The rapid rise of the UNLV Honors College is remarkable, with enrollment in the selective college nearly doubling from less than 300 in 2012 to more than 560 this spring.

With stiff competition for top academic talent, the Honors College - which offers core classes, seminars and research connections for high-achieving undergraduates - must combine its strengthening reputation with compelling financial aid packages to maintain its growth.

Enter the Bennett Family Honors Scholarship Program.

A $1 million gift from the Bennett Family Foundation will provide scholarship support to more than 150 Honors College students over the next four years, allowing the college to recruit, support and retain some of Nevada's - and the nation's - top academic talent.

"Our students often say that the Honors College was the deciding factor in their choice to attend UNLV," said Marta Meana, dean of the Honors College. "These students raise academic standards and ultimately improve the quality of the entire university, which in turn benefits our community. The Bennett Family Foundation gift will be truly transformative for the Honors College and our ability to serve students."

The gift will fund scholarships for both new and returning students. While targeting talented incoming freshmen is central to the gift and the scholarship program, a unique mentorship component will ensure that new students can learn the ropes of college life and academic success from upperclassmen

The Bennett Honors Mentor Scholarship will be open to 30 Honors College upperclassmen each year for the next four years. Recipients of the $5,000 scholarship will be partnered with first-year Honors College students, adding a layer of peer support to the college's already strong advising program. The structured mentor program promotes first-year student success and retention and instills leadership principles in upperclassmen.

"It is a privilege to be able to grant these scholarships to the UNLV Honors College," said Diana Bennett, president of the Bennett Family Foundation. "Offering this scholarship will enable us to bring even more of the best and brightest of the students to UNLV and allow them to complete their four year degrees."

In addition to the mentor scholarships, The Bennett Family Honors Scholarship will fund $2,000 scholarships for 12 incoming freshmen each year over the next four years.

"The program will instantly deepen our sense of community, as mentors work to facilitate the success of entering students," said Meana. "There is a palpable excitement in juniors and seniors as they prepare to welcome the incoming class. This program engenders in the student body the very generosity that typifies the Bennett family."

The Bennett Family Foundation has contributed more than $10 million over the years to UNLV to support the growth of academic, capital and athletic programs, including the Black Mountain Institute, the Science and Engineering Building, and the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center.

The Honors College partners with "discipline" colleges within the university where Honors students pursue their academic majors. Students complete their core curriculum with small class sizes, dedicated advising, and the option to participate in university and/or research honors programs.

The Fall 2014 freshman class was the largest-ever for the Honors College, with 204 students entering with an average GPA of 3.85. Learn more at unlv.edu/honors