Group urges students to give back to UNT
Ben Peyton
Senior Staff Writer
The Student Alumni Association held a four-day drive last week encouraging “students to give to students” by making donations to a new scholarship fund.
Every $1,000 donated equals a $1,000 scholarship for a student, Student Alumni Association adviser Michelle Bradley said.
About 145 students chipped in a total of $783.50 at tables set up on the Library Mall, surpassing the group’s goal of $500, Bradley said.
“You never know everyone’s story: It could be that somebody is barely struggling to get by and that scholarship is what’s going to keep them in school,” she said. “Small sacrifices, like resisting the urge to buy a cup of coffee, and instead donating that money, could play a huge role in someone’s life.”
The Student Alumni Association formed this year after branching off of NT40, a student foundation that focuses on alumni relations and campus programs.
The group hopes to bring attention to the important role philanthropy plays in paying for students’ college education.
“A lot of students say they already paid their tuition, so why should I pay more? The honest answer is that your tuition doesn’t cover everything,” Bradley said.
One student donated $60, Bradley said, but others were less willing to donate to a scholarship fund while their own budgets remained tight.
“I would not donate to a scholarship fund, no matter what amount, because I need money,” pre-biochemistry sophomore Veronica Partridge said.
The group has not yet determined how to choose the recipient of the scholarship, Bradley said. However, the Student Alumni Association wants to dole out at least one scholarship a year, with similar “students giving to students” drives acting as the primary fundraisers.
The organization offers more than just scholarship fundraisers and programs promoting the importance of private giving to a university, pre-electrical engineering freshman Edwin Ulloa said.
“It is very spirited, and you get alumni benefits,” Ulloa said.
All students are welcome to join the association for $40 a year, and alumni are afforded one free year of membership after graduation, Bradley said.
The group hopes to eventually gain enough momentum to fund an endowment scholarship and further strengthen alumni’s connection to UNT.
For more information, visit the “UNT SAA” on Facebook.
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