Manor College in Jenkintown announced that it has received a gift of $65,000 from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust.

The record award is nearly 30 percent higher than last year’s gift, the institution announced on Wednesday. This is the tenth year Manor College has received W.W. Smith funding, totaling more than $400,000 in that time. 

“This increase allows us to help even more students this year,” Chris Hartman, Executive Director of Financial Aid, said. 

The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation established by William Wikoff Smith in 1977. The Trust creates grants in the Greater Philadelphia region to support basic needs, college scholarships, maritime heritage preservation and medical research primarily in heart disease, cancer and AIDS. 

Students eligible to receive funding come from one of five Pennsylvania counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery or Philadelphia) or from Camden. Students must be in good academic standing with cumulative and current grade point averages at 2.5 or better with a demonstrated financial need.

“My goal is to help animals at a nonprofit, such as wildlife rehabilitation or the humane society,” said Lisbeth, a student studying Veterinary Technology at Manor College. “The support from W.W. Smith is an essential element to my growth as a person and achievements as a student. My graduation is coming up soon and I feel prepared to enter the workforce. The generosity from W.W. Smith helped me get there.”

Madalyn, a third-year student at Manor, added, “It’s been good to focus on my classes and use the help of the grant to focus on my studies as opposed to working long hours outside of class. Thank you to the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust for making this experience easier to manage.”

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Photo: Manor College