If you know anything about Virginia Commonwealth University, you know it’s different here. Like many public research universities, we strive to achieve distinction in education, research, service and patient care. We cultivate discovery, creativity and talent. And we foster collaboration to advance learning, entrepreneurship and inquiry.
But we focus on more than excellence. At VCU, access is just as important. We believe a college degree should be within reach of anyone motivated enough to pursue one.
People come here from every imaginable walk of life to achieve their dreams, making our student body the most diverse of any university in Virginia.
College is expensive. Tuition and fees, not to mention the cost of books, supplies and other expenses, continue to outpace the rate of inflation. State support for higher education continues to decrease, as does the amount parents can contribute to help their students. In 2017, 65% of public and private nonprofit college students graduated with loan debt — an average of $28,650.
The Invest in Me scholarship initiative is dedicated to raising funds to support our students. Scholarships that reward excellence and achievement. Scholarships that open doors to opportunity and eliminate barriers to access. Scholarships that nurture talent across every field, whether in the performing arts, athletics, leadership, math or engineering.
Your investment in scholarships at VCU can make a college degree accessible for any student, helping them stay the course through graduation. You can reduce a student’s need to work, or work as much, and instead focus on studying. But most importantly, you can show a student that they are where they belong, that they are supported, and that someone believes in them.
These are the doctors, job creators, engineers, social workers, dentists and artists — the changemakers — of tomorrow.
Invest in them. Your support today is an investment not just in their future but in all of our futures.
