SAN DIEGO — San Diego Foundation, a local philanthropic group, awarded UC San Diego's Black Alumni Scholarship Fund $500,000 to support Black students attending the university and their educational endeavors.
But the fund advisors have to do one thing first before they can distribute the money to students.
The foundation established a "challenge grant," which means they will provide the awarded funds after the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund raises an equivalent amount of donations. The grant essentially works to double the impact of the donor's gifts.
“We deeply appreciate this strong expression of confidence in our continued growth as a program that is providing more opportunities for outstanding, civic-minded Black students to attend and thrive at our great university,” said Edward Spriggs, Chair of the UC San Diego Black Alumni Scholarship Fund (BASF) at San Diego Foundation in a press release. “This gift from the San Diego Foundation means the world to our current and future students and the BASF advisory board.”
The fund advisors for BASF hope to start with raising $500,000 by 2024 — then $10 million by 2028. If they are successful, they could support 200 additional UC San Diego students annually, which would double the size of the program.
“As the largest scholarships provider in the region outside of the university systems, San Diego Foundation partners with individuals, families, corporations and nonprofit organizations to transform the lives of deserving students through the gift of higher education,” said Pamela Gray Payton, SDF Chief Impact & Partnerships Officer and UC San Diego alumna. “Since the start of their fund, BASF has shown a true commitment to ensuring the success of Black students at UC San Diego.”
BASF was founded in 1983 with the hopes or attracting more students to the university. Over 350 students have received merit-based scholarships since 2002, with roughly $802,000 distributed over the 21 years.
During the fall 2023 semester, BASF awarded a record-breaking number of scholarships to 60 incoming and transfer students.
Those interested in donating can visit the UC San Diego's Black Alumni Scholarship Fund website.
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