Baylor We Are: Stewards of God’s gifts

All over the nation, the price of a college education has gone up dramatically in recent years. Much of that increase reflects growth in student services and amenities, such as updated dorm rooms, food courts, workout facilities, etc., greater access to state-of-the-art technology and labs, and high levels of personal attention from advisers and counselors.

The bottom line of all this, however, is that the cost of a college education places a significant burden on students and their families. In an effort to help keep a Baylor education accessible to students of all walks of life, the university has made increasing scholarship offerings a primary goal.

In the last year and a half, the President’s Scholarship Initiative has raised nearly $50 million that will endow student scholarships, providing funds to ease the financial burden of higher education in perpetuity. In addition, the university provides more than $130 million in institutional scholarships each year — more than three times the amount provided just 10 years ago.

The draft strategic plan emphasizes this need, describing the need for all associated with Baylor — from administrators to alumni — to be good stewards of God’s gifts. We must be “ever-vigilant” about monitoring our costs, the draft reads, and at the same time continue working to increase the degree to which those costs can be met by endowed scholarships.

Most of us received some sort of aid that helped pay for our time at Baylor; we can pay that forward to the students of today and tomorrow by giving to the President’s Scholarship Initiative. Every dollar counts; even with most budgets stretched tight, chances are we can each find a few dollars by skipping a couple of Starbucks visits or a night dining out with the family. Let’s help the students of tomorrow continue to find their extraordinary stories here at Baylor.

Sic ’em, scholarship providers!

Previously on Baylor Proud:
* Baylor named a ‘Best Buy’ for sixth straight year (July 2011)
* Even in death, alum’s dream of reaching children lives on through scholarship fund (June 2011)
* Baylor women hosting home tour to raise scholarship funds for BU students (Feb. 2011)
* Starr calls Baylor Nation to support $100 million student scholarship initiative (Sept. 2010)