Support Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
Rutgers students need financial aid now more than ever. A large majority require assistance in order to attend the university, last year demonstrating $100 million in unmet financial need. In an era of declining state funding, philanthropy plays an increasingly critical role in our students’ success.
Scarlet Promise Grants offer essential financial support to talented undergraduate students for whom a world-class Rutgers education would otherwise be impossible. They provide need-based aid to Rutgers students as part of their financial aid packages and, in some cases, to relieve short-term, temporary financial hardship. The grants help tomorrow’s leaders fulfill their potential.
There are few more profound ways to change lives than by making a Rutgers education accessible to those with the talent and drive to pursue it. Generations of alumni who depended on scholarship assistance have used their Rutgers education to their best advantage, distinguishing themselves and making outsized impacts on our world. Their achievements are the greatest possible return on investment.
Funded through annual university budgeting and philanthropic resources inspired by a Rutgers Board of Trustees initiative, these grants help Rutgers fulfill its tripartite mission of education, research, and public service. For more information, call 848-932-7351.
Scarlet Promise Grants 2020-2021 Impact Report
In 2020, Scarlet Promise Grants helped thousands of students continue at Rutgers in the face of the global pandemic and its economic consequences.
Leadership in Action
On his first day in office, July 1, 2020, President Jonathan Holloway kick-started a $10 million focused campaign for the Scarlet Promise Grants program. To launch the campaign, the president personally donated $75,000.
“My Scarlet Promise Grant prevented a dream deferred. I wouldn’t have been able to go to school without it and fulfill my dream of becoming a surgeon.”
–Sam Adepoju CCAS’20
Scarlet Promise Grants FAQ
What are Scarlet Promise Grants?
Scarlet Promise Grants are need-based financial aid awards that close the gap between aid from federal and state sources and what Rutgers families can afford. These grants provide support for tuition and other expenses inherent in a college education, such as books, meal plans, and housing.
Why are they necessary?
Today, traditional funding sources often come up short. The financial burden of higher education falls more squarely on the student than it did in the past. Last year, Rutgers students had an aggregate unmet financial need of more than $100 million—an average of nearly $10,000 per student.
How are they funded?
Scarlet Promise Grants are funded through a combination of a university budget allocation and philanthropy most recently driven by Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway’s $10 million focused fundraising campaign.
What is the status of the fundraising campaign?
More than 3,500 donors answered President Holloway’s 2020 call to support Scarlet Promise Grants, contributing $10 million in Fiscal Year 2021. In fall of 2021, President Holloway issued a new fundraising challenge: $50 million for Scarlet Promise Grants and similar programs under the Scarlet Promise Initiative.
How does Rutgers distribute the funds?
Students receive Scarlet Promise Grants as part of their comprehensive financial aid packages. Rutgers also awards the grants for hardship appeals, such as the death of a parent, loss of employment, and health emergencies. They range from $500 to $5,000 per academic year.
Who is eligible for a Scarlet Promise Grant?
Most students with family income around $60,000 or less and an expected family contribution of $10,000 or less qualify. In 2020, more than 11,000 students received Scarlet Promise Grants.
Why is philanthropy important?
Simply put, philanthropy means the difference between good and exceptional. In an era of declining support from traditional sources, Scarlet Promise Grants and programs like it help position Rutgers among the world’s best colleges and universities, which make higher education accessible to talented students, regardless of their means.
What is the Trustees’ Endowment Initiative?
In 2019, the Rutgers Board of Trustees committed to creating an endowment dedicated to Scarlet Promise Grants—and to fund it by raising $3 million over 10 years. This endowment will fund the grants in perpetuity.
Once funded what can the endowment do?
Endowed funds have lasting power. For example, at $3 million, the Scarlet Promise Grants endowment could increase aid by $500 for nearly 250 students. It could fund 25 percent of the Rutgers dining plan cost for nearly 300 students. Or it could satisfy 25 percent of the entire unmet need (average $4,467) for more than 100 students.
Meet Past Recipients
Read about past Scarlet Grant Recipients
