Community Campaign: All about the students

 

The number of scholarships, bursaries and awards have more than doubled from 1996 to 2004, from 329 to 833, worth close to $1 million. However, this still only covers 3 per cent of the Concordia student population.

Studies have shown that 70 per cent of students who drop out of university do so for financial reasons. More than 50 per cent of Concordia students receive some form of government aid, yet the university is only able to help 30 to 40 per cent of the students who apply.

The same is true on the graduate side, where students tend to be older and likely to have even more financial responsibilities. Only 5 per cent of grad students who applied for fellowships in 2003-04 received them.

Still, the upward progress of the number and size of gifts shows that things are improving — and the Concordia community has proven to be very generous.

Fifty named awards are now handed out yearly thanks to Concordia faculty and staff, including 12 new scholarships and bursaries from last year’s campaign. In total, 168 students benefited from the Concordia community’s largesse. Already this year, CUPFA, the Faculty of Engineering & Computer Science and the Faculty of Arts & Science have helped established five new awards.

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Your Support is Priceless,” and in a very real sense, that’s true. The effect of these awards is substantial in terms of their impact on the recipients’ studies, their wellbeing and their attitudes toward their university experience.

The smiles on the faces of the recipients at the annual awards breakfast speak volumes.

Knowing that it’s all about helping students makes giving worth every penny.