麻豆app

Christopher Watts has his hands full. He works full time, and he鈥檚 a full-time student at UNH. There鈥檚 a lot on his plate, but you won鈥檛 hear him complain. In fact, he says these days he鈥檚 more optimistic than usual.

Watts is pursuing a degree in on the Manchester campus. He was one of about 400 freshmen who entered UNH this fall under the new Granite Guarantee financial aid program that helps eligible New Hampshire residents attend UNH tuition-free.

鈥淚t was a huge weight off my shoulders. When I realized I wasn鈥檛 going to have tuition, it completely changed my outlook and really filled me with a lot more hope than I had previously.鈥�

A Meredith native who now lives in Concord, Watts wasn鈥檛 aware of the program when he applied to UNH. It was after 鈥渁 month of frantic searching for scholarships,鈥� that he found out he鈥檇 been accepted and had received the Granite Guarantee.

鈥淚t was a huge weight off my shoulders. When I realized I wasn鈥檛 going to have tuition, it completely changed my outlook and really filled me with a lot more hope than I had previously,鈥� Watts says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely given me the way to a better life and to help others have a better life as well.鈥�

Down the road, he鈥檇 like to teach children who are deaf how to sign, so he鈥檚 also pursuing the .

Your Philanthropy Creates Possibilities

To make a gift to endow a fund such as a scholarship or professorship or to support a program, or if you鈥檙e considering a bequest or have other estate planning questions, contact Troy Finn, associate vice president of development at (603) 862-4940 or troy.finn@unh.edu.

Since he started the program in August, Watts says, 鈥淚鈥檝e become obsessed with it. ASL has taken over my life. I sign at home. I鈥檓 constantly watching ASL videos. My roommate is learning as well.鈥�

Watts says a mentor at his employer, Concord Hospital, 鈥渓it the fire鈥� and showed him the need for ASL interpreters in the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of interpreters and translators will grow 17 percent between now and 2026. That鈥檚 much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.

With such job prospects and the knowledge he will graduate with far less student debt than he anticipated thanks to the Granite Guarantee, it鈥檚 easy to understand why his hopes are soaring.

Thinking of the donors whose gifts to the university made the Granite Guarantee possible, Watts says, 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 thank them enough. It鈥檚 really a life-changer, and I鈥檓 incredibly grateful.鈥�

Of UNH, he says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 been absolutely fantastic. I couldn鈥檛 ask for a better school.鈥�

To qualify for the Granite Guarantee, New Hampshire residents must attend UNH full time and be eligible for federal Pell grants. The tuition assistance extends through all four years, provided criteria are still met. Learn more about the Granite Guarantee.

听