To help students stay in college or return after a break to complete their degrees, the Saginaw Valley State University Foundation will hold a two-day fundraising campaign to support scholarships, programs and funds designed to relieve urgent financial shortfalls.
SVSU Oppor2nity Days, formerly known as 2/2 for SVSU, will be held Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20. The Foundation’s goal is to raise $90,000 to support students facing critical financial shortfalls caused by emergencies, exhaustion of scholarship eligibility, overwhelming life circumstances and other situations. Donations to the online campaign may be made at svsu.edu/opportunity beginning at midnight on Tuesday, March 19.
“For more than 60 years, SVSU has provided outstanding educational opportunities to people of our region and beyond, preparing them to fill roles in business, health care, education and other sectors.” said Ellen E. Crane, SVSU general counsel and interim executive director of the SVSU Foundation. “Many of today’s students face acute financial challenges that can interrupt, or even end, their education. We want to help every student complete their degree.”
Degree completion is not only beneficial to college students, it also is good for the communities where graduates live and work. College graduates typically earn more – and experience less unemployment – than their counterparts without a college degree. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Furthermore, a report by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation shows that college-educated individuals are more civically active than those without a college degree (https://www.gallup.com/analytics/468986/state-of-higher-education.aspx).
The vast majority of SVSU students receive some form of financial assistance, including scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. Unlike loans, scholarships do not have to be paid back. In addition to making college more affordable, scholarship support can enable students to spend more time on classroom work and field-based learning, as well as enriching extracurricular activities. Many academic scholarships at SVSU include a community service requirement, providing benefits to people outside of the institution.
As in years past, the SVSU Foundation has secured matching funds from local individuals and organizations. So far, 11 entities have pledged $45,600 to match donations made during the campaign. They are: Tri-Star Trust Bank, Covenant Healthcare, Glastender, Bavarian Inn, Jessica Bentoski Pediatric Dental Specialist, Braun Kendrick, IFF, Spence Brothers, Roberto and Serena Garcia, the SVSU Foundation board of directors, and staff from the SVSU Foundation and SVSU Office of General Counsel.
The SVSU Foundation held its first day of giving in 2016. Since then, giving day campaigns have raised nearly $600,000 to fund scholarships and programs, a student emergency fund, the Cardinal Food Pantry, Cardinal Closet, athletics programs and other initiatives.