Scholarships provide opportunities to students who may not have been able to attend college without financial assistance. As the number of students attending Utah Valley University increases, UVU depends increasingly on scholarships funded by donors. Any gift, no matter the size, can change the life of a student in need.
UVU's goal is to provide financial assistance to every student with demonstrated need. With each donation, we move closer to accomplishing that goal. You can help support a UVU student by making a donation of any size to a scholarship fund of your choice.
"I plan on studying aviation sciences to become a pilot for the military. My family is so proud of me for earning this scholarship. My degree will help me experience a different life than I have ever known." -Maia Hender, UVU Presidential Scholarship Recipient
| A gift of any amount to the UVU Foundation Scholarship Fund is combined with other donor gifts to support students. |
| A named annual scholarship can be established with a total donation of $25,000. The donation may be paid over a period of up to five years. A minimum payment of $5,000 is required annually. |
| When a donation is received of enough funds to be invested, the accrued interest is used to fund a yearly scholarship. For example, an endowment gift of $40,000 provides an annual scholarship award of $1,600 in perpetuity. Similarly, an endowment gift of $50,000 provides an annual scholarship of $2,000 and an endowment gift of $150,000 provides a student with an annual scholarship for full tuition and fees. |
Should you wish to establish a named scholarship, please contact Vicky Hopper, Director of Annual Giving at vicky.hopper@uvu.edu or 801-863-5426." and change it to "Contact us for more information on establishing a named scholarship or supporting an existing scholarship." then add a contact box for me and Shaun.
The UVU Foundation currently uses a very traditional endowment investment model that consists of a 70-30% split between equities and fixed income strategies. The portion of our portfolio that is in equities is managed with Merrill Lynch and KeyBank. Both investment groups strive to maintain a portfolio managed across a variety of public equities. These funds are benchmarked, and our performance is managed accordingly.
The fixed income portion of our portfolio consists of loans to the university. This allows UVU to have access to funds without having to bond, while providing the UVU Foundation a guaranteed revenue stream. This also fulfills the foundation's mission to support the university. These rates are in the 5-6% range.
The foundation anticipates further expanding our portfolio to better reflect those of our peers across the country. This would include the addition of assets in energy, commodities, and private equity funds.
As is the case for most university foundations, the UVU Foundation typically holds a payout rate of approximately 5%, even during periods of higher interest, in order to help build the corpus of an endowment. The UVU Foundation's portfolio is currently bolstered by a significant portfolio of loans to the university, which are being paid at above 5%. The performance of the endowment and the yield of individual funds are regularly reviewed. If during the annual review it becomes clear that the agreed disbursement for an individual fund is no longer covering the cost of the donor's intent, the foundation will proceed as follows:
Most endowments are established with the potential for inflation in mind and ensure that sufficient principal exists to lead inflation for the foreseeable future. However, during times of a low or zero interest rate, the UVU Foundation Board may choose to freeze all endowment payouts, ensuring that the corpus is preserved. Once rates rise sufficiently to allow for the agreed-upon disbursements, the endowment will resume normal operation.
No. The university and the foundation pay all costs associated with administering and handling endowments. The only exception to this rule is with real estate gifts that are used to create an endowment.
At UVU, a student who qualified for federal Pell Grants is considered needy. Students qualify for a Pell Grant if it is determined that they are at or below the poverty level. Eligibility is decided based on each student's personal circumstances.
Merit for scholarships is determined on a sliding scale. Each year, a cutoff is determined that balances both GPA and entrance exam scores. Any student whose GPA or scores are above the cutoff will receive a scholarship.
All students declare majors at the time of their acceptance to UVU.
Undergraduate tuition year-over-year comparisons can be viewed here.
If it will take three to five years to build an endowed scholarship, donors may choose to provide sensible funds for immediate use while the endowment is building.
