Founders Day Challenge

Make a Difference With a Gift of Scholarship

One of the most personal and lasting ways to make a difference in the lives of Rensselaer students is with a gift of scholarship. For 43% of the undergraduate students at Rensselaer, there is a gap between the amount of financial aid available, and the amount of financial aid they need. Your gift toward scholarship can help bridge this gap. Support for scholarships helps keep a Rensselaer education accessible to each one of our talented students. By making this gift, you have a real hand in transforming the life of a student, who in turn, will help change the world.

Annual Giving Opportunity
The Rensselaer Annual Fund Scholars Program provides opportunities for alumni, parents, and friends to support scholarship for multiple Rensselaer students. This program provides financial aid and scholarship support directly to current Rensselaer students, and is critical in allowing students of all backgrounds to follow their dreams, and to have access to a Rensselaer education. With your help, Rensselaer will be able to meet full financial aid need, as a culturally diverse, top-tier technological research university with global reach and global impact.

Signature Giving Opportunities
Rensselaer Annual Fund Assistance Grant
The Rensselaer Annual Fund Assistance Grant was established to provide emergency financial aid to an upperclassman with financial hardship. Through a one-time commitment of $5,000, you will directly provide a much-needed, emergency scholarship gift directly to an individual student in their time of need that will allow them to stay in school and complete their education.

Assistance Grant aid is only available in extreme circumstances, and students are expected to meet stringent criteria in order qualify. Typically, applicants must be full-time students, with an acceptable minimum GPA. Students applying for emergency aid will also be required to provide adequate documentation of the crisis leading to their need for emergency funds.

Patroon Scholars Program
The power to make a difference in the lives of our students is fully realized through the Patroon Scholars Program of the Rensselaer Annual Fund. Since 1995, the Patroon Scholars Program has provided vital scholarship dollars for more than 300 talented Rensselaer students. Rensselaer offers the prestigious Patroon Scholarship only to candidates with strong academic achievement along with demonstrated leadership, service and community involvement.

With an annual gift of $10,000 per year for four (or five*) consecutive years, a scholarship is created in your name, and awarded to an incoming qualified freshman. As the student progresses each year, the scholarship offers an incentive to maintain excellence and builds the type of relationship between the sponsor and student that lasts a lifetime. (*for School of Architecture students)

Supporters of this program are encouraged to meet their students throughout the year, particularly at the annual Patroon and Donor Recognition Brunch, and many have developed lasting relationships over the years. In addition to providing counsel to students, Patroon Scholar donors help to instill a culture of philanthropy at Rensselaer and inspire the next generation to give.

If you would like to make a gift to the Rensselaer Annual Fund Assistance Grant or the Patroon Scholars Program, please contact the Office of Annual Giving at (518) 276-6055 or givenow@rpi.edu.