A note from Laurie Hennen

It gets more difficult every year for students to finance their education. The average student now graduates with $10,000 in student loans, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. For CBS students, that’s just the beginning, since most continue on to graduate or professional school.

CBS awards 89 undergraduate scholarships and 17 fellowships each year, thanks to generous alumni, faculty and friends who want to make the CBS experience affordable for today’s students. But those gifts can’t keep pace with the growing number of qualified students who apply for them. Some choose other colleges and universities that can provide more substantial support.

Our students and our curriculum get better every year. This fall we had 6,400 applicants for 400 places in the freshman class. The average freshman graduated at the 94th percentile of his or her class and earned a score of 30 on the ACT. In 2010, the undergraduate curriculum got thumbs up from an external review team that included the editor of Science and past president of the National Academy of Sciences.

To maintain this trajectory of excellence, the number and amount of scholarships needs to keep pace with the quality of students and curricula. Bright, hard-working students shouldn’t have to begin their careers burdened by debt.

You can make a difference by donating to an existing fund or creating an endowed scholarship. The minimum amount to create an endowed scholarship is $25,000. I know that sounds like a lot of money but it’s much easier than you think. We can structure it so you can make payments over several years. It’s a meaningful way to create a lasting legacy. Alumni in a variety of financial circumstances have done this.

If that’s not within your reach, I encourage you to contribute to an existing endowed scholarship. To read descriptions, go to our scholarships and fellowships page.

Please know that whatever you give, you will make a difference. And your gift will be as rewarding to you as it is to a student.

Laurie M. Hennen, Director of Development, hennen@umn.edu, 612-624-9460