Reach: Summer 2009

Even in hard times, there's much to be grateful for. Last May, yet another batch of talented CLA graduates crossed perhaps the most important stage of their lives—in Northrop Auditorium.

The world they ventured into requires smarts and grit, not to mention a mother lode of CLA ingenuity and know-how. And one of the more daunting challenges that many will face is a hefty load of debt. We think their CLA education is worth millions. But it's no secret that even those who land the job of their dreams could be hobbled by significant debt well into the next decade.

Fortunately, some will go into the world with a smaller debt load, thanks to the generosity of our donors. In 2008-09, CLA awarded nearly 1,000 scholarships and fellowships totaling more than $4 million. That's an impressive number. But with roughly 16,500 undergraduate and graduate students in the college, the bucket is still barely six percent full.

It certainly won't come as news to you that our students and their families are facing some of the hardest times in decades, and so is our college. And yet, as President Obama noted this spring in his speech on education, a college education is more necessary than ever.

I can certainly understand if you say that now is not the time for us to be asking you for support. After all, the dismal economy has hurt everyone. But there's also never been a better time to give. The need is critical. And the cumulative impact of not giving could be catastrophic for our students, not to mention for our college.

We understand that a President's Club gift ($25,000 or more) is beyond the capacity of many of our donors, and may be a stretch even for those who have given at that level in past years. But we've taken very seriously President Bruininks's call for new ideas and creative solutions in these times. And as we've brainstormed, we've found that sometimes the best new ideas are revivals of old ones.

So we've renewed a successful giving program called the Legacy Scholarship program. Here's how it works: We ask donors to make an annual gift of $3,000, which will be awarded directly to a student who meets the selection criteria—financial need and merit. Why $3,000? That amount is based on research showing that $3,000 is roughly the breaking point for many students; it can make the critical difference between enrolling or not, between staying in school or dropping out. If it's the latter, just think of the loss of human potential—and at what cost to Minnesota!

Today's CLA students are tomorrow's creative problem solvers and trailblazers in every field. If you invest in our students, I promise that you won't be disappointed. If you want to know more, go to cla.umn.edu or contact me at hicks002@umn.edu or 612-625-5541.

To contribute to the Legacy Scholarship: cla.umn.edu/legacy/