The Montana Community Foundation recently received a million-dollar surprise from the estate of Eveline Kyle to forever benefit Deer Lodge students. Eveline leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Deer Lodge community through her $1 million gift to establish the Joseph and Eveline Kyle Fund. This new endowment will provide scholarships to non-traditional students, such as adult and re-entry students, as they pursue their academic dreams. As an endowed fund, the scholarship will support local students forever.

“Eveline Kyle’s million-dollar gift came as a wonderful surprise,” says Mary Rutherford MCF president and chief executive officer. “We are all celebrating the incredible generosity of Eveline. Because of her, generations of students will receive the support they need to get an education and follow their dreams. What a valuable and lasting contribution to the Deer Lodge community!”

Eveline Kyle, originally from Belington, West Virginia, passed away on December 2, 2019. She is remembered for her adventurous spirit, vibrant personality, and many travels across the globe as a CIA codebreaker. Her husband, Joseph, was from the Deer Lodge community.

The application to apply for the scholarship is now available for the 2021-2022 school year. Those eligible to apply include non-traditional students, such as adult and re-entry students, who demonstrate a financial need, permanently reside in Deer Lodge and are currently pursuing an undergraduate, graduate academic, or vocational degree. Students must be attending a traditional or online program at an accredited institution on a full-time or part-time basis.

The Joseph and Eveline Kyle Scholarship will award up to $8,000 per student (at least $2,000 each for to up to four years). Students can apply online at mtcf.org/scholarships until March 19, 2021.

For more information about this scholarship or other scholarships at MCF, visit mtcf.org/scholarships or contact Scholarship Manager Jenny Lou Stark at (406) 441-4946 or jstark@mtcf.org.

For guidance counselors and others interested in promoting this scholarship to their students, marketing materials are available by contacting Teal Whitaker at teal@mtcf.org.