Hollins University welcomed its inaugural class of national Hollins Opportunity for Promise through Education (HOPE) Scholars to campus on August 30, 2025, when 125 first-year students were inducted as recipients.
Their induction ceremony on Move-In Day in duPont Chapel, packed with parents, family, and friends, was marked by palpable promise.
“You are the first cohort of national HOPE scholars to attend Hollins University, but you are also a part of our HOPE legacy which began in 2022 with 36 students who are seniors with us today,” President Mary Dana Hinton said. “Their excellence, resilience, and achievements were critical to making today possible.”
Launched in 2021, with the first class of students arriving in 2022, the HOPE Scholarship opened the door for talented young women who would otherwise not have the lifechanging opportunity to attend a higher education institution.
Originally focused on academically qualified students in the Roanoke Valley with a household income of $50,000 or less, HOPE guaranteed a tuition-free Hollins education by filling the gap after federal, state, and institutional aid.
The impact was immediate. The university attracted and retained multiple cohorts of 30-plus strong students at above average rates. In fall 2025, there are nearly 100 regional HOPE Scholars on campus.
In 2024, Hollins expanded HOPE nationally, guaranteeing that all qualified, Pell-eligible students will receive consideration for the HOPE Scholarship, which covers tuition, on-campus food and housing, and required fees with no required student loans.
Beyond financial support, the HOPE program is designed to nurture the entire student through personalized mentorship and coaching, inclusion and community initiatives, and leadership development opportunities.
The Class of 2029’s 125 national HOPE Scholars have an average GPA of 3.8 and an average family income of less than $37,000 per year. But each has persevered through low-income circumstances. Their stories are diverse, from JROTC captains to equestrians who worked in barns to fund riding lessons.
President Hinton said during their induction ceremony Aug. 30 that when she was a teenager, she wanted to go to college, but she wasn’t sure how to make it happen.
“I knew my family couldn’t afford college, and many people discouraged my dreams,” she said. “Ultimately, I was very fortunate and got lots of lucky breaks, but I promised myself then, as I promise each of you today, that my life’s work would be to ensure that any young person who wanted an education would be able to have one.”
Hinton said her life’s mission is educational equity – to make education a right for every young person.
“The national HOPE program is the most tangible manifestation of that work after 33 years of being an educator,” she said. “When I see each of you, I don’t merely see an inaugural cohort. I see myself, I see my dreams, and I see my career. Even more, I see the future. I see the faces of those who will change our world for the better.”
During the ceremony, students’ parents, families, and friends placed their HOPE Scholar medals around their necks, honoring their accomplishment and marking the beginning of their college journey. Then they stood, raised their right hands, and recited a HOPE Scholar pledge:
As a HOPE Scholar, I pledge to honor the opportunities before me, to uphold the values of honesty, excellence, and perseverance, to strive for academic achievement and personal growth, to serve my community with empathy and integrity, and to uplift others as I walk my own path to success. I commit myself to the pursuit of knowledge, the courage to lead with purpose, and the responsibility to leave a legacy of hope for those who follow.
“You are embarking on a journey that will take you far,” Hinton said. “Just know that I journey with you. I cannot wait to see where Hollins will take you and where you will take Hollins.”