Scholarships Instill Pride in Students, Create Legacies for Donors

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, CSU awards more than $3 million in student scholarships each year. Individual and corporate donations now account for hundreds of annual and endowed scholarship opportunities available to undergraduate and graduate students. Many of this year’s scholarship recipients gathered on the evening of November 4, 2024, to celebrate that spirit of philanthropy. One of those students was Jacob Starling, a senior who grew up in nearby Harris County and is now majoring in finance and marketing. Receiving a scholarship allows him to invest more of his time in his studies. “[My scholarship] has helped me reduce much of the financial strain of my studies,” Starling (pictured) explained. “I've been able to study more without relying on working a full-time job. It’s been very helpful stress-wise, so I can focus more on my education.” Receiving the Paul and Jean Amos Aflac Scholarship is significant to Starling, as the Columbus-based supplemental insurance company has employed his father for more than 20 years. He sees the scholarship as an investment in his future and considers a career at Aflac among his potential professional opportunities. “[Aflac] keeps reinvesting in me,” he said, referring to the fact that his scholarship renews if he maintains good grades. “[Once I complete my studies], I’d like to work for them and potentially help make the company even better than it already is.” More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from university scholarships totaling more than $3 million annually. Typical scholarship awards range in value from $100 to $5,000 in academic year support, including merit and need-based opportunities. Most can be used toward tuition, fees, room and board, books and other school-related expenses. These scholarship awards are made possible by generous donors who understand the value scholarships represent in making college affordable and equipping students to achieve their goals. “[Our donors] are individuals investing in your future,” CSU President Stuart Rayfield told scholarship recipients. “Every single day, they are investing in your success and what you want to do in the future.” Rayfield (pictured addressing student at the scholarship reception) also emphasized the legacy those investments in students represent and the responsibility current recipients have in the future to maintain that legacy as alumni. “You are the recipient of our donors’ generosity. As you think about how you say ‘thanks’ for the scholarships you've been awarded, also think about how you will say ‘thanks’ in the future as alumni. You can provide that same aid and assistance to a future student who might not be able to attend Columbus State but for the generosity of others,” she said. Donors partner with the Division of University Advancement to designate the program, department or college in which their scholarship is awarded and define the criteria—such as academic, geographic or need-based requirements—used to bestow them. Both annual and endowed scholarships provide donors with naming opportunities to attach themselves, their business or someone of their choosing to scholarship funds.