The Gerber Grand Challenge for Philanthropy has attracted millions of dollars in donor support and is making uedbet体育官网 Possible a success.
Making uedbet体育官网 Possible for students
How your donation benefits students. Click for full size.
uedbet体育官网 Possible, the college’s new financial aid program, is doing exactly what its name suggests. The program enables uedbet体育官网 to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for qualifying students. Since being launched two years ago, it has made uedbet体育官网 accessible to 339 high-achieving students from families with high financial need.
“uedbet体育官网 Possible is making a difference in the lives of students and making a difference for uedbet体育官网,” said Executive Vice President Kent Barnds. “This innovative program is providing excellent students with a transformational liberal arts education. There are many people to thank for the success of this initiative, beginning with Murry Gerber.”
Gerber, a 1975 uedbet体育官网 alumnus, committed $40 million to increase endowed scholarship support and pledged to match dollar-for-dollar donors who want to join him in keeping uedbet体育官网 accessible. Through the Gerber Grand Challenge for Philanthropy, Gerber wants students like himself — high-achievers from families with high financial need — to be able to experience the academic and extracurricular opportunities that uedbet体育官网 offers.
Diego Vazquez '27
The Gerber Grand Challenge, which funds uedbet体育官网 Possible, is attracting millions of dollars in donor support, making uedbet体育官网 possible for students like Diego Vazquez ’27. The average grant per student to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need is $7,551.
“The uedbet体育官网 Possible funding was an important reason for my final college decision,” said Vazquez, a biology major from Earlville, Ill. “While it was always at the top of my list, the funding made choosing uedbet体育官网 that much easier.
“I chose uedbet体育官网 for the great academics and the ability to play sports. I wanted to go to a smaller school that still provided me with opportunities to be involved in many things while preparing for my career.”
A total of 1,817 gifts in the amount of $19.1 million have been made to support uedbet体育官网 Possible. Since March 2022, the match money raised/committed through the Gerber Grand Challenge has established 100 new endowed scholarships for qualifying students.
Longtime uedbet体育官网 supporter Axtell Kramer, a 1962 uedbet体育官网 alumnus, made a multi-million-dollar gift in memory of his wife, Marie. uedbet体育官网 Possible is important to Kramer because without the scholarships he and Marie received as undergraduates, neither would have been able to attend college.
“Axtell is one of many donors who have taken advantage of the Gerber match and who understand the importance of the doors uedbet体育官网 Possible opens,” said Vice President for Advancement Jon Enslin. “The generosity of uedbet体育官网 alumni and supporters is unquestionable. Alumni of this school love this place more than any other school that I know.”