Establishing an Ave Maria Scholarship
Your generous gift will open doors of opportunity to exceptional students from all backgrounds
Establishing a scholarship at Ave Maria University helps ensure the University can practice need-blind admission, selecting undergraduates based solely on their faith and their talents inside and outside the classroom, rather than on their ability to pay. The extraordinary commitment of AMU alumni, parents, and friends makes it possible for us to provide scholarships — not loans — to every undergraduate with demonstrated financial need.
Your gift of $25,000 or more annually establishes a scholarship. This funding provides a personal connection to students and offers a deeply gratifying way to give back. Donors who establish scholarships receive annual reports with information about their student recipients, and we actively encourage students to correspond with scholarship benefactors. Many recipients and donors also find tremendous inspiration in connecting with each other in person.
Last year, Ave Maria awarded scholarships to 75% of students who applied for need-based aid. Your contributions empower us to continue forming future saints who will serve as fountainheads of renewal for the Church.
Being an Ave student has completely changed my life, both spiritually and academically. Without my scholarship, I couldn’t have come to Ave Maria. The alternative was community college, which would not have formed my faith and intellect. I am grateful for the opportunities that were given to me through this gift.
— Sarah Roche, '24
Undergraduate Support ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS
Ave Maria University is supported by a commitment to meet the full demonstrated need of all undergraduates throughout their four years on campus. We are one of only a few colleges and universities that can honor such a pledge. This promise of access to every qualified student is a vital part of our identity. Scholarship funds endowed in perpetuity form the foundation of this commitment. By establishing an endowed need based scholarship, you can:
Support a faithful Catholic community that encompasses diverse insights, perspectives, and questions.
Open doors to life-changing opportunities.
Contribute to the betterment of the world, as graduates from all walks of life emerge as leaders in their communities, churches, and workplaces.
STAYING ACCESSIBLE
Recent enhancements to AMU’s financial aid program affirm the University’s pledge to provide access to students across the economic spectrum.
Many students from families earning less than$75,000 a year pay no tuition. Students from families with higher incomes (particularly those with more than one child in college) also qualify for financial aid assistance.
A CRITICAL AND ACCELERATING NEED
Today, more than half of our undergraduates rely on need-based aid from the University. Furthermore, both the percentage of students requiring aid and the overall amount of aid granted to students are likely to increase significantly as we strive to further our mission.
Ave Maria University has nearly tripled its funding for need-based financial aid since 2006. In recent years, AMU has depended on a larger share of the University’s general funds to meet the growing need for financial aid, redirecting resources that would otherwise be available for other educational and research priorities. Importantly, gifts to AMU scholarships reduce the University’s reliance on tuition revenue and unrestricted funds to meet the ever-growing demand for financial assistance. This, in turn, allows us to strengthen our academic programs, support our faculty, and continue our mission of helping students discover joy in the Truth.
For the foreseeable future, the combined funding from endowed scholarships and expendable gifts, such as the Ave Maria Scholarship Fund, will not fully meet the financial aid needs of our students. Ave Maria’s commitment to remaining faithfully Catholic and maintaining need-blind admission remains steadfast. That’s why raising funds for expendable scholarships and endowed scholarships continues to be one of the University’s highest fundraising priorities.
An endowed scholarship fund can be established with a minimum gift of $100,000, which can be pledged over four years. As the fund’s value increases over time, it will support and impact more students.
EXPENDABLE AVE MARIA SCHOLARSHIPS
$25,000+ Named Scholarship
$100,000 Distinguished Scholarship
ENDOWED AVE MARIA SCHOLARSHIP GIVING LEVELS
$100,000 Distinguished Scholarship
$250,000 Trustee Scholarship
$500,000 Marian Scholarship
$1,000,000 Collegiate Scholarship
$3,000,000 University Scholarship
$5,000,000 Presidential Scholarship