Endowing a scholarship is a unique and memorable way to
recognize a loved one or someone who has made a significant
difference in your life. The minimum funding level for an endowed
scholarship is $25,000, which can be established through a one-time
gift or by making a pledge to the University.
Once you have reached the minimum funding level, you will
receive an annual report like this
one from the Office of Donor Relations detailing the status of
your scholarship and the scholarship recipients. You will
also receive letters of thanks from your recipients annually.
Criteria
Many donors choose to leave their scholarships
“unrestricted,” meaning the University has flexibility in awarding
the endowment to students with the greatest financial need. You may
also choose to focus your endowment in a particular school or field
of study, such as your college and/or major. Criteria are broadly
defined to assure that scholarships are awarded consistently.
Here are a few ways to establish criteria:
• by level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
• by grade point average (e.g., minimum G.P.A. of 3.0)
• by school (e.g., St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, etc.)
• by major (e.g., English, math, finance, accounting)
• by program participation (e.g., Study Abroad, athletics)
Award process
Scholarship recipients are selected by the University’s Office of
Financial Aid based on need and/or scholastic achievement and
according to the donor’s wishes as stipulated in the Scholarship
Agreement.
Naming your scholarship
You may also choose to name your endowed funds for yourself or in
honor or memory of a loved one. Information about the donor or
person(s) for which the fund is named is included in the agreements
and given to the recipient(s).
Donors who establish scholarships impact the lives of students
and help to secure the future of St. John’s!
To find out how you can establish an endowed scholarship, contact
Saskia De Caires ’00C, ’08G, Director, Office of Donor Relations at
(718) 990-5415 or e-mail decaires@stjohns.edu
“As a mother of a four-year old child,
I cannot tell you how hard it is to
pursue school fulltime and work two part-time
jobs to supplement our income. When I realized that
part of my financial aid would be running out
soon and that I would have to make up
the difference, I felt more than a few moments
of panic. This scholarship has allowed me to pursue
and nearly complete an education from St. John’s,
a feat I did not think would be possible
under my present circumstances.
But thanks to this scholarship that goal is no
longer a dream, it will soon become a reality.
Words cannot express my heartfelt gratitude, thank you”.
– Tiandrea Knight '08C