Georgia Commitment Scholarship program, matching funds drove multiyear push
The University of Georgia has passed an exciting milestone with the endowment of its 1,000th need-based scholarship.
“As the birthplace of public higher education in America, UGA is continually working to make higher education affordable and help students pursue their dreams regardless of their economic circumstances,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I am deeply grateful to the many donors who endowed these 1,000 need-based scholarships that will ensure more students have access to a world-class education at UGA for years to come.”
Need-based scholarships, which are awarded on the basis of documented financial need, provide critical resources to a significant portion of the UGA student body. In the 2023-2024 academic year, UGA’s Office of Student Financial Aid awarded more than $9 million in need-based aid, and over 5,000 UGA students received a Federal Pell Grant, which is awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need.
“Many people don’t realize just how prevalent need is among our students,” said Jill S. Walton, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations. “So many students work hard enough that you would never know the responsibilities they’re juggling to try and stay enrolled. What our donors have done for those students is literally life-changing, and the effects extend to the students’ families and communities.”
Increasing the number of endowed, need-based scholarships has been a priority for President Morehead since he took office in 2013, when UGA had only 195 such scholarships. Perhaps the most well-known effort to expand need-based aid at the university is the Georgia Commitment Scholarship program.
Launched in early 2017 with a $30 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the program matches donations intended to establish endowments that award need-based scholarships in perpetuity. Individuals, families, companies and foundations took advantage of the opportunity and created hundreds of scholarships.
“If it weren’t for the kindness and generosity of the donors who created my scholarship, I couldn’t have gone to UGA,” said Savonte Wilson, who received one of the first Georgia Commitment Scholarships. “That scholarship allowed me to grow in my faith, grow in my major and get more involved at UGA.”
When the program’s initial matching gift funding was exhausted, the UGA Foundation made more matching money available, spurring even more donors to contribute.
Of the 1,000 scholarships, many cover general cost of attendance, but others support experiential learning, student veterans, graduate education, first-generation students and more.
“The word that comes to mind for me is ‘stunning,’” said Walton. “Our donors truly stun me with their consistency and generosity. However high we climb as an institution, it will be because we have such strong, reliable support from our alumni and friends. I am so proud to be a Georgia Bulldog.”
