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DELAWARE, Ohio – A new program at Ohio Wesleyan University is helping students make their dreams come true with scholarship opportunities for two dozen Central Ohio high school students.
In a partnership with I Know I Can, a Columbus-based college-access organization, OWU announced during a news conference today that it will provide up to 25 high school seniors annually with total financial aid of at least full tuition for four years while they pursue their OWU bachelor's degrees.
"Ohio Wesleyan University is laser-focused on reducing and eliminating economic and other barriers to an elite liberal arts education," President Matt vandenBerg said. "I Know I Can provides young people from Central Ohio with support, encouragement, and resources, and OWU is immensely proud to partner with them to propel students toward their dreams."
I Know I Can serves students from Columbus City Schools, Reynoldsburg City Schools, South-Western City School District, and Whitehall City Schools, helping them navigate the college enrollment process and plan for their future careers. It is the only college-access organization in Columbus and one of the largest and most successful in the nation.
"We are so pleased to work with Ohio Wesleyan University to offer scholarships to students from all four of our partner school districts," said Katina Fullen, I Know I Can's chief executive officer. "This initiative celebrates the hard work and determination of our students, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to succeed. Together, we will help these inspiring students build brighter futures for themselves and our community."
As part of the new collaboration, Ohio Wesleyan is reimagining its current Dr. Charles Thomas Scholarship to make it available exclusively through I Know I Can. Created in 2020, the scholarship celebrates the legacy of Thomas, one of the first Black students in college baseball in the early 1900s. His experiences, grace, and fortitude inspired then-OWU head coach Branch Rickey to collaborate with Jackie Robinson in the 1940s to break Major League Baseball's color barrier.
To be eligible for Ohio Wesleyan's reimagined Thomas Scholarship, students must attend one of I Know I Can's school districts, be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant program, and have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. They also must complete Ohio Wesleyan's three-week Summer Bridge program prior to their fall semester enrollment. Summer Bridge is designed to enhance the academic skills of its participants and support their successful transition to college-level coursework.
Students are eligible to renew the Thomas Scholarship (comprised of federal, state, and institutional financial aid) for up to eight semesters (four years) at Ohio Wesleyan as long as they continue to demonstrate need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and remain in good academic standing.
Tenique Dennis, OWU's director of access and strategic recruitment, said the university's current I Know I Can students are achieving exciting things, and she looks forward to welcoming even more of the organization's students to Ohio Wesleyan in the future.
For example, Dennis said, in only their first semester, this fall's I Know I Can students already have applied for an OWU Connection grant to attend the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey Day of Reckoning Conference in Montgomery; enrolled in a spring semester Travel-Learning Course to study Black women's health activism in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana; been selected to visit Ohio Wesleyan's sister college Claflin University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in South Carolina; and earned on-campus jobs as interns helping to plan and execute OWU's second Melvin Van Peebles Symposium in March 2025.
One of those current students, Dez Dorelien of Columbus, a Beechcroft High School graduate, encourages eligible I Know I Can students to visit and apply to Ohio Wesleyan -- even if they still are deciding their next path.
"After visiting, I felt like I belonged there, where I could leave my imprint and not be overlooked," Dorelien said. "Affordability was one of the main factors in my college selection. OWU ensured that there was no financial issue, and there wasn't. I could enjoy my time in college without worrying about such kinds of obstacles. Despite the small size of the school, the heart of the OWU community is large."
Adam Smith, Ohio Wesleyan's vice president for enrollment, said he is excited to work more closely with I Know I Can and to welcome more of its students to the university.
"Ohio Wesleyan welcomed its most diverse class in history this fall," he said, "and we look forward to building upon this important momentum. For high school students curious about becoming part of such a vibrant environment, I urge you to visit our campus and learn more first-hand."
In addition to the new I Know I Can program, Ohio Wesleyan in April launched the Delaware County Promise and three new or expanded collaborations with Columbus State Community College. The Delaware County Promise provides free tuition to any Delaware County, Ohio, high school graduate who has achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher and whose family earns $100,000 or less per year.
The Columbus State collaborations include Tuition Match, which guarantees up to 25 qualified associate's degree graduates annually will be able to pursue their four-year bachelor's degrees at OWU while paying the same full-time tuition they paid at Columbus State. It also includes an expanded Preferred Pathway program to help Columbus State graduates earn their OWU bachelor's degrees with no credit-transfer issues and a Teach Now program that provides an accelerated K-6 teacher licensure pathway to help address central Ohio's teacher shortage.
"Ohio Wesleyan is a higher education innovator and change-maker," OWU President vandenBerg said. "We aspire to model how colleges and universities can open the door of opportunity for all students."
For more information about enrolling at Ohio Wesleyan, including scholarship and financial aid opportunities, visit owu.edu/admission.
Watch highlights from the Nov. 11 Ohio Wesleyan – I Know I Can collaboration announcement. (Video by Mark Schmitter '12)
Dream Big. Work Hard. We'll Help. That is I Know I Can's promise to all Columbus City Schools, Reynoldsburg City Schools, South-Western City School District, and Whitehall City Schools students and graduates. Currently in its 36th year, I Know I Can works closely with school district staff and administration, external partners, and directly with students and families on interventions designed to increase student success in achieving their academic, postsecondary, and career goals. Serving 30,000 students annually, I Know I Can's work is centered around three areas of strategic intent: 1) helping students identify college and career options aligned with their interests and aptitudes, 2) making postsecondary options affordable for students with financial need, and 3) supporting students through the transition to postsecondary education and connecting them to partners for direct workforce or military options. Learn more at www.iknowican.org.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.