CSU–Pueblo receives $100,000 donation for student scholarships

Pueblo –An Oklahoma couple who found success in Pueblo through the floor covering industry now will help Colorado State University – Pueblo students cover the cost of their college educations through the Carpet Direct/Crouch Family Scholarship Fund.

Earl and Gayle Crouch, owners of Carpet Direct Corporation, recently gave $100,000 to the CSU-Pueblo Foundation to establish a scholarship fund for students with declared majors in the following areas: accounting, biomedical sciences, cellular/molecular biosciences, environmental biosciences, chemistry, civil engineering, engineering, industrial engineering, nursing, physics, and any of these pre-professional programs: chiropractic, dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, podiatric medicine, and veterinary.

The donors’ initial investment will fund 25, $4,000 scholarships to be paid $2,000 each during the fall and spring semesters, beginning in the Fall of 2006.The scholarship automatically will renew provided the applicant maintains a 3.25 GPA and their declared major continues to be the ones aforementioned. The scholarship will be for a maximum eight (8) semesters.

Eligible freshmen students must have graduated from high school with at least a 3.5 grade point average. The recipients must maintain a 3.25 grade point average at CSU-Pueblo to retain the scholarship.

The Crouch’s owned a floor covering business and other businesses in Oklahoma. Upon retirement, they purchased land near Westcliffe to build their retirement home. Shortly after arriving in Colorado, Earl was approached by a manufacturer of floor coverings to arrive at a method to get their product to the end user in the simplest manner possible. This resulted in the birth of Carpet Direct in the early 1990s. Carpet Direct now operates in 16 states and as of September, 2005, was the third largest seller of floor coverings in the nation.

For more than 50 years, the CSU-Pueblo Foundation has accepted gifts on behalf of the University and assisted and enhanced the University in its mission of teaching, research, and service to Southern Colorado, the state, and the nation. The CSU-Pueblo Foundation assists the University in its private fundraising and charitable efforts for the purpose of supplementing and enhancing university programs, activities, and educational opportunities. The Colorado State University – Pueblo Foundation was founded on December 22, 1954, as the Pueblo College Foundation, a 501©(3) organization.

As of June 30, 2005, the Foundation had assets in excess of $21 million. More than $1 million in scholarships was distributed last year, and $482,779 was provided to support programs.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.