"What is a Senior Gift?"
Bryn Mawr’s Senior Gift program has been in place for over 20 years, beginning with the Class of 1990. The program has evolved into an exciting tradition in which students recognize all they have been given by Bryn Mawr and now seek to give back in their final year as a student. Nearly every graduating class since 1990 has participated in the Senior Gift, and since the Class of 2007, each senior class has sought to engage more donors than the previous class.
Last year, the Class of 2012 set two records with 87% participation and $6,891 raised.
"Where does my gift go?"
The Senior Gift is part of The Bryn Mawr Fund, which supports Bryn Mawr’s greatest and most immediate needs. Donations to The Bryn Mawr Fund from alumnae, parents, friends, and students have funded student internships, faculty enhancements, scholarships and financial aid, and countless resources that make a Bryn Mawr education what it is.
Every student is familiar with the cost of tuition, but few know that the true cost of a Bryn Mawr education is around $75,000 per student. How is that possible? About 42% of each student’s education is subsidized by philanthropy, meaning every Bryn Mawr student receives a hidden “scholarship” of $24,500 contributed by grants, the endowment, and gifts to The Bryn Mawr Fund.
"Why give?"
Giving back to the College is a shared responsibility for all alumnae regardless of age or means. Every gift, regardless of amount, is important, because it increases the College’s participation rates.
- Participation in The Bryn Mawr Fund is the sole measurement of alumnae satisfaction with their college used by the outside world and rating agencies, such as U.S. News and World Report. More donors equals a higher rating!
- Corporations and foundations that award research grants and funding for campus projects examine participation rates before choosing to support Bryn Mawr.
- A devoted Senior Gift effort encourages other alumnae to give back; it shows that current Bryn Mawr students continue to be as engaged and as passionate as those who came before them.
