St. Norbert College rising juniors and seniors are eligible for the Van Asten Fellows Scholarships. Applications are now open for the scholarships, which all have a minimum $5,000 award.

Photo via St. Norbert College

The scholarships are funded by Mike Van Asten, a visionary entrepreneur and developer, as a way to assist students at his alma mater, St. Norbert College, where he earned a degree in economics and business administration.

The four scholarship focus areas include:

• Donna Van Asten Face Forward Fellowship is open to students entering their junior or senior year who participate in the St. Norbert College-Bellin College nursing partnership program.
• Gordy and Mona Van Asten Ethics and Entrepreneurship Fellowship is open to students entering their junior or senior years who are pursuing a degree in Business Administration or Economics.
• James C. Weiss Against All Odds Fellowship is available for students entering their junior or senior year who attended a high school in Appleton, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Menasha or Neenah.
• Stephen M. Tremel Above and Beyond Fellowship is open to male students entering their junior or senior year and are pursuing a major or minor in Theology & Religious Studies or Peace and Justice.

“Each of the four scholarship areas are named for someone who played an important role in my life,
people who were role models. I then tailored the criteria for each scholarship area to reflect the traits that made that person special. When a student interested in applying for one of the scholarships reads the application form, they’ll learn more about the namesake of that scholarship,” Van Asten said.

Van Asten said the scholarships are his way of giving back.

Mike Van Asten

“I have been very fortunate and blessed in my life,” he said. “The love and support of my family and friends, coupled with my St. Norbert education, enabled me to have a successful and fulfilled life. This is my way of paying it forward.”

The minimum individual scholarship award in each category is $5,000, with up to two scholarships awarded in each category. While the scholarships are not automatically renewed, recipients can apply for year two funding. Scholarships are managed by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

“A college education is so important, but the financial investment can be very difficult for students,
especially juniors and seniors who don’t have as many scholarship opportunities,” Van Asten said. “That is why I designated these scholarships for upper classmen.”

To learn more about the Van Asten Fellows Scholarships, click here and search under the Scholarship tab.

Through the generosity of our donors passionate about helping students achieve their education dreams, we have more than $1.7 million in scholarships available in 2024 to students from more than 70 high schools. We offer scholarships to high school seniors, college and nontraditional students, and K-12 art and music camps and lessons.

Visit our new Scholarship Portal and apply online for scholarships.