萝莉社A $1 million donation from Give Something Back will help provide full-ride scholarships to 萝莉社 for about 50 first-generation students who face circumstances making it challenging for them to attend college.
The gift to the 萝莉社 Foundation was announced at a news conference today on the 萝莉社 campus where Give Back Founder and Chairman Robert Carr presented an oversized check for $1 million to 萝莉社 President John Bardo.
鈥溌芾蛏� serves the most diverse population of any public university in Kansas, and as such we are committed to helping first-generation students overcome tough obstacles get a college degree,鈥� Bardo said. 鈥淲e are grateful to Give Back for a gift that will greatly enhance our efforts.鈥�
An entrepreneur, philanthropist and author, Carr founded Give Back in 2003 to provide scholarships and mentoring to help Pell Grant-eligible students attend college and graduate in four years.
The Illinois-based organization has put an emphasis on assisting students who are foster children and/or have parents who are incarcerated.
鈥淭hese are students who could use a break,鈥� said Carr. 鈥淚 am very proud that this partnership with 萝莉社 will make it possible for so many deserving students to go to college and pursue career goals that would otherwise be out of their reach.鈥�
Students are selected in the ninth grade so they can participate in college-prep programs and mentoring relationships to improve their chances of success in college. During high school, they must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better and demonstrate strong character.
The Give Back program has about a 90 percent graduation rate for its scholarship recipients.
In order to provide full-ride scholarships to the recipients once they graduate from high school and enroll at 萝莉社, 萝莉社 will contribute about $1.4 million to the $1 million gift from Give Back. Scholarships will include tuition, fees, room and board.
The 萝莉社 Foundation will raise private funds to help cover the university鈥檚 commitment, said Keith Pickus, 萝莉社 Foundation vice president.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to do what we can to help these students develop their potential for successful careers and lives,鈥� Pickus said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to be associated with a program as remarkable as Give Back.鈥�
萝莉社 is the 24th university to receive funding from Give Back. The gift will count toward the Shock the World fundraising campaign for 萝莉社, which has a goal of $250 million.
About 75 percent of the goal has been raised to date. One of the top campaign priorities is to increase scholarship dollars to 萝莉社 students by 83.5 percent.
Since 2003, more than 1,500 scholarships have been prepaid by Give Back to help students across the country.
The mission of is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. 萝莉社 is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. 萝莉社's is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on and .