Framingham State’s Fundraising Campaign Passes $10 Million Threshold

Framingham State’s Fundraising Campaign Passes $10 Million Threshold

Sep 19, 2016

Framingham State University’s most ambitious fundraising campaign in history has passed the $10 million threshold on its way toward an ultimate goal of $12 million.

The total already represents the most the University has ever raised in a single fundraising campaign.

“At a time when the cost of attending college is becoming less and less accessible to students and families, this campaign is providing us with critical financial support for our students with the greatest level of need,” says Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos. “I cannot begin to properly express my gratitude to everyone who has supported this effort.”

The campaign, titled “Investing in Student Success,” was publicly unveiled during FSU’s 175th Anniversary Gala at the Massachusetts State House in the fall of 2014.

The effort has produced a number of new scholarships and funds dedicated to helping students, including:

-A scholarship fund providing financial assistance to first-generation college students.

-A book voucher fund to defray the cost of purchasing required academic books.

-New scholarship funds dedicated to students in particular departments, including Food and Nutrition, Education, Studio Art/Art Education, Fashion Design and Retailing.

One fund that has had an immediate impact is the Alumni Association Emergency Grant Fund. This new resource provides a lifeline to students facing a financial crisis. In the past year alone, the fund has been used to assist students lacking money to cover their housing deposit, covered a tuition payment for a student whose father suffered a stroke, and allocated funds to furnish a state-provided apartment for a homeless student and her daughter. Students who qualify for assistance are provided with immediate grants of up to $1,000 that do not need to be repaid.

“These funds have allowed us to provide lifelines to students who in the past would very likely have been forced to drop out,” says Eric Gustafson, the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. “It’s no exaggeration to suggest that even modest support can have a life-changing impact on a student.”

The University is about 84 percent of the way to reaching its goal. The campaign is scheduled to wrap up by June 30, 2018.

“We still have some work to do and will be counting on a continued level of strong support to reach our goal,” says Gustafson.

About Framingham State University

Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first public university for the education of teachers. Since that time, it has evolved into a vibrant, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering small, personalized classes on a beautiful New England campus. Today, the University enrolls more than 6,000 students with 58 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields. As a State College and University (SCU), Framingham State prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students.