Blavin Scholars Program

An endowment ($50,000+) or expendable gift will assist the University to:

• Design and implement, or expand upon, a series of annual community building events for participants in the Program. These events are created to help each scholar form valuable connections from the moment they step on campus until the moment they graduate. Forming a peer community, especially with other students who have shared or similar past life experiences to them, is critical for a scholar finding their pathway to success here on campus.
• A Blavin Scholars alumnus noted that growing up in foster care is like growing up alone. While at the University of Michigan in the Blavin Scholars Program, we strive to make the scholars feel a strong sense of community. This is accomplished through annual events including the Fall Tailgate, Hoops Day, Thanksgiving, Study Days, and the annual Spring Commencement Dinner. The University connects these students as scholars, and the Blavin Scholars Program connects them as a community. Supporting our community building events will allow us to keep the bond strong among scholars, while providing fun on-campus activities and creating everlasting memories.

A gift of $50,000 or more to the Blavin Scholars Program for this purpose will create a permanent named endowment fund.

An endowment ($50,000+) or expendable gift will assist the University to:

• Create annual educational programming opportunities that address each of the seven pillars of concentration for the Blavin Scholars Program, which are at the core of our work with the scholars. These pillars include: Academic Success, Financial Management, Health and Wellness, Life Skills, Supportive Community Connections, Cultural and Personal Identity, and Professional Development. Further developing our annual educational programming will allow us to work more deeply with the scholars and assist in their growth around each of these pillars. With limited programmatic resources currently, we are unable to provide as many opportunities at the depth these students require.
• Support to this area will ensure the scholars are developing and shaping the skills needed to thrive in their lives. Examples of additional programming we would like to offer these students ranges from exploring nutrition and how to cook all the way to enhancing the scholars’ financial literacy. By providing comprehensive educational programming touchpoints, the program will partner with its scholars to fill in any critical life skill gaps they may have as a result of past experiences. This will result in these scholars being better prepared to navigate and communicate around challenging situations they may face in the future.

A gift of $50,000 or more to the Blavin Scholars Program for this purpose will create a permanent named endowment fund.

An endowment ($50,000+) or expendable gift ($5,000+ annually) will assist the University to:

• Establish a scholarship to support students who participate in the Blavin Scholars Program. The Program provides each Blavin Scholar with up to $5,000 in annual scholarship support.
• These scholarships are designated to the scholars academic costs as well as to financial needs that go beyond the classroom and into their personal lives. Demonstrated needs in the past have ranged from medical costs (e.g., therapy, glasses, wisdom teeth removal) to emergency transportation such as a student who needed to fly home at late notice for a family emergency.
• In addition, each year the Program provides financial support for scholars who need to obtain a driver’s license, passport, and other training and documentation critical to a life of success. Your scholarship gift will help keep these talented students enrolled and on a pathway to graduation by providing them with resources to overcome financial challenges.
• A gift of $50,000 or more to the Blavin Scholars Program for this purpose will create a permanent named scholarship endowment fund providing financial aid for students.