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Published September 7, 2021

In 2020, Scarlet Promise Grants helped thousands of students continue at Rutgers in the face of the global pandemic and its economic consequences.

The aggregate unmet financial need of Rutgers students in 2019 was over $100 million —an average of nearly $10,000 per student. In 2020, Scarlet Promise Grants provided $17.2 million in need-based financial aid and $12 million in short-term emergency assistance.

3,558

DONORS

$10

MILLION
DONATED

9,189

STUDENTS SUPPORTED

Make a Gift

Scarlet Promise Grants provide essential aid to students for whom a Rutgers education otherwise would be impossible.

Your Giving

A promise is more than words, it’s a commitment. On his first day in office, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway challenged the university to meet a $10 million fundraising goal to support Scarlet Promise Grants. Since that day— July 1, 2020—3,558 donors committed to the goal of providing equitable access to a world-class Rutgers education with gifts ranging from $5 to $1 million. As a result, this focused campaign raised $10 million, meeting the call set forward by President Holloway and fulfilling a promise to tomorrow’s leaders.

“Scarlet Promise Grants open opportunities and offer a chance for someone to be something that they may have never thought or dreamed of being. That’s what my grant did for me— it 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

YOUR IMPACT

Through Scarlet Promise Grants, your gifts provide need-based financial aid and emergency support for thousands of Rutgers students. $5.2 million (46 percent) of the funds raised will be put to immediate use in the form of grants. Nearly $6 million (54 percent) will be endowed as part of the Scarlet Promise Grants fund. And the need for these grants is growing. Last year, 9,189 students received Scarlet Promise Grants, including $17.2 million in need-based financial aid and $12 million in short-term emergency financial assistance.

“Without my Scarlet Promise Grant, my experience at Rutgers would be completely different. These grants help students like me who want to go far. Soon, I am going to be on Wall Street with my degree which, in a way, is pretty intimidating. But I know that the future is bright and I’m going to give it my all.”

Susan Badia RBS’22

YOUR RUTGERS

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. Scarlet Promise Grants close the gap between aid from federal and state sources and what Rutgers families can afford. Empowering talented students to attend a world-class university, regardless of their means, is the Rutgers way

“With my Scarlet Promise Grant, I was able to register for classes without having to take out a loan. The grant covered the balance that financial aid didn’t cover. I had to grind a little harder but that has helped me to grow as a social justice advocate, a community member, and a civic leader. Now I’m prepared to leave college and change the world.”

Israel Alford SPAA’22

The Scarlet Promise Grants endowment has grown to $6 million since being created by Rutgers’ Board of Trustees in 2019. To learn more about Scarlet Promise Grants go to: give.rutgers.edu/scarletpromise

Downloadable Impact Report

Support Students

Scarlet Promise Grants provide essential aid to students for whom a Rutgers education otherwise would be impossible.