A Healthy Endowment: Keeping St. Edward's Affordable.

The endowment ensures that the St. Edward's experience remains accessible to all students. Endowment earnings help:

Keep tuition costs affordable by covering 18 percent of tuition for every student — about five points higher than comparable institutions. Provide scholarships to qualified students, which helps sustain the socioeconomic and cultural mix of students that makes St. Edward's a vibrant community of learners. Ensure the university's ongoing commitment to the Holy Cross educational mission. Support the university's distinctive academic programs and fund faculty research and development, academic chairs and new centers of excellence. Since 1999, St. Edward's has proven its commitment to increase endowment funds.The university's endowment has grown from $33.1 million to more than $58 million as of December 2006, with over half of the funds dedicated to scholarships. While this is significant progress, St. Edward's is committed to building an even a stronger endowment.

Keep Tuition Costs Affordable. Endowment earnings help keep tuition costs affordable and provide scholarships to qualified students. Currently, more than 75 percent of freshmen receive merit- or need-based financial assistance.

Support Distinctive Academic Programs. The endowment makes St. Edward's more attractive to accomplished professors by funding research and attendance at professional meetings, lectures and conferences. In turn, this aids faculty recruitment and retention efforts. As enrollment increases, the addition of new faculty will ensure that the university delivers on its promise of small, personalized learning environments with a 14-to-1 student faculty ratio.

Funds from the endowment also support the university's distinctive academic programs, academic chairs and new centers of excellence. In all, gifts to the endowment provide stability and assurance that St. Edward's will continue to fulfill its educational mission.

If you have specific questions about the endowment or other giving opportunities, please contact Michael Larkin.