Endowed Scholarships

Endowed Scholarships

Purpose: Establishing an endowed scholarship is an ideal vehicle to permanently link a donor's name, or the name of someone the donor wishes to honor, with the traditions and future of WVU. Endowed scholarships provide permanent, perpetual funding for student support.

Geographic Scope: West Virginia University and its affiliates (including West Virginia 4-H, Mountaineer Athletic Club, Potomac State College, and WVU Institute of Technology)

Key Features

• Permanence: Names attached to endowed scholarships are held in perpetuity at the University
• Perpetual Service: Service rendered to future students, and through them, to West Virginia and the nation
• Customization: WVU Foundation staff work with each donor individually to tailor the type of asset used and prepare the donor's preferred selection criteria for administration
• Recognition: Endowed scholarship names are engraved on paving bricks in the Ernest L. Hogan Scholars Walk located directly in front of the University's Downtown Library Complex
• Reporting: Donors receive two reports annually - a financial report (early fall) and a report providing the name(s) of student recipient(s)
• Student Communication: Student recipients are contacted and requested to write thank you letters to the donor, which are forwarded by the Foundation

Endowment Minimums by Scholarship Type

• Foundation Scholar: $1,000,000
• Bucklew Scholar: $500,000
• College Award: $100,000
• FAD Award-Department Level: $50,000
• FAD Award-Unit Level: $25,000
• Graduate Scholarship: $100,000
• Graduate Fellowship: $250,000
• Visiting Lecturer/Artist/Speaker: $100,000
• Faculty Support: $100,000
• Professorship: $1,000,000
• Chair: $2,000,000
• Distinguished or Department Chair: $4,000,000
• Deanship: $5,000,000
• Department/Program: $5,000,000+

Note: Individual college and school endowment minimums may differ due to special financial considerations. Donors should consult the individual college's or school's website.

Additional Donor Recognition

Other donor recognition may apply for establishing an endowed scholarship. See the "Donor Recognition" section for full explanation of the WVU Foundation's recognition groups.

Endowment Spend Policy

• Established Endowments: Receive a payout of 3.75% of the prior 12-quarter market value average of the fund
• Underwater Funds: Funds with a market value below original gift value up to -10% receive a reduced payout of 2.25%; funds below original gift value >10% receive no spend
• New Endowments: Included in spend calculation and available for use by the University the following July 1, providing opportunity for earnings growth during the first year
• Annual Declaration: Spend declared in August for the next fiscal year

Contact Information

WVU Foundation
One Waterfront Place, 7th Floor
P.O. Box 1650
Morgantown, WV 26507-1650
Phone: 304-284-4000 or 800-847-3856
Email: info@wvuf.org