Arizona State Renames Scholarship Fund for Obama
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Unlike Notre Dame, Arizona State University will not award President Obama an honorary degree when he delivers the commencement address Wednesday night -- but he gets a nice consolation prize.
ASU is expanding its signature scholarship program and renaming it for the 44th president. And the President Barack Obama Scholars Program, as it now is called, will be tripled in size.
The university reports that more than 1,600 freshmen -- up from 500 last year -- will have their full college costs paid for this fall in the president's name.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There apparently was some consternation within Arizona State over the decision not to award Obama an honorary degree. But the university announced in a May 5 news release that it will honor him all the same with the scholarship program, and that some of the new "Barack Obama scholars" will be introduced at the commencement ceremonies Wednesday night.
The university already has mini-profiles of those scholars posted on its Web site.
With the scholarship expansion, the university will boost the qualifying family income from $25,000 to $60,000. It will tap what it calls a "combination of federal, state, institutional and private resources" to cover the costs for eight straight semesters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The university stated in its announcement that the scholarship expansion answers the president's call to dramatically boost the number of college graduates in the United States.
"Our mission coincides with the education goals enunciated by President Obama," university president Michael Crow said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, debate continues to churn over at the University of Notre Dame over its decision to award Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement ceremonies this weekend.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In that case, Catholic leaders have objected to the university honoring a president who stands for abortion rights contrary to the church's teachings, and some students even plan to hold a prayer vigil in protest of the ceremony Sunday.
White House aides say Obama looks forward to both appearances. His aides point to a line he often used in the campaign, in which he explained that Americans can disagree without being disagreeable.
They say his main message in both Tempe, Ariz., and South Bend, Ind., will be about the opportunities and challenges students face and the importance of serving a purpose higher than self-interest.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I think there is one group organizing a boycott," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said of the Notre Dame speech. "And as I best I can understand it, there are 23 groups that have formed in support of the president's invitation. The valedictorian is supportive of the invitation."
FOX News' Wendell Goler contributed to this report.