Scholarships open doors, minds, and hearts
At the University of Minnesota, we care about the whole student—so when you make a scholarship gift, you not only reduce the financial burden of attending a premier institution, you help foster the curiosity, talent, and potential of our students.
We offer many ways to support students, and our team is here to help you explore your options, align your gift with your goals, and create a meaningful impact. Explore this site to learn more about making a gift to an existing scholarship fund, find out how to establish your own scholarship fund, and get to know some of our accomplished scholarship recipients.
Support a scholarship
Help students reach their full potential by providing the financial support not only to help with tuition but also to conduct research, pursue an internship, study abroad, secure on-campus housing, afford essential books and supplies, and more. Make a gift today to one of the scholarship funds below or search our giving site for more funds.
William Y., ‘25
“To my family, this scholarship represents hope and a brighter future. It eases their financial burden and allows them to see me pursue my dreams with less worry. The donation has been an absolute lifeline, relieving me of a substantial part of my financial stress, and I am sincerely thankful. I am committed to making the most of this opportunity and hope to one day pay it forward by helping others achieve their dreams, just as I have been supported on my journey.”
Mekede R., ‘26
“This scholarship allowed me to fully embrace my internship experience in Florence and enrich both my academic and artistic career. I was able to grow my network, professionalism, and cultural competency through the work I did with clients, seeing the behind the scenes of how they run their business, and getting a taste of what international business is like.”
Sarai M., '26
“I am deeply grateful for the support from scholarship donors, as it has allowed me to pursue my academic and personal goals without financial barriers. Your generosity is an investment not only in my future but in the futures of the communities I will serve. Thank you for believing in students like me.”
Create a scholarship: Step-by-step
Define your goals
Do you want to support:
- A new student starting their first year at the U? Or a returning student who has completed at least one year at the U?
- A student who has financial need?
- A student from a specific geographic area or high school?
- A student's academic interest?
Also consider duration: do you want a student to receive the scholarship for one year or their entire time at the U?
Choose a scholarship type
Demand scholarship
- $5,000 minimum to establish fund
- 100% of the balance is available for spending
- Established for gifts designated for current scholarship support that should be invested in the short-term, low-risk pool
Demand scholarship example
A couple—both graduates of the U of M—is interested in creating a scholarship for students from their hometown. They create a scholarship for students from the county where their hometown is located, with a preference for students from their former high school.
They make an outright gift of $40,000 to provide two students a scholarship for each of their four years at the University. The fund will close when the two students graduate, unless additional contributions are made to increase funding and/or support additional students.
Endowed scholarship
- Established for gifts intended to exist into perpetuity
- $50,000 minimum to establish fund (funds are pooled for investment purposes)
- Investment earnings and spending allocations are performed on a monthly basis; investment return in excess of the spending policy is reinvested to the fund principal
- Scholarship awards are made through allocating 4.5% of the five-year trailing average of the fund principal
Endowed scholarship example
Influenced by her experience as a scholarship recipient, a local nonprofit leader wants to give back to current U of M students. Her scholarship allowed her to take advantage of the many extracurricular activities the University offers, so this donor makes a commitment of $250,000 to support students who have a commitment to volunteerism and serving the community. The scholarship will support four students per year with $2,500 scholarships each year. The students will receive the scholarships for each of their four years at the U.
Quasi-endowed scholarship
- Treated like endowments for investment purposes, but can have a greater impact through a larger threshold available to be awarded (up to 20% of the total balance)
- $25,000 minimum to establish fund
Quasi-endowed scholarship
An alumnus of the University who moved away after graduating has recently retired and is interested in supporting students. Wanting to make a greater impact now—but still provide support over the long term—this donor establishes a quasi-endowed scholarship because of his interest in providing a larger scholarship award over a longer term. His initial gift of $150,000 is supported with additional annual gifts of $15,000. His scholarship awards four separate $5,000 scholarships each year.
Contact us
Ready to explore the possibilities? Contact our team to discuss your options and take the first step toward creating a meaningful scholarship.
Scholarships by the numbers
Twin Cities campus
Impact stories
Well-designed path
With a strong vision and support from faculty and fellow students, Peter Grace blazed his own academic trail at the U.
A community of care
With a ‘transformative’ internship under her belt, President’s Emerging Scholar Fathia Warsame is making plans to advance health equity after graduation.
"We think programs, like forgiving student loans, can come and go. But in some small way we've created something that won't go, that will always be there. So anybody who can do that — create something [like a scholarship] that lives forever and won't be taken away — there's something nice about being part of a forever gift."
— Jeff and Holly Parker, who established the Parker Family Scholarship to support students with financial need.
Contact us
Interested in learning more about supporting a current scholarship or creating one yourself? Submit your information below and someone from our team will be in touch with you soon.
Our team
Hannah Baines
Jason Borah
Hannah LaPan
Erica Perrin