Scholarships at Bradley University

Annual Scholarships

The amount of the scholarship is donated and expended each year. Annual scholarships begin at $1,000. We recommend that the scholarship be one-third, one-half, or full tuition instead of a fixed amount, to maintain its “purchasing power.”

Endowed Scholarships

A scholarship fund is invested, and only the earnings generated are awarded. Currently, a $25,000 endowment provides a $1,125 award. An endowed scholarship can be established with a one-time gift or a series of gifts. Additional contributions to a scholarship fund may be made at any time. Endowed scholarships benefit students in perpetuity. Both annual scholarships and endowed scholarships are established through a memorandum of agreement that clearly communicates your wishes.

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Annual and endowed scholarships can be established in:

• Your name
• Your family’s name
• Your organization’s name, or
• In honor or in memory of another individual

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

If you wish, you may restrict eligibility for your scholarship to students who have demonstrated financial need, are new students or upper level students, are pursuing a particular course of study, or are from a certain part of the country, for example.

More open criteria make scholarships easier to administer and ensure that eligible student(s) can be found each year.

Your Gift is Appreciated

Scholarships are very important to students and therefore to Bradley, and we express our appreciation in a number of ways.

• Scholarship donors are invited to an annual luncheon where you can meet your student scholarship recipients and they can express their appreciation. The luncheon for endowed scholarships is held in the Fall. The luncheon for Annual scholarships is held in the Spring.
• Students also send thank you letters to their scholarship donors, and this correspondence can open the door for an ongoing and mutually beneficial relationship between student and donor. Many students need an encouraging word from time to time and you can be the perfect person to provide this lift. At the same time, you can see for yourself how your contribution is benefiting a young person’s life.
• Endowed scholarships are also listed separately in the President’s Report.