Ut Makes History With $1 Billion in Donor Support for Students

credit: 5K PARK Fest Facebook Page

"Our aspiration of becoming the world's highest-impact public research university depends on attracting the best students, supporting them, and equipping them to go out and change the world."

So says President Jay Hartzell of the University of Texas at Austin, which has just become the first Texas university to raise $1 billion for students through a philanthropic campaign.

What Starts Here, which began in fall 2016, is only the second US public university campaign to receive more than $1 billion in dedicated support for undergraduate and graduate students.

The campaign's overall goal of $6 billion is the third-highest of any public university.

To date, alumni and friends of UT have contributed more than $4.8 billion in total support.

Since 2016, nearly 291,000 donors have given in direct support of students, and 9,600 of those students have been served by UT for Me, powered by Dell Scholars, per a release.

"With the right support system in place, we can ensure every student has the tools and resources they need to succeed in college," says Janet Mountain, executive director of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and a member of UT's Development Board.

"I could not be more grateful for, or energized by, the generosity of Longhorns taking care of Longhorns to reach this incredible philanthropic milestone

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