Updated Feb. 14, 2019 at 1:20 p.m.
When Aly Jeddy ’93 came to Dartmouth from Pakistan, he did so through an all-expenses paid plane ticket and a scholarship. As a senior partner in McKinsey & Company, Jeddy is now an active participant in the College’s campaign to increase its financial aid for students.
“I could not be more excited,” he said. “Frankly, every opportunity that I’ve ... received in [this] country [has] come from that start [with financial aid]. I am a huge believer in the ability to give ... financial aid to people [who] need it for a Dartmouth education.”
Last week, the College announced the launch of the “250 for Dartmouth’s 250” project. This initiative, in honor of the College’s 250th anniversary, calls for alumni to donate a total of 250 endowed scholarships to students in need of financial aid by the end of the year as a way to celebrate the milestone of the College’s founding. Endowed scholarships are established by donors and invested with the College’s endowment, thus ensuring that they retain their value in perpetuity. These scholarships would contribute directly to Dartmouth students and continue Dartmouth’s tradition of need-blind admissions.
Though alumni have already committed enough donations to fund 148 endowed scholarships, the College is now aiming for 102 additional scholarships of $100,000 or more to hit the ultimate goal of 250 by the end of 2019.
“I think of all of the initiatives in [the Call to Lead] campaign, this is the one I am most excited [about] because I know Dartmouth alumni are generally excited to support this,” said Ellie Loughlin ’89, trustee and co-chair for the Call to Lead campaign.
The Call to Lead campaign — which has already raised almost $2 billion — is aiming to raise at least $500 million for financial aid, with endowed scholarships comprising a large component of this objective. Loughlin added that since financial aid occupies a large presence in the capital campaign, one of the best ways for people to get involved is to donate to an endowed scholarship fund.
“Financial aid is the best way to ensure that Dartmouth can educate the best students, the most talented, diverse and qualified pool of students who apply,” she said. “By having the best financial aid program, we’re able to just offer them the opportunity to study at Dartmouth and we know that it will continue from there.”
In an effort to increase the number of donors, the project has been publicizing the importance of financial aid for current and future Dartmouth students and communicating to potential donors the difference that an endowed scholarship could make in a student’s life, according to Loughlin.
A. George "Skip" Battle '66 recently committed $10 million to support first-generation and low-income students. Battle said that the donation was a way for him to give back to the Dartmouth community and help students more disadvantaged than he was during his time as a Dartmouth student.
“I was delighted with my time at Dartmouth and feel like it changed my trajectory of life,” Battle said. “I was a first-generation college kid and my obligation to Dartmouth is sort of a debt I feel for the education that I had and the way it helped me in life."
College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an email statement that the endowed scholarships will “provide vital assistance to first-generation and low-income students” as well as “create a more level playing field” for all Dartmouth students.
“What I see in this campaign is that the things I love the most about Dartmouth are actually getting better,” Loughlin said. “I think what inspires me is that Dartmouth is a really incredible place. Our reputation is going to continue to get better and our students who are there are stronger and stronger each year, so it’s exciting to be a part of it. It’s an honor to get the support for them.”
