CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Moms and Dads associations at the University of Illinois have granted free tuition to two winners of its annual benefit drawing.
JoAnn Holdener, of Millstadt, Ill., won two semesters of in-state tuition for her daughter, Holly, a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is undecided about her major, but is considering accounting. She is active in Links to Literacy, a national program dedicated to fighting illiteracy, and works with students in Champaign-Urbana elementary schools as part of the Champions Are Readers program.
Winning the drawing, "means I will have to pay back $8,000 less in student loans," Holly Holdener said. "My mom is all smiles!"
One semester of in-state tuition was awarded to Sue Davis, of Mokena, Ill., for her daughter, Katharine, a freshman majoring in animal sciences/pre-veterinary medicine in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Katie Davis plays piccolo in the Marching Illini and is a member of the Pre-Vet Club and the Companion Animal Club. Katie's brother, Robert, is in the integrative biology program at Illinois.
"Winning this tuition drawing is making it possible for me to study abroad this summer," Katie Davis said. "Study abroad has always been something I've wanted to do."
The annual drawing is held at the final home Illini football game. Proceeds from the drawing are used to support programs and projects that benefit all students at Illinois. The tuition waiver takes effect with the spring semester.
The UI's two parent organizations are believed to be the first such organizations in the U.S. The Dads Association was founded in 1922; the Moms Association followed in 1923.