A named scholarship endowment creates a lasting legacy while strengthening Sewanee’s ability to provide financial aid to our students into the foreseeable future.

Endowments create long-term strength for the University’s financial aid program, allowing us to continue to provide opportunity to students who otherwise would not have access to a Sewanee education. Supporting the University’s endowment is an excellent way to ensure your gift is sustained in perpetuity, as only the earnings from the endowment are spent each year, and the principal gift is kept intact for the future.

As of June 30, 2022, Sewanee’s endowment stood at $439,971,156. Endowments at schools such as Davidson, whose endowment is over $1.3 billion, and Washington & Lee, whose endowment reaches over $2 billion, allow them to meet the full demonstrated financial need of their students. Sewanee must add at least an additional $200 million to the endowment to meet this challenge and remain competitive.

SCHOLARSHIP NEEDS AT SEWANEE
  • Percentage of students who receive need-based aid: 50.5%
  • Average need-based aid award: $39,893

Generations of Sewanee students have been able to matriculate and thrive at Sewanee because of the University’s strong scholarship tradition. Contributions to scholarship endowments reduce the amount of scholarship aid that must come from the operating budget, freeing up more of these funds for new programming, faculty compensation, facility improvements, and other campus needs.

Named scholarship endowments start at $150,000, and commitments may be pledged over three to five years. If a donor does not wish to establish a new endowment themselves, they may contribute to an existing endowment or join with friends and family to create an endowment together.

Once a new endowment is established, donors may grow it by directing their future charitable contributions and even planned gifts to their endowment. The next generation of a donor’s family can also continue building on their legacy by contributing to the endowed scholarship. The larger an endowment grows, the more Sewanee is able to award in scholarship aid to our students each year, ensuring that Sewanee is able to attract the best and most diverse student body possible.

Giving Opportunities
  • An endowed gift at the entry level of $150,000 will fund a scholarship in the amount of $7,500 each year.
  • A gift to the endowment in the amount of $250,000 funds a $12,500 scholarship each year.
  • An endowed gift of $500,000 will cover the average aid award for Sewanee students at $25,000 each year.
  • An $800,000 gift to the endowment will cover the average need-based scholarship awarded to Sewanee students at $40,000 per year.
  • An endowed gift of $1.5 million will fund a full scholarship to Sewanee each year.