$2.5 Million in Bequests to Increase Financial Support for Under-represented Students at Victoria College

$2.5 Million in Bequests to Increase Financial Support for Under-represented Students at Victoria College

by Sally Szuster

Students from under-represented or at-risk groups entering Victoria College in the University of Toronto will have more opportunities to access financial support through the newly created Robins Access Awards Program.

The program, which comprises a suite of innovative Opportunity Awards, will provide over $300,000 every year to Victoria College students. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need and are from underrepresented and at-risk groups including Black, Indigenous and first-generation Canadian students.

Recipients of Opportunity Awards will be able to live in residence on Victoria University’s historic campus during their first year, becoming fully immersed in student life, and will continue to be supported with $5,000 annually in subsequent years of study.

The Robins Access Awards Program has been established to honour the work of Victoria University’s 13th president and vice-chancellor, William Robins, who has been a strong advocate for programs supporting equity, diversity and inclusion for all Victoria University students, and who ended his seven-year tenure on June 30, 2022.

Victoria’s Opportunity Awards are funded from several sources. In 2021, thanks to a generous gift from Bader Philanthropies Inc., Ontario students from racialized and underrepresented groups were prioritized for Victoria’s initial Opportunity Awards.

“The Bader Opportunity Award has been of immense support to me and has eased what has often been very anxious fears of not being able to afford bare necessities. I am forever grateful to Victoria College for providing me with this award, and I deeply hope that it will continue to support the many students at Victoria College who are in a similar position as me,” says one fourth-year student.

Now, a new investment of $2.5 million in bequests from the two estates of Valerie (Husband) Brook Vic 6T3 and Allen Paul Walters has been assigned by Victoria University’s Board of Regents to an endowment fund to support more Opportunity Awards.

“It is deeply meaningful to me to see greater access to our unique undergraduate student experience made possible thanks to the generosity of Vic graduates who recognized how formative their university experiences were in their own lives and, as a result, made these bequests,” says President William Robins.

Victoria has also designated considerable internal funding to fund Opportunity Awards within the program, and has established a new William Robins Opportunity Award to recognize President Robins’ priority of inclusive education and his role in raising funds for Victoria University’s student awards programs over the course of his tenure. Victoria College has an established record of prioritizing needs-based financial aid. All students who demonstrate financial need are guaranteed financial assistance.

“I hear from high school students every day who are so driven, talented and hardworking, but who face real financial obstacles to post-secondary education. I applaud Victoria University for their continued commitment and investment in giving access to students to pursue their dreams. Sustained financial commitment across all four years is pivotal to ensuring that students not only enter the University, but are retained and can transition into successful alumni,” says Lydia Gill, manager, access and equity recruitment, University of Toronto.

“Victoria University benefits immensely by having a student body with diverse cultural perspectives, economic backgrounds and personal experiences. I can’t think of a greater honour than to have my name attached to these awards, and for Victoria University to celebrate a community that is living up to its commitment to inclusion,” says Robins.