BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University first-year student Lily Seymour, an English major from Waynesville, has been awarded App State's Jerri Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer Endowed Scholarship for the 2024–25 academic year. She joins a cohort of three other Heltzer Scholarship recipients.

Established in 2021, the scholarship covers approximately 75% of the cost of tuition and is renewable for up to four years, funded by a generous bequest from the estate of the late Elizabeth “Jerri” Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer.

“The Heltzer Scholarship provides crucial financial resources that allow students to thrive while at App State,” said Will Sears, App State’s interim vice chancellor of university advancement. “We are proud to celebrate and continue the Heltzers’ legacy of student investment each year through this incredible scholarship.”

The Heltzer Scholarship is one of App State’s first-year scholarships, a prestigious and highly competitive group of scholarship programs.

Decades of student support

Longtime friends of the university, the Heltzers made numerous significant contributions to the university, including the establishment of the Heltzer Honors Program for International Education, a program providing financial assistance to Honors College students seeking to study abroad.

The Heltzers also made substantial gifts to The Appalachian Fund, the Walker College of Business and An Appalachian Summer.

The Heltzers were members of App State’s 1899 Legacy Society — designated for those who have included the university in their estate plans — and the B.B. Dougherty Society. In 2010, Jerri was recognized by the university with an honorary degree, in appreciation of her service and contributions to the App State Community.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Give to Appalachian State University

No matter the size, every gift makes a difference

Each year, App State addresses critical needs across the university. These needs are as diverse as providing scholarships so that students can attend App State, to making sure our faculty and classrooms are empowered to graduate 21st-century professionals. Every gift to the university has the power to ensure the App State Experience for our students and make a difference.

Give now

First-year Scholarships

Appalachian's highly competitive First-year Scholarships consist of merit-based and need-based opportunities and provide varying awards ranging from partial to full institutional costs. Explore the variety of scholarships that are available.

Learn more

App State announces newest recipient of the Heltzer Endowed Scholarship

Nov. 20, 2023

App State has announced the newest recipient of the Jerri Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer Endowed Scholarship — established in 2021 to provide assistance to students with financial need.

Read the story

4 App State students named inaugural recipients of new scholarship

Jerri Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer Endowed Scholarship Fund supports students with financial need

Oct. 4, 2022

Four App State students have been named the inaugural recipients of a new scholarship established in memory of Jerri Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer, longtime friends of the university. This renewable scholarship will cover approximately 75% of the students’ tuition.

Read the story

History of the Honors College

Appalachian State University has offered honors courses for over 50 years. In the late 1960s, several departments hired new faculty members with innovative ideas regarding student learning. Some of these new faculty members began advocating for an honors program, including Dr. Tom McGowan and Dr. Tom McLaughlin in the English department. The first departmental honors program (in English) was founded in 1970.

Learn more

About Scholarships at App State

Appalachian State University offers students the opportunity to receive a world-class education at an affordable rate, with an average of $25 million awarded to incoming, current and transfer students each year based on need, as well as academic and athletic achievement. On average, about $4.9 million in outside aid is awarded to App State students annually. App State’s Office of Student Financial Aid and University Scholarships assists students in learning about and applying for these university scholarship opportunities and also shares information about non-App State scholarships. Learn more at https://scholarships.appstate.edu.

About University Advancement

Appalachian State University’s Division of University Advancement supports and encourages the university’s mission by engaging alumni, friends and the greater community. University Advancement staff help connect these constituents with Appalachian through one-on-one contact and special programming, thereby securing the resources necessary to create the best possible learning environment for Appalachian students and to positively impact the community, region and state. The division incorporates the offices of Alumni Affairs, Development and the Appalachian State University Foundation Inc. Learn more at http://give.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.