The University serves Virginia, the nation, and the world by preparing responsible citizen-leaders; advancing, preserving, and disseminating knowledge; and providing world-class patient care.
All gifts of any kind help secure the University’s place as a premier institution of learning and make it possible for our students, faculty, and researchers to shape a brighter.
You can give to all 12 schools across Grounds. The possibilities are endless for supporting our students, faculty, and programs. Together, we will find the way forward.
You can join the growing number of alumni and friends who invest now in the University’s future by including UVA as a beneficiary of their wills, charitable trusts, and retirement plans. Gifts like these can offer you and your family significant tax benefits as well as greater financial flexibility in meeting your personal and philanthropic goals.
Through Honor the Future, the Campaign for the University of Virginia, we are building on our strong foundations to support the president’s vision: to become the best public university by 2030 and one of the very best in the world.
OVERVIEW
John Griffin (McIntire ’85) likes to set the bar as high as possible. In 2014, with his $4 million challenge gift to the University of Virginia, he created the Blue Ridge Scholars program to support undergraduate students with exceptional academic promise and significant financial need, and challenged other donors to match his gift on a one-to-one basis. The initiative was an outstanding success.
In December 2020, President Jim Ryan announced an additional investment of $30 million to support need- and merit-based scholarships at the University. In a symbol of its commitment to creating greater access, the board earmarked $10 million of this investment to provide special matching funds for two important University initiatives—the University Achievement Awards and the Blue Ridge Scholars Program.
While all matching funds have been utilized for gifts, Blue Ridge Scholarships continue to be a priority for the University and an important resource for our students.
A committee within the Office of Admission selects Blue Ridge Scholars based on academic accomplishment and financial need. A Blue Ridge Scholarship ranges from $1,000 to $7,000 per student per year and may replace the loan or work study component of a financial aid package. To date, more than 200 students have received a Blue Ridge Scholarship.
We are grateful for the generous support, which will continue to benefit future generations of UVA students.
(Ed ’20)
Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Fatima Alhassan still remembers the day she found out she’d been awarded a Blue Ridge Scholarship. A member of a family with limited financial means, Alhassan had excellent grades but worried about her ability to afford a UVA education. Thanks to her scholarship, this first-generation college graduate thrived on Grounds as a kinesiology major. Now she’s planning to enroll in medical school.
(McIntire ’21)
The youngest of eight kids in a Ukrainian immigrant family, Ed is a first-gen college student whose success at UVA was made possible by John Griffin’s initiative. Born and raised north of Seattle, Ed majored in commerce and political philosophy, policy and law at UVA. Witnessing the pandemic exacerbate educational inequality his fourth year, he founded Squiggly, an EdTech startup leveraging video games to teach K-5 students quantitative skills.
(Engr ’20)
Born in Uruguay and raised in Massachusetts, Martin Keuchkerian had two passions: exploring space and playing rugby. As a major in aerospace engineering, and a first-generation college student, he hoped one day to become an astronaut. And as captain of the UVA rugby team, he was selected to represent the United States in the USA Under 20 national rugby team in an international match against Canada. Keuchkerian is now a research engineer at Southwest Research Institute.
Supporting Students
Investments in the Bicentennial Scholars Fund are supporting outstanding students from all backgrounds. Generous gifts to support scholarships help those who need assistance to afford college.
The Rainy Day Fund helps students weather unexpected financial hardship. Gifts from parents and others provide one-time support to undergraduates who face sudden financial circumstances and keeps them on track with their educational pursuits.
Your gift today will help continue to fund University Achievement Awards for outstanding Virginia students.
