The ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship is offering several scholarships to students who intend to start their own business.

The 10 John and Mary Pappajohn scholarships award $1,000 through Iowa State to help students interested in entrepreneurship pay their tuition.

“Our hope is that by paying for tuition, students will have more free money to use to start up a business or take more entrepreneurship classes,” said Judi Eyles, program coordinator of the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship.

Since John and Mary Pappajohn of Des Moines established the scholarship program in 1998, $30,000 has been awarded to ISU students, according to the center’s Web site at www.isupjcenter.org.

“John Pappajohn is a well-known entrepreneur who believes in providing greater opportunities for entrepreneurship students in Iowa,” Eyles said.

“The Pappajohns have been very generous in setting up this program.”

The scholarships are intended for juniors, seniors or graduate students with entrepreneurial goals, she said.

“The scholarships are not so much based on students’ grade point average, but whether or not they have taken steps to start their own business,” Eyles said.

The scholarship winners are chosen by a team of judges who are representative of all the ISU colleges, she said.

“It is really a multidisciplinary program, not just a business program,” Eyles said.

Scholarship recipient Mark Lanning, who runs a software program with his brother, said he encourages anyone interested in entrepreneurship to apply for the scholarship.

“The scholarship is great recognition for entrepreneurs,” said Lanning, junior in computer science.

“The scholarship has helped me, because it has made having to work much less of a priority. It allowed me to focus more time on developing my company.”

The ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, which sponsors the program, was established in 1996 through a gift from John and Mary Pappajohn, said Kristy Kennon, student programs assistant for the center.

The center educates students about how to start their own business and gives them chances to gain experience by working in small companies, Eyles said.

“One of the best things about the center is that it provides the opportunity to network with business people, other students and faculty,” said Kennon, senior in marketing.

Applications for the scholarship are due Dec. 22. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Eyles at [email protected] for more information or an application. Applications also are available online at www.isupjcenter.org/scholarship_app_2002.pdf.