Sylvia McCoy Hutchinson Endowment
At a Glance
Eligibility: Awarded to undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Major: Undergraduate students in any Mary Frances Early College of Education major with first preference to staff members or children of staff members of the College
Department: Undergraduate students in any Mary Frances Early College of Education department
How to apply: Students should apply through the College’s centralized scholarship application, available on the scholarship homepage .
Contact us: coescholarships@uga.edu
Fund Purpose
This fund provides scholarship support for undergraduate students in the Mary Frances Early College of Education who demonstrate need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid. The selection committee’s primary criterion, in cases where all other factors are equal, is to choose a staff member (non-faculty) or a child of a staff member (non-faculty) of the College; if there is not a qualified applicant from this pool, then second preference will be given to those students who are staff (non-faculty) or a child of staff (non-faculty) of other UGA schools, colleges, and departments.About the Donors
This fund was established in 2010 by Michael McCoy and Mary Ann Garrard (B.S.Ed. ’60) to honor Sylvia M. Hutchinson as a way to say “thank you” and to promote and support continued educational development of employees and their children.
“This endowment is a way to continue Sylvia’s legacy as she has helped direct people through the educational process,” said McCoy. “It will also carry on her interest in and care of staff.”
“I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate the staff,” said Hutchinson. “They’re the people who run this campus. They’re the people who really understand the campus.”
A College of Education Triple Dawg, Sylvia M. Hutchinson earned her B.S.Ed. in elementary education in 1961, her M.Ed. in elementary education in 1962, and her Ph.D. in reading education in 1976. She retired from the University of Georgia in 2002 after 21 years of dedicated service to the College. As professor emerita in the Department of Language and Literacy Education (formerly Reading Education), she continued teaching one course each semester to her beloved pre-med students until May 2026.
Throughout her distinguished career at UGA, Hutchinson served as both professor and associate dean of the College of Education. She led international education programs, taught countless students, and advised graduate scholars.
Dr. Hutchinson passed away on August 15, 2026, at 88 years old. Her impact on the University and the field of education was profound, and her legacy will continue for generations through the many endowed funds she established at UGA.