the tuition given the high cost for getting a master’s degree,” said Jacobs. After 44 years as a professor, Dr. Jacobs understands first-hand the challenges many students face with the burden of increasing tuition and costs of attendance.

Jacobs sees his gift as an opportunity to give back to the department that he says has been exceptionally kind to him for many years. “I’m 71 years old, and I could retire if I wanted to, but I won’t,” Jacobs said. “There’s not a person on the planet who loves their job more than me. I work with a great dean, department chair, office manager and exceptional faculty. It is so nice to work in such a positive environment.”

“I am encouraged to see our faculty support our programs. It testifies to the strong commitment and passion our faculty and staff members have for our students and the College of Education and Human Services. Dr. Jacobs’ gift, as the first scholarship for our counseling students, will have a long-term impact on our counseling program and graduate students. Dr. Jacobs is a renowned scholar and educator. His gift leaves a legacy in our college,” said Gypsy Denzine, Dean of the WVU College of Education and Human Services.

As a small department, Jacobs and his fellow counseling professors have the unique opportunity to get to know each of their students well. Jacobs hopes this scholarship will help those students, who share his passion for counseling, to pursue their degrees with less financial burden. “It simply means I’m giving back. I was helped when I was a graduate student. It feels good that I am able to help a little. It’s great watching people grow and change to where they are confident in their ability to help others,” said Jacobs.

Dr. Jacobs hopes that from the support of past students, colleagues and friends the scholarship will grow over time, allowing more students to be impacted through this gift. For information on donating to the Ed Jacobs Scholarship fund, please contact Amy Lutz at amy.lutz@mail.wvu.edu.

This gift was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia University. The $1 billion fundraising effort by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2017.

-WVU-

cz/07/15/16

CONTACT: Christie Zachary, Director of Marketing and Communication, College of Education and Human Services, West Virginia University
304-293-0224, Christie.Zachary@mail.wvu.edu

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