Scholarships

The single biggest concern that many students and their families face is how to pay for a college education. Scholarships are vital to assist students in paying for school – and they are the only way that some can fulfill their dreams of earning a college degree. By underwriting or offsetting tuition and expenses, you help ensure that the UofM experience is affordable to motivated and deserving students. Scholarships also play an important role in helping the University attract and retain talented students who will be leaders in our community.

Simply put, scholarships have the unique ability to change lives. An investment in scholarships is an investment in the University's most valuable resource, its students. The return on your investment is immeasurable and upholds the future of our university, state and nation for generations to come.

Support Existing Scholarships

Establish A New Scholarship

Scholarships may be need-based, merit-based or a combination of both and they may be designated to any academic area on campus. Current use scholarships may be established for a minimum annual investment of $2,000 with a 5-year commitment required. These gifts provide immediate support for students. Endowed scholarships provide permanent, self-sustaining sources of funding. Endowments are created with a minimum philanthropic investment of $30,000 – either as an outright gift paid over time or through a bequest from your estate. This level of investment allows you to select the name of the fund as well as the academic unit of your choosing. We will work with you on naming the fund and designing the award criteria for scholarships endowed at any level above $50,000. However you craft your scholarship, you can have confidence in knowing that the recipients will be deserving students who have the ambition to succeed at the University of Memphis and beyond.

For more specific scholarship options, please contact the Director of Development for your desired area.

Graduate Assistantships/Fellowships 

Support of graduate assistantships and fellowships is a multi-faceted investment in the UofM, our graduate students and world-class programs across the University. While assisting students financially and attracting top graduate scholars, assistantships and fellowships allow more focus on scholarship, thus supplementing groundbreaking research at the University and strengthening graduate and undergraduate disciplines alike.

The University's research and academic programs depend heavily upon graduate fellows who contribute profoundly through scholarship, teaching and mentorship. By supporting assistantships and fellowships, donors not only aid the students and their graduate programs, but impact the University and our next generation of scholars, enhance the value of every UofM degree and touch the lives of individuals far beyond the UofM campus.

Endowed fellowships and assistantships can be established to benefit a particular graduate program, a college or the graduate school as a whole. For more information on endowed gifts, contact gifts@memphis.edu or 901.678.3953.

Endowed Faculty Positions (Professorships and Chairs)

The quality of a university's faculty drives the success of its academic programming. The University of Memphis is committed to investing in its faculty to ensure the integrity and quality of our academic programs. One way universities provide incentives to recruit and retain outstanding faculty is through annually-awarded professorships. Endowed Chairs and Professorships provide support and recognition to faculty who have earned distinction in research, teaching, and outreach. 

Among many roles, professors who hold endowed positions typically aid with faculty development, secure additional external funding, conduct vital research and design and expand curriculum. In turn, our students benefit from stronger programs and have the opportunity to study under the mentorship of a prominent expert in the field.

Endowed faculty positions and chairs can be established to benefit a particular program, a college or the University as a whole. For more information contact gifts@memphis.edu or 901.678.3953.