While on their college searches, many students from Trinity and neighboring districts overlook The Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) located in Washington, PA. This college is not appealing to many people due to the proximity to their homes, but this school offers a scholarship many people find hard to pass up: The Anica Donnan Rawnsley Scholarship.
Rawnsley grew up in Washington, PA, was the first female trustee of W&J, and donated $50 million to W&J when she passed away. She spent most of her life as a schoolteacher, which developed into a passion for education and instilling success into students.
Rawnsley believed that education is one of the most important aspects of life, and she wanted to make it easier for Washington, PA, students to receive a more affordable college education.
The Rawnsley scholarship is available to all first-year students, it covers the cost of tuition, and is renewable for all four years of college, after merit and aid is taken out.
However, there are some special eligibility requirements to receive the Rawnsley scholarship.
On top of having to graduate from a Washginton, PA, high school and being enrolled in college full-time, students must also have a high school cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher, live on campus and submit both their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) and their W&J enrollment deposit by January 15, 2026.
With the introduction of the Rawnsley scholarship, W&J has seen a massive increase in student enrollment from the Washington area, bringing in over 600 freshmen for the class of 2029. This lead the college to expand certain aspects of their campus, such as renting out rooms at the George Washington Hotel to act as upperclassmen dorms.
Trinity Alumna and W&J Freshman Leah Kubacka comments on the Rawnsley scholarship, saying, “This is honestly one of the biggest reasons I’m at W&J in the first place. I had a lot of my family and friends giving me advice when I was trying to decide where I wanted to go, and all of them told me I would be dealing with a lot of debt after I graduate. Even though I wanted to go to a school a little further away, I felt right at home when I toured W&J. I want to go to graduate school after I complete my undergraduate studies, so the scholarship is really helping me out because I’ll have a lot less debt to worry about after I’m done with school.”
On top of the scholarship, there are many other likable aspects of the college. W&J has various NCAA Division three athletic programs, more than 60 different areas of study, and immense student life and culture. They also offer something called the Magellan Project, which allows students the opportunity to travel abroad for a variety of different reasons, all completely paid for.
“I really do love this school so much! I was shocked at how much I didn’t know about this school even though I’ve lived five minutes away from it my whole life. I think the special thing about W&J is that you really have a close connection with people in your classes and staff because it’s a small school,” Kubacka states.
So for those looking for the college perfect for them, do not be hesitant to check out W&J! For some, it may just be the perfect place.
