Morehouse Newsroom

Stamps Scholars Program Returns to Morehouse College Offering New Resources for Scholarships, Study Abroad, Career Exploration

Written by Morehouse College | Oct 7, 2024 12:14:45 PM

Morehouse College has relaunched its partnership with the international Stamps Scholars Program, which invests in the education and professional development of high-achieving students. Five freshmen will be chosen annually to receive the four-year, full-ride Stamps Scholarship, which is worth up to $230,000 per-student over the four years of the award.  

Founded in 2006 by E. Roe Stamps IV and his late wife, Penny, the Stamps Scholars Program supports the studies of approximately 1,100 students annually across the nation and in the United Kingdom, including more than 340 incoming scholars this fall. Students receive mentoring and financial assistance to advance scholarly pursuits, as well as opportunities to collaborate with fellow awardees. The award also offers recipients access to an enrichment fund that covers fees associated with study abroad and attending academic and leadership conferences. 

"We are proud to partner with Morehouse College, an institution renowned for its commitment to developing leaders who make significant impacts on their communities and the world,” said benefactor E. Roe Stamps. “With alumni who have led cultural movements, won Rhodes Scholarships and Oscars, and risen to roles such as U.S. Congressmen and college presidents, we look forward to supporting Morehouse Stamps Scholars and eagerly anticipate the remarkable contributions they will make to society.” 

The Stamps Scholarship covers the entire cost of attending Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black liberal arts institution focused on educating and developing men. Morehouse educates approximately 2,500 students annually, more than half of whom come from families with household incomes of $40,000 or less. 

Four Morehouse freshmen were recently welcomed to the inaugural 2024 Class of Stamps Scholars during a special ceremony attended by their families, Connelly Crowe, Director of Communications and Scholar Experience for the Stamps Scholars Program, and alumni of the program. The freshmen scholarship recipients are Alexander X. Osborne, Donovan Correll, Spencer S. Chancellor, and Caleb Kaalund. A cohort of at least five students will be funded starting next year as the program grows with each new class of scholars. 

“On behalf of Morehouse College, I would like to thank Roe Stamps and the Stamps Scholars Program for investing in the bright future of rising Morehouse Men,” said David A. Thomas, Ph.D., President of Morehouse College. “Without the support of partners like the Stamps Scholars Program not every young man who knows that Morehouse is the right place for them could afford to come. The Stamps Scholarship will help to make a Morehouse education possible for deserving students, as well as strengthen the talent pipeline from Morehouse to top graduate schools and competitive careers.” 

Stamps Scholars Program alumni at Morehouse College and nationally have gone on to receive some prestigious academic awards for their talents as intellectuals and innovators, including becoming winners of the Beinecke and National Science Foundation scholarships. The financial and programmatic support from the Stamps Scholars Program will empower Morehouse’s mission to create diverse leaders who are academically excellent and committed to leadership and service.  

“We are grateful for the return of the Stamps Scholars Program and the opportunity to provide more students with a world-class education and transformative experiences that will shape their careers as change agents,” said Hodan Hassan, Vice President of the Office of Institutional Advancement at Morehouse College. “Investing in Morehouse scholarships, produces graduates who advocate for a more just, diverse, and equitable world.”  

Miles Johnson, a 2021 graduate and a Stamps Scholars Program alumnus, said his Stamps experience helped him to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics while learning to speak fluent Mandarin and Spanish. He traveled to China and Ecuador while at Morehouse, in addition to attending leadership conferences.  

 Johnson now works as a civil engineer at Black & Veatch of Boston, and he is paying forward the investment made in him. He tutors students in Mandarin and plans STEM outreach activities to expose students of color to science careers. He also volunteers at community events hosted by the Greater Boston Morehouse Alumni Association in Boston. 

“I believe Stamps and Morehouse enabled me to be fruitful,” Johnson said. “Without Morehouse and without Stamps, I really would not have had so many opportunities to advance in my field and travel the world.”