Endowment

Supporting Our Enduring Holy Cross Mission

Gifts to the university’s endowment sustain the Holy Cross mission in perpetuity, while also making it possible for the university to direct institutional resources to our strategic priorities. 

By 2022, donors bolstered the university’s endowment to over $125 million. Now, we seek additional organizations and individuals whose passion for making a difference in lives and communities moves them to invest in the university’s endowment. These gifts provide "forever resources" for the students, faculty, and programs that make St. Edward’s a Destination University for a More Just World. 

Student Success Initiative ($4M)

Launched in 2019, the university’s Student Success Initiative (SSI) pairs each student with an academic coach and a career coach — guiding them through a personalized roadmap for college and their lives, which they collaboratively design in the student’s first year. 

Funded Internships ($1.5M)

Career readiness is the primary interest of nearly every college student. Funded internships ensure professional growth without sacrificing student time they may be reserved for jobs that “pay the bills.” Funded internships also relieve budget pressures from the companies and organizations that wish to hire interns.

Funded Research ($2.5M)

Research gives every college student an edge in graduate school and beyond. At St. Edward’s, Hilltoppers conduct research alongside faculty mentors to gain technical skills while also learning invaluable lessons about the process of discovery: perseverance, observation, teamwork, presentation of their work, and more. 

Endowed Scholarships ($20M)

Scholarships alleviate the financial stress of college and invest in every student’s future. At St. Edward’s, they also relieve institutional pressure to provide financial assistance for students with the greatest need — a $69M investment in 2022. 

Endowed First-Generation Access and Opportunity Scholarships ($20M)

First-generation students are especially vulnerable to financial circumstances. They most often have fewer family resources to aid educational persistence (not only for tuition, but also for books, technology, food and housing) and fewer resources for pre-professional opportunities like study abroad, and more. 

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Endowment ($5M)

In 2022, CAMP at St. Edward’s celebrates its 50-year anniversary and tremendous outcomes for students from migrant, farmworking backgrounds. CAMP’s longevity depends on a stable foundation of financial resources to alleviate dependence on federal funding. 

Endowed Professorships ($10M)

Recruitment and retention of great minds in academia often depend on endowed positions with a steady source of funding and titles of distinction. 

School of Health Sciences Faculty Positions ($2M) 

To launch a School of Health Sciences, the university seeks underwriting for key faculty positions, including a Director of Nursing.