Bowling Green State University announced a multi-million dollar expansion and extension plan of one of its scholarship funds this week, which, if realized, would make it one of the largest gifts to a scholarship fund in state history.
The Thompson Working Families Scholarship program is a public-private partnership between BGSU and the Thompson Foundation. Bob and Ellen Thompson, philanthropists and BGSU alumni, have already donated nearly $121 million to the university.
At an event last week in Bowling Green, the Thompson Foundation announced its intent to donate another $30 million to extend the scholarship program through 2035.
The scholarship, which began in 2014, is a program to help “high-achieving students overcome financial barriers to higher education,” according to BGSU. It combines funding from the Thompson Foundation with matching university dollars and gifts from additional donors.
“The impact of this gift is immeasurable, and we are incredibly grateful for the Thompsons’ continued confidence in BGSU and our students,” Bowling Green President Rodney K. Rogers said.
From its inception to its expected completion in 2035, the program will be responsible for creating nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in scholarships, according to BGSU. This latest contribution from the Thompsons will be the largest in BGSU history, the largest single gift dedicated to student scholarships in the state of Ohio history, and one of the largest non-endowed scholarship programs of its kind in the nation.
The partnership requires Bowling Green to meet a dollar-for-dollar match of funds given by the Thompson Foundation and a guarantee that at least 80% of scholarship recipients graduate in four years or less.
Scholarship recipients, known as Thompson Scholars, receive $11,000 each academic year. The scholarship covers a majority of tuition costs — in-state BGSU students paid $13,519 this academic year. But the program requires that students cover the rest and complete other requirements, like required community service hours and maintaining academic progress.
The Thompsons say it is all about an “accountability approach.”
“When we first created this scholarship program, we wanted to make sure the dollars were put to good use with accountability throughout the entire process,” Bob Thompson said Thursday. “BGSU has proven this accountability approach works, and we are excited to publicly express our intentions to expand and extend this program into the next decade. Ellen and I are pleased to support BGSU students who have financial need and are willing to work hard at a university that has proven its ability to support them and match these scholarship dollars.”
There are currently 1,063 Thompson Scholars receiving scholarship funds this academic year. In the 2022-23 academic year, the average Thompson Scholar GPA was 3.59 and they performed a combined 26,532 hours of community service.
Roger said BGSU is committed to matching the funds needed to support students.
In addition to the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program, the Thompsons support two additional scholarship programs at BGSU: the Robert and Ellen Thompson Military Scholarship program and the Sidney A. Ribeau President’s Leadership Academy.
The Thompson Scholarship programs have already served 2,200 BGSU students. The additional funding is expected to bring that total to 6,200.
The Thompsons also plan to double their support of the Ribeau President’s Leadership Academy annual cohort from 10 students to 20 students and will provide about $23 million in scholarship funding through the life of this program. Thompson Scholars selected for the Ribeau President’s Leadership Academy are students who attended U-Prep charter schools based in Detroit, Michigan. The U-Prep school buildings were also wholly funded by the Thompsons.
Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.
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