Cumberlands Launches $200 Million Campaign for Student Scholarships

University of the Cumberlands is embarking on the most ambitious project in the school’s history: a campaign to raise $200 million to support new student scholarships.

The Cumberlands Commitment Endowed Scholarship Campaign seeks to ensure that the university’s on-campus undergraduate students are able to graduate from college with little to no debt.

“This is the single most significant and transformational project ever undertaken by this university,” said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, university President. “This campaign will have a lasting impact on the lives of our students, allowing them to focus on their studies, knowing that financial constraints will not hinder their progress.”

The Cumberlands Commitment Endowed Scholarship Campaign seeks to raise $100 million from donors to increase scholarship opportunities. The university is matching every donation received, dollar for dollar, bringing the total amount of investment in new student scholarships to $200 million.

“The group of students this will help the most are those who come from hardworking families that make too much money to qualify for federal Pell Grants, but who also cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of a college education without going into significant debt,” said Cockrum.

The university will begin disbursing available scholarship funds to students for the fall 2024 semester. To date, over $175 million has been raised or pledged for the Cumberlands Commitment Scholarship fund. In September, the University announced a $25 million donation from the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation, the single largest gift in the university’s history.

“Remarkable dedication from our development team has powered the silent phase of this fundraising campaign,” said Cockrum. “I want to thank our entire development team, including Dr. Leslie Ryser, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and Mr. Bill Stohlmann, Vice President for Development, for their unwavering commitment to providing our students with affordable access to a quality education.”

This new scholarship program follows several initiatives launched in recent years to make a quality education at Cumberlands affordable for students. In 2019, President Cockrum lowered tuition for on-campus undergraduate students by 57 percent. In 2020, those same students received free textbooks. Earlier this year, the university announced the One Price Promise, which provides free textbooks to all students while eliminating all other costs and establishing a straightforward tuition price. Learn more at https://ucumberlandsgiving.com/