The first awards from the Friends of the Arts Endowment Scholarship have been given to two students who will begin attending Illinois State University in the fall.

Sam Rosenfield, a Skokie native who will study theatre education, and Maggie Kunze, a Berkeley native who will study painting, each received $5,000 to be split over two years. Rosenfield will be a freshman, and Kunze is transferring from the College of DuPage.

The scholarship endowment was created through the gifts of several major donors. Recipients can either be an incoming freshman or a full-time transfer student who shows promise of achievement in the arts and has a College of Fine Arts major listed first. Recipients must be in good academic standing throughout their two years in order to retain this scholarship.

Scholarship applicants must be submitted by March 15. Following a selection process that also involves the Friend of the Arts Scholarship Committee and the College of Fine Arts Recruitment, Admissions, and Scholarship Committee, the Friends of the Arts Board makes the final decision on who receives the scholarships.