Message from the President

Few endeavors are more important to Cornell than opening its doors to the next generation. Keeping Cornell within reach of talented students from all backgrounds remains an enduring principle of our university, creating greater access and opportunity.

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Our Vision and Goals

With Cornell’s enduring commitment to need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid, we are today’s opportunity university for students of talent, no matter their means, no matter where they were born. The university seeks to be:

• A top destination for outstanding students who gain invaluable educational experiences on campuses that reflect the diversity of our world
• An international model for educational access and opportunity
• A university that graduates rising leaders who have the financial freedom to pursue careers and professions based on interests, not income

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Our Progress

We are making great strides forward toward reaching our goals to change lives, create leaders for tomorrow, and increase Cornell’s student diversity.

• Cornell has increased the size of its grant awards to undergraduates and reduced loan obligations among its students.
• The racial and ethnic diversity of Cornell’s first-year students continues to grow. Students of color comprise more than 36 percent of the Class of 2015.
• It now costs less to attend Cornell than it did a decade ago for families making less than $75,000 a year. We have reduced the loan portion of our aid packages by more than $10,000 for those families.
• Cornell has increased unrestricted grant aid—which is drawn from Cornell’s operating budget—by 25 percent and increased restricted grant aid, in the form of scholarship gifts, by 15 percent.
• More than 45 percent of students who qualify for need-based grant aid receive substantial financial aid grants of $30,000 and higher.
• The number of first-year international students in fall 2011 increased by 24% to 349 students.

Our Priorities

Cornell welcomes gifts of all sizes to support undergraduate scholarships and international undergraduate scholarships. Select opportunities are described below. Challenge matching funds are available to establish endowed or term scholarships.

Cornell Annual Fund for student aid: All gift sizes. Gifts go directly into scholarship funds for high-achieving undergraduate students.

Named scholarship fund: $100,000 and up. Through a challenge match, donors may endow and name a scholarship with a $75,000 gift, payable over five years. Each gift will be matched on a $1 for $3 basis to create a named, endowed scholarship. You can choose to establish a fund in your name, or honor a family member, friend, or mentor.

Cornell Tradition scholarship: $500,000 and up. The Cornell Tradition program awards approximately 600 fellowships each year to Cornell undergraduates who have significant work experience, make meaningful contributions to campus and/or community service, and maintain a high level of academic achievements.

Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholars: $500,000 and up. This competitive scholarship program is open to undergraduates across all fields of study, and affords selected students the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor. Gifts to endow new Rawlings Scholarships can help fund research-support accounts for student use. In addition, students with need will receive financial support for tuition and to reduce their student loans.

Tang international scholarship challenge: $187,500 and up. Through the commitment of Trustee Martin Y. Tang ’70, each gift of $187,500 or more will be matched on a $1 for $3 basis to create endowed scholarships for international undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.