A college education affords many opportunities for graduates, yet for many, that education remains unattainable due to cost.
At the Lubar College of Business, where 35% of undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 29% are eligible for Pell Grants (the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduate students, designed to assist students from low-income households), the need for financial support is significant.
In the last academic year, the Lubar College set a record high for scholarship awards — exceeding $2 million in awards for the first time. More than 650 scholarships were awarded with an average value of just over $3,000.
“This is not just an exciting statistic for the College. Much more than that, it represents a huge door that has been opened for so many of our students,” says Dean Kaushal Chari.
The Lubar College has approximately 115 different scholarship programs that support both undergraduate and graduate students. Awards are based on merit, financial need, or both.
“We are incredibly fortunate that we have a donor base that understands our students’ level need and is passionate about making sure they can have access to a college education,” Chari says.
Sheldon and Marianne Lubar’s $10 million gift to UWM in 2016 included a substantial endowment for the Sheldon and Marianne Lubar Scholarship program, which this year funds 60 students at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Lubars have long touted education as foundational to a person’s ability to succeed and contribute to society, and stated how blessed they feel to be able to help Lubar College students with their education.
At a recent reception where Mr. and Mrs. Lubar met this year’s scholarship recipients, senior Sophie Wiarek expressed her deep gratitude for her four years of support. “I want you to know the incredible difference you have made for me – and for all of us here tonight,” she said.
Scott Haag, retired President & CEO of Moore Oil Company and an emeritus member of the UWM Foundation, established the Haag Family Foundation Scholarship in 2018. He says his goal is to support students in the investment management certificate program so that they can focus on their studies, develop a sense of what they want to accomplish, and maximize their talent.
Senior Drake Dorfman, an accounting major in the investment management certificate program, received a Haag Family Foundation Scholarship this year. He says about his scholarship: “This means that I will be able to more fully focus my efforts on my studies without having to balance them with earning enough to cover not just tuition but my own living expenses. It means that successful individuals believe in our program and are willing to offer financial support towards its students. It also means to me that others believe in investing in my future specifically which to me is both humbling and affirming.”