Giving to CALA: Scholarships
Scholarship support is one of the top needs of the College. Without adequate levels of scholarship support, CALA risks jeopardizing the education, or the access to it, of our future professionals.
Three top needs exist in terms of creating new scholarships:
---Fifth-year scholarships. Many of our fifth-year students, who predominantly come from low-income families, are UA merit scholars. The Merit Scholars Program only covers costs for four years.
---Freshman scholarships. Recruiting stellar students requires scholarship support. Currently, CALA awards less than half of what its competitors award.
---Graduate scholarships. Recruitment at the graduate level is based on two factors: the quality of the program and the financial aid available. CALA’s two graduate programs have consistently lost potential students, not because of the quality of the programs, but because we couldn’t match the financial aid packages of peer institutions. Not only will these architecture and landscape architecture scholarships provide enhanced opportunities for students in this unique Sonoran environment, but the creation of graduate assistantships and fellowships will provide support to an already small body of faculty.
Typically, named scholarship endowments are created with a minimum of $10,000, which would in turn yield approximately $400 annually to a deserving student, based upon the criteria you outline. This award does not cover the full cost of a class, but is still incredibly important to a student. Donors may either choose to provide this in one payment, or payments may be spread out over a period of years. In today’s dollars, a full tuition-only scholarship would need a $120,000 endowment, in turn yielding a $4,800 scholarship annually. A full-ride scholarship would need a $330,000 endowment, thereby yielding $13,200 in scholarship support annually. While still worthwhile, donors wishing to contribute on a smaller scale may also elect to establish a yearly plan to contribute a “pass-through” scholarship, in their name, to help meet the financial needs of our students.
For more information regarding the needs listed, as well as additional needs, please contact Patricia Coyne-Johnson, Director of Development & Marketing.