UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State World Campus scholarship program that supports first-year college students has received a renewed boost from a longtime donor and University graduate.
Alumnus Wayne Lonstein, founder and CEO of VFT Solutions, and his wife, Julie Lonstein, have committed to $17,500 in support over five years to renew the VFT Solutions Inc. Annual Scholarship. The scholarship will provide funding for five students as they complete the "Smart Track to Success" program.
The Lonsteins made VFT Solutions’ first gift in 2021. VFT Solutions, a company that combats online piracy, was co-founded by Wayne Lonstein in 2010.
Exclusive to Penn State World Campus, Smart Track to Success assists incoming online learners who are new to college or have returned after many years. Recipients take a two-semester course on academic and life skills and receive mentoring from peers and staff. The goal of the program is to help these students successfully navigate their first year, a period during which World Campus research has shown first-generation students and adult learners may fall away from their studies. The Lonsteins’ gift focuses on scholarship support for first-generation students.
"When I was working toward my undergraduate degree, most of us were the first in our families to set foot on a college campus, and no one had a roadmap," Wayne said. "Years later, my wife, Julie, and I were both back at it — studying online after the house was quiet and the kids were asleep. I know what that kind of persistence takes, and I'm proud to help make sure the next student has the support to see it through."
The Smart Track program is offered through the Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success at Penn State World Campus, which supports World Campus students' academic and professional goals. More than 1,000 students have participated in Smart Track since it began in 2017. An institutional analysis found that students who complete the program are more likely to return for their second year than similar students who didn't participate.
“For students who are new to college or coming back after years away, the first two semesters can be a challenge with a new pace and new responsibilities on top of work and family,” said Karen Pollack, interim vice provost for Online Education at Penn State. “The Smart Track to Success program at World Campus was built to help get them through it. The Lonsteins' renewed gift means five more first-year students get that support.”
In addition to the Lonsteins' annual scholarship commitment, donors have created 12 endowed scholarships for Smart Track to Success, and many alumni and friends have supported students in the program through GivingTuesday in recent years.
Don Lenze, senior director of development and alumni relations for Penn State World Campus, said that directed giving to areas of the University that are important to donors such as the Lonsteins turns their Penn State pride into critical support for students with financial need.
“This scholarship puts the full gift to work for students right away and allows Julie and Wayne to see the difference it makes immediately," Lenze said. "It has been a meaningful way for them to give annually since 2021, and that generous consistency means students can count on that support year after year.”
Wayne earned a master’s degree in homeland security. The degree program is offered by Penn State Harrisburg exclusively online through World Campus.
In 2019, Wayne received the Penn State World Campus Outstanding Alumnus Award for his work to protect and uphold the integrity of global security online.
Donors like the Lonsteins advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the Commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.