Eight area University of Massachusetts students — including one Dartmouth resident — have been awarded scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 each for up to four years by the James J. Karam Scholarship Fund.

The fund is named for local businessman James Karam, who served nearly 10 years on the UMass Board of Trustees — including four years as chairman — and championed the causes of quality and student affordability during his tenure on the board, said university officials.

A native of Fall River, Karam and his wife, Janis, reside in Tiverton. He graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 1971 with a bachelor's in business, and received an honorary doctor of business from UMass Dartmouth in 2001.

Established in 2013, the endowed funds supported by Jim and Janis Karam provide scholarships to students who are enrolled full-time at any UMass campus, hold a high GPA, demonstrate financial need and are permanent residents of South Coast communities.

This year’s scholarship winners were honored at a dinner in Westport on May 30. They include:

Sara Chedid: The Dartmouth native graduated from Dartmouth High, and is currently a junior at UMass Amherst as a chemistry major.

Mia Arruda: The Fall River native graduated from Durfee High School, and is currently in her second year at UMass Dartmouth as a bioengineering major.

Peter DaCosta: The New Bedford native is both a graduate of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School and the medical laboratory science program at UMass Dartmouth. He is currently in his second year as a medical student at UMass Medical School in Worcester.

Allyson Ramos: The Tiverton native graduated from Tiverton High this year, and will start at UMass Dartmouth as a environmental engineering major.

Samantha Rollings: The Tiverton native graduated from Tiverton High, and is currently a senior studying mechanical engineering at UMass Dartmouth.

Austin Taylor: The New Bedford native graduated from GNB Voc-Tech, and is currently a senior majoring in bioengineering at UMass Dartmouth.

Holly Giard: The New Bedford native is a graduate of GNB Voc-Tech, and currently studies natural resource conservation with a secondary major in plant, soil and insect sciences at UMass Amherst.

Kaleigh Patton: The Fall River native graduated from Somerset Berkley Regional High School, and is currently a sophomore studying psychology at UMass Lowell.