ACU’s Partnering in the Journey scholarship campaign has reached $20.6 million in commitments since its public launch in February 2011.
The campaign is a subset to ACU’s endowment dedicated to providing scholarships to students through generous donors. It raises funds through donors and sets up scholarships available for ACU students in need. There are currently 670 endowed scholarships on record, most with a minimum of $10,000 given, said Rendi Young Hahn (’83), an Advancement campaign coordinator.
Scholarships range in award amount and criteria, based on the donor’s wishes. They may be set up to honor a person or group as the donor wishes. Alumni are the main donors in the campaign, and even recent graduates have been contributing, Hahn said.
“We have a growing number of people making their first commitment at the minimum of $10,000,” she said. “Two graduates from 2010 are doing that – committing to a minimum of $10,000 and paying it off in small chunks. That’s a huge sacrifice.”
Billie Currey (’70), director of Advancement strategies, agreed.
“It is encouraging to see our alumni help others experience the Christian education we continue to provide at ACU,” Currey said.
The campaign not only helps students attend ACU, but it also allows for relationships to be formed between the donors and the recipients.
Jonathan Pruitt, senior criminal justice major from Brazil and a recipient of the Kay and Bob Onstead Ministers Progeny Endowed Scholarship, has been able to meet the donor, Kay Onstead, at a yearly dinner.
“The yearly dinner with Mrs. Onstead and the other scholars is always something I look forward to, not only to hear other Onstead scholars’ stories and to hear from Mrs. Onstead,” Pruitt said. “She talks about how much she loves hearing our life stories, and she makes us feel important when she hears about what we’ve had to overcome to get here.”
Victoria Costa (’12), recent Ad/PR graduate and Onstead scholar, attended the dinners while at ACU and is also thankful for the scholarship.
“If it weren’t for the Onstead scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to attend ACU at all,” she said.
Pruitt agreed.
“Mrs. Onstead and her donation has made it much easier to be able to attend the best university in the world: ACU,” he said.
To learn more about the Partnering in the Journey scholarship campaign, visit www.acu.edu/journey.
