Endowment – General Scholarship Program
Endowment Gifts
Endowments can be established for student scholarships, faculty chairs or academic programs. An endowment fund preserves capital, offers long-term growth, keeps pace with, or exceeds inflation, and can offer significant tax advantages to the donor. An endowment can be named for the donor or in honor of the person or persons of the donor’s choice.
The Marshall University Foundation’s endowment has been a vital part of private giving to Marshall University for many years. Each year the Marshall University Foundation managed endowment fund of approximately $100 million provides funding of about $4 million annually. These dollars help fuel the margin of excellence at Marshall University by offering students many opportunities that would otherwise not exist.
Establishing a Scholarship
Thanks to the generosity of many, The Marshall University Foundation, Inc. is able to extend the opportunity to receive private scholarships to hundreds of talented and deserving students each year.
Students who receive support are chosen on the basis of criteria representing the donor’s wishes and academic guidelines of the University. Unless otherwise specified, awards may be renewed for up to four years, providing the recipients maintain eligibility standards.
Endowed scholarships may be created with a major gift of $25,000 through a one-time gift, a pledge for a period of up to three years or through a planned gift.
Income distributions fund the award after the endowment has been established for at least one year. Additional gifts may be added to increase the fund principal at any time.
The Marshall University Foundation also offers donors the opportunity to provide private scholarship support through expendable awards funded through annual contributions of $1,000 annually or more for a minimum of four years. These funds are applied directly to the recipient’s educational expenses.
With both endowed and expendable scholarships, the donor has the opportunity to participate in establishing guidelines and in determining the name of the award. All gifts are made to The Marshall University Foundation, Inc. which accepts scholarship funds where selection is not based solely on any of the following criteria: race, gender, religion, handicap or national origin.
An exception to the scholarship procedure is the competitive process for applying to the Society of Yeager Scholars and the John Marshall Scholarship Program through the Honors College.
Scholarship donor contacts receive biannual reporting of the financial and beneficiary information of the fund(s), as well as an invitation to the annual Scholarship Honor Brunch.
Scholarship Honor Brunch
About 400 donors, students, parents, faculty and staff members attended the annual Scholarship Honor Brunch which honored recipients of Marshall University’s private scholarships and the generous donors who make these scholarships available.
For more information about establishing a scholarship or other endowment, please contact Krystle Davis, Program Director of Scholarships and Donor Relations at 304-696-6781 or toll free 1-866-632-5386 or use our online contact form.