COLUMBIA, S.C. — SCICU posted another strong year of fundraising in support of independent colleges and universities in S.C. During its fiscal year ending August 31, 2019, SCICU raised nearly $500,000 in support of scholarships, emergency student financial aid, student research, and special functions.
Named Scholars Program
Prominent among SCICU fundraising is the Named Scholars Program. During SCICU’s 2018-2019 fiscal year, major corporate donors contributed $350,000 for scholarships. The funds will be disbursed to SCICU member institutions in late September according to the donor’s specific eligibility requirements (GPA, specific majors, specific residency requirements, etc.). Please click here to learn more about the various scholarship programs available to students attending SCICU member colleges and universities.
Discretionary Scholarship Program
Helping students complete their degrees by persevering through financial hardship is another fundraising priority for SCICU. During the 2018-2019 fiscal year, SCICU donors contributed almost $82,000 for the Discretionary Scholarship Program. SCICU provides the discretionary funds to member institution’s financial aid offices for helping students who experience unexpected financial difficulties. These seemingly small problems – sometimes just a few hundred dollars – can be the insurmountable roadblock that results in a struggling student dropping out. Please click here to learn more about this college completion grant program for students at SCICU colleges and universities.
Undergraduate Student Research
Funding undergraduate student research is another major focus of SCICU’s fundraising efforts. During the fiscal year ending August 31, SCICU received $54,375 for supporting undergraduate research at SCICU’s colleges and universities. SCICU supplements the research donations with earnings from its endowment for funding the annual Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Program. Please click here to learn more about this opportunity for students to gain substantial professional research experience through faculty-mentored research projects.
Special Functions
SCICU’s Business Partner program highlights businesses and services that can benefit our campuses and SCICU friends, while also offsetting the costs associated with SCICU’s website and other technology. Other special function funding supports SCICU’s Excellence In Teaching Awards Dinner as well as semi-annual board meetings, college/university collaboration meetings, and regional trustee receptions.