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A donor has pledged the entirety of her remaining estate to Sacramento State so the university can establish a new merit-based scholarship program to support upper-division students.
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The Presidential Scholars Program, announced Wednesday, will cover the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees, books, course materials, supplies and equipment for about 50 students on campus at a time. The program will also provide career preparation, mentoring and other educational experiences to prepare students for “lives of leadership, service, and professional success,” the university said in a statement. Designed for juniors and seniors, the program will have a particular emphasis on high-achieving community college transfer students.
“Education changed the course of my life,” said the donor, who chose to remain anonymous at this time. “I hope this program gives future students the same opportunities that education gave me. If it allows them to focus on learning, pursue their goals with confidence, and build meaningful lives of service and success, then I know this legacy will have accomplished exactly what I hoped.”
A lifelong California educator, the donor’s own higher education journey began at a California community college before she earned her teaching credential and devoted her career to educating young children. Now, she hopes generations of Hornets will be able to complete their degrees and pursue their dreams.
While the donor asked that the specific amount of her commitment remain confidential, the university described it “as an eight-figure planned gift commitment and the largest single such commitment from an individual in Sacramento State’s history.” Since estate gifts are realized at a future date, the ultimate value cannot be known to the exact dollar in advance, said Steven Loya, Sacramento State’s executive director of gift planning.
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The university’s scholarships office already awards nearly $4 million in institutional scholarships each year. But the new Presidential Scholars Program is designed to become Sacramento State’s flagship merit-based scholarship and a “premier student success initiative.” Similar programs, which recognize high-achieving students and combine scholarship support with enhanced academic and developmental opportunities, already exist at several California State University campuses.
University officials collaborated with the donor for nearly a year to design the program and shape its vision, scholarship criteria and student experience. Per the plan, the gift amount will establish an endowment designed to support the program in perpetuity, thereby benefiting generations of students.
“This extraordinary gift reflects the transformative power of education and the enduring impact one person can have on future generations,” said Sacramento State President Luke Wood. “The Presidential Scholars Program will elevate our ability to recruit and retain high-achieving students, strengthen our reputation for academic excellence, and expand opportunities for generations of future Hornets.”
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