Highest Needs

University of Richmond Annual Fund

The University of Richmond Annual Fund is the most popular form of support received from Spider alumni, families, and friends. These gifts are unrestricted, meaning University leadership can use them wherever needed most. They have an immediate and meaningful impact on the student experience, supporting financial aid, academics, residential life, wellness, and extracurriculars. 

Dedicated Annual Funds

Many donors like to direct their annual fund gift to a specific school or college. These gifts help our academic deans meet their most pressing needs. There are dedicated annual funds for the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business, Leadership Studies, Law, and Professional & Continuing Studies, as well as for Richmond and Westhampton Colleges.

The Spider Athletic Fund (SAF) provides financial support for Richmond Athletics through philanthropic contributions from Spider alumni, fans, families, and friends. 

Financial Aid

The University of Richmond prides itself on offering some of the best financial aid anywhere. We are one of a handful of universities that meets 100% of demonstrated need and is “need blind” in making admission decisions. In addition, all first-year applicants, regardless of need-based eligibility, are considered for merit-based aid, including full tuition scholarships and interest-based programs.

This generous financial aid is supported by endowed scholarships created by alumni, families, and friends to ensure Richmond is accessible to deserving students from all socio-economic levels. However, student need is greater than the income produced from these endowments and fluctuates annually based on economic factors and the composition of each class. Funds that can be used immediately are critical to meeting this need. 

Immediate Use Funds

Named Annual Scholarships: Donors may create a named annual scholarship with a commitment of $5,000 or more given annually for five (5) years (a $25,000 minimum gift). Each year the gift is received, it will be awarded to a student, in its entirety, during the next financial aid award cycle.  

Undergraduate Financial Aid: Gifts to the Undergraduate Financial Aid are immediately available to help students with financial aid. There is no minimum gift or long-term commitment required.

Law Dean’s Opportunity Scholarships: Law School Dean Wendy Perdue and her husband, David, established this program in 2019 to support Law School students with high financial need and high future potential to help reduce the tremendous unmet need that law students have for financial aid.

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS

Opportunities for named, endowed scholarships begin at $50,000 and provide tuition support in perpetuity.

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND

Sometimes, students may experience a personal and/or family emergency or other financial challenge that interferes with their ability to succeed at UR. The Student Emergency Fund was established in 2018 to help Spiders meet unanticipated expenses that are not part of the normal cost of attendance. For example, the fund has been used to cover the cost of travel for a student to return home to visit an ill parent. 

CAREER OPPORTUNITY FUND

The Career Opportunity Fund provides important resources to help students with financial need begin their career journey. The fund helps students purchase professional attire for job and internship interviews, pay for travel to interviews, cover graduate school application fees, or participate in academic conferences and other development opportunities.