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Scheller College of Business

Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board Launches Pooled Endowment to Expand Access for Students

The Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board has launched the Institute’s first pooled, need-based scholarship endowment with an initial $25,000 gift, inviting alumni and partners to collaborate in removing financial barriers for talented students.
A group of women and men dressed in suit jackets pose in the Scheller College of Business Atrium

The Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board

“Just like Scheller shaped us as students, we wanted a way to amplify our impact together. The pooled endowment makes that possible. The Young Alumni Advisory Board runs on the power of collaboration, bringing ideas from across programs and working with our partners to drive one mission. This fund invites alumni, companies, and friends to join us in opening doors for talented students to also benefit from being part of the same transformative Scheller experience.”
- Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board Internal Project Team

About one-third of Georgia Tech’s undergraduate students apply for financial aid each year, yet the institution meets only about 50% of their demonstrated financial need. As a result, the collective unmet need among undergraduates typically totals approximately $100 million annually.

With these factors top of mind, a new chapter in student support is unfolding at the Scheller College of Business, led by the Young Alumni Advisory Board. The Board has established Georgia Tech’s first pooled endowment fund for need-based scholarships, designed to help undergraduate students with the greatest financial need.

The launch of this initiative was marked by a significant gesture from the Board, which made the first gift of $25,000 to Scheller College’s Need-Based Scholarship Endowment. Their commitment reflects the power of alumni collaboration and a shared interest in investing in students and the future of the College.

As part of Georgia Tech’s broader Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, the effort focuses on creating pooled endowment funds across colleges, making it easier for alumni and friends to contribute meaningfully to student success. Each fund begins with at least $25,000 in gifts and grows over time to support named scholarships. By pooling resources, donors can create lasting impact without the immediate need for a six-figure gift.

Why It Matters

Lauren Bateman smiles wearing a dark pink shirt

“Seed funding is where access begins,” said Lauren Bateman, Executive MBA ’23. “By pooling our gifts into an endowed scholarship, the Young Alumni Advisory Board turned dozens of small yeses into a permanent yes for students who simply need a fair shot. We’re investing in potential we already see on our campus and in our city. A pooled, need-based endowment ensures that finances don’t decide futures, effort and excellence do.”

Jabrille Williams smiles wearing a suit jacket and tie

The Board’s decision to make this their first major action reflects their core values of access, equity, and impact.

“As alums, we know collaboration multiplies impact,” said Jabrille Williams, Executive MBA ’22. “By funding a pooled endowment focused on need-based scholarships, we’re ensuring that financial barriers never stand in the way of great talent. We hope to build a culture where alumni step up for one another and for the students who will carry Scheller’s name into the future.”

Ryan Dwyer smiles wearing a suit jacket and tie

For alumni, it’s a way to give back at a crucial time for students who need it most.

“As I reflect on my time at Georgia Tech, I recognize that I wouldn’t be a Double Jacket today without the generosity of Georgia Tech alumni who funded need-based scholarships like this one,” said Ryan Dwyer, Full-time MBA ‘24. “I’m proud to partner with the Board to help open the same doors of opportunity for today's students to find success in their own Georgia Tech journeys."

How It Works

The scholarship will be managed by Georgia Tech’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, ensuring that funds directly support students with the greatest need. Donors who commit a minimum of $25,000 to Scheller College’s Need-Based Scholarship Endowment, which can be pledged over a five-year period, will be working toward establishing their own named scholarship endowment.

Contributions can be made online, and employer matching programs can be used to help donors reach the $25,000 minimum or accelerate their impact toward full endowment funding currently set at $100,000. Donors will receive annual impact reports and have opportunities to engage with the students whose lives they help transform.

This fund invites alumni, companies, and friends to join in opening doors for talented students to experience the same transformative Scheller experience.

Learn More: Young Alumni Advisory Board

 

Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech

The ability to make an impact is within reach for each of us. Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech is a comprehensive campaign bringing unparalleled advancements to the Institute and building a foundation to support our students, advance our research and innovation, enhance our campus and our community, and expand our impact at home and around the world.

Thanks to the support of alumni and friends, Transforming Tomorrow is securing resources that will advance the Institute for decades to come.

To learn more and support the campaign, visit transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu.

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