Help us educate the next generation of Kansas City professionals
UPDATE: Thank you to the 65 donors who contributed more than $16,000, making the 2021 One Day. One KU. campaign a record-breaking event!
Mark your calendar for the fourth-annual One Day. One KU. giving campaign on Feb. 18. With a minimum donation of $5, One Day. One KU. gives donors at all levels a chance to make a difference.
The KU Edwards Campus delivers a world-class KU education to the Kansas City metro area and beyond, helping adult learners start, change or advance their careers through high-demand degree and certificate programs. Some quick facts about our students include:
- 64% work part-time, 36% work full-time
- Average student age is 27
- 51% undergraduate students, 49% graduate students
- 25% are first-generation college students
- 31% identify as an ethnic minority
2021 One Day. One KU. giving opportunities directly benefit this student population. Here are our two priorities this year:
Support underrepresented minority students and first-generation college students transferring from community colleges by contributing to the new Dean’s Scholarship Fund.
All KU Edwards Campus undergraduate students come with previous college credits. The diverse, nontraditional student population overcomes many obstacles – finances being a major one – to enroll in and complete college programs. Transfer students face large tuition increases at four-year institutions and fewer funding options. Scholarship uspport provides critical tuition assistance for these students.
“We are excited about this new fund and giving opportunity for 2021,” said Stuart Day, dean of the KU Edwards Campus and School of Professional Studies. “I’m so proud of our students whose incredible dedication and perseverance amazes me daily. This is your chance to help them along their way.”
Members of the Edwards Campus Advisory Board will match all gifts to the Dean’s Scholarship Fund.
Help students overcome financial barriers to furthering their education through micro-grants.
Enrollment fees, transportation and family expenses are often roadblocks for those who would otherwise have most of their needs met by traditional financial aid. One Day. One KU. micro-grant funds go to students with the most demonstrated financial need, allowing them to focus on their educational goals and separate financial barriers from their decision to enroll. As a result of 2020’s One Day. One KU. campaign, five students received micro-grants of $400. The grants from the 2018-2020 One Day. One KU. campaigns have launched 36 students toward their academic success.
“Helping students with these out-of-pocket expenses can have a profound effect on their trajectory, even helping them decide whether or not to enroll,” said Misty Chandler, assistant dean of Student Services for KU Edwards Campus and the School of Professional Studies. “One Day. One KU. is a great opportunity for donors to make a direct, immediate impact in the lives of our students, no matter the size of their gifts.”
Gifts to the One Day. One KU. campaign help students pursue and complete their education, benefitting the Kansas City community for years to come. One 2020 recipient expressed gratitude for the important support and plans to pay it forward:
“I would like to thank you for your generous financial support toward my higher education and goals. I am a currently working on my bachelor’s in business administration, and am on track to graduate Spring of 2023, and upon graduation I will seek employment in the marketing/advertising field. By awarding me this gift, you have allowed me to focus that much more on the reading and schoolwork that is required to succeed this semester, and less on the burden of paying for it. Your generosity is allowing me to work towards my goals, and I look forward to the day I am in a position to give back and help other students work toward achieving theirs.”
The success of One Day. One KU. would not be possible without One Day. One KU. Ambassadors, helping spread the word through by encouraging others to give via individual social media accounts, email and word of mouth. It is a quick and powerful way to support One Day. One KU. and the rewards are immense. Learn more about being an ambassador, how to sign up and what rewards could be in store for One Day. One KU.
With your support, more students will be able to pursue the next step in their education, advance their career, and boost the local economy and workforce. Because of the nature of One Day. One KU., even small gifts can truly make a difference in changing lives.
Visit our giving page today and mark your calendar for Feb. 18!
