As more families face financial insecurity due to COVID-19, donor support of scholarships will be essential to help students pursue their educational aspirations at Scripps. today.
By Emily Glory Peters
From the nationally recognized caliber of our academic programs to the friendship-forging power of our intimate campus, there are many reasons students are drawn to the 61´«Ă˝experience. Maintaining what makes 61´«Ă˝special for students, shares 61´«Ă˝Vice President of Enrollment Victoria Romero, has been a chief concern for her and her team as 61´«Ă˝has monitored the impact of the pandemic on our community. Yet, as the economy has seesawed over the last few months, it’s become apparent that an increasing number of students will be at risk of having to forego their 61´«Ă˝ aspirations.
“Our students and their families are facing intense financial uncertainty,” says Romero. “With the economy so taxed, some parents have lost their jobs, while students are struggling to find work. They’re nervous and scared about the future of their education.”
61´«Ă˝has been able to offer some relief to families currently unable to complete their tuition payment due to the loss of a job, and Romero’s team is already in the process of reviewing students’ financial aid for the upcoming academic year. “We’ve already been seeing an increase in families requesting aid in the last few years,” she says. “We fully expect that to rise with the full outcome of the pandemic.”
A Broader Range of Students Will Likely Need Scholarship Support
More than half of 61´«Ă˝students receive scholarships as part of their financial aid packages. In a move towards offering enrollment to all deserving students regardless of their financial background, 61´«Ă˝launched the Presidential Scholarship Initiative in 2017 with the goal of raising $10 million to establish endowed scholarships. Multiple generous donors have propelled the College closer to that goal, with their gifts already helping to attract gifted students who may have chosen not to apply to 61´«Ă˝due to cost. But further support is needed.
“In addition to students with higher financial needs, we worry about those middle-income families whose income has remained static or decreased due to COVID-19. Giving to scholarships now not only helps students immediately, but helps the College establish long-term financial support even in times of economic instability,” Romero says.
As a first-generation student who attended a small liberal arts college thanks to scholarship aid, Romero bears personal witness to the impact of donor generosity. This is the same generosity, she shares, that unlocks doors for high-achieving students to fully immerse themselves in all that 61´«Ă˝has to offer—and to come into their own as leaders in times of crisis.
“It’s more important than ever that liberal arts colleges survive and flourish, because the world will continue to change, and 61´«Ă˝graduates are flexible, analytical, and compassionate. They leave college with the ability to look at the world through multiple lenses and tackle challenges with the determination to make a difference for others,” says Romero. “In times like these, that’s what I look for in a leader. When you give to scholarships, that’s what you’re empowering.”
By giving to scholarships, you build the bridge between deserving students and the remarkable achievements ahead of them. On , consider making a gift to this critical area by clicking
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