Endowing a scholarship

[gallahadesquire]

Anybody ever do this? It's for my medical school, which, at the time of matriculation, was questionable on a month-by-month basis as to whether it would exist.

 

It's done quite well, since, but donations to the School have always been "annual" or "term." I don't want money to go to the "operating fund"; I want it to be there, in whatever amount, to give a yearly sum to some worthy graduate student (this is a medical school).

 

I have some thoughts already;

It should be to a White AngloSaxsonProtestantMale, as we seem to be the most ignored minority.

 

I have to decide: A One-year scholarship; a four-year scholarship, with evidence of continued academic performance; or other.

 

It won't be much, at first. And I expect I'll add to it yearly, until there are four (4) scholars each receiving money for each of four years.

 

It's for a school that prides itsself on "first colleage graduates" and families where the Doc is the first person to graduate college, let alone go to a grad school.

 

I'm tempted to make it go to an MIT nerd. They need employement.

 

Given the 55%:45% female:male ration of matriculation, I"m temp;ed to make it "Men only."

 

Opinions?

[MsGuy]

I'm reasonably sure that no school subject to US anti-discrimination law is going to be willing to administer a WASPs only endowment fund.

[sincitymix]

I'm reasonably sure that no school subject to US anti-discrimination law is going to be willing to administer a WASPs only endowment fund.

 

I don't see why not. I see many scholarships with stipulations based on race and or sex. since public money isn't being used to fund the scholarship, the provider of the scholarship should be able to stipulate as they choose. However, the school may choose not to accept the scholarship with the said stipulations.

[+ Just Sayin]

you might check with the school's development officer, if it has one; that person can usually connect you with the right person to help you establish a scholarship fund with suitable criteria

[Phlmuscle]

you might check with the school's development officer, if it has one; that person can usually connect you with the right person to help you establish a scholarship fund with suitable criteria

 

Remember Girard College in Philadelphia. Steven Girard left money in his estate to build a school for fatherless white children. It ran thru the courts for years and was finally ruled that they had to admit everyone.

[+ Charlie]

The Girard College example immediately came to my mind as well. But I think it was eventually decided that way because GS, which was a 19th century private institution, began accepting government funding in the 20th century. If the medical college accepts any kind of govt. funding--what medical college doesn't these days?--it would probably have to refuse the scholarship offer. Other kinds of restrictions can be imposed on scholarship recipients, but those on race cannot.

[+ purplekow]

The Girard College example immediately came to my mind as well. But I think it was eventually decided that way because GS, which was a 19th century private institution, began accepting government funding in the 20th century. If the medical college accepts any kind of govt. funding--what medical college doesn't these days?--it would probably have to refuse the scholarship offer. Other kinds of restrictions can be imposed on scholarship recipients, but those on race cannot.

I do not like the idea of funding going to less than the best qualified candidate. That said, if you were really determined to make this a racially base scholarship and wish to color this good deed with an ugly stigma, one could put in other than racial stipulations which would likely favor a WASP. The most qualified blue eyed candidate or naturally red headed candidate. Those qualities are not protected but the qualifications would likely be challenged.

[jimboivyo]

How about just giving it to any kid who has worked his ass off in high school and wants a college ed?

 

if you're going to put racial caveats on the money, I say just spend it else where

 

I'm also shocked that no one has yet to make an 'endowment' joke

[+ FreshFluff]

This is not only a whites-only scholarship; it also leaves out Jews, Catholics, Slavs, and others. The optics will be pretty bad, especially given the issues Jews have had with admissions at elite schools in the past. Even if it's legal to do this, the school may not accept the money.

 

I like the idea of a scholarship for an MIT nerd. (I've always had a soft spot for that school.) Maybe you can call it the Gallahad Balloon Fellowship.

 

[rguer]

I do not like the idea of funding going to less than the best qualified candidate.

 

This argument is often made against affirmative action. The problem with it is that are many ways to measure "best qualified", and not all of those measures will lead to the same candidates.

 

I have heard of college scholarships for students who have worked for LGBT rights in high school, and that is not the same as requiring that the student be LGBT. Most students who were LGBT activists probably are LGBT, but if someone wants to give a scholarship to Zach Wahls, it's A-OK with me.

[mike carey]

+1 on Zach!

[sincitymix]

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/

 

Scholarships for little people, people who play with marbles, people with specific last names. lots of really diverse scholarships.

The Klingon and Starfleet scholarships is a hoot.