UC Merced is ready for ‘Giving Tuesday’

UC Merced is preparing for an annual event that generates scholarships, and this year’s organizers have set a goal of a half-million dollars.

The third annual Giving Tuesday campaign begins at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 29, which coincides with the international day of giving. All gifts made to select UC Merced scholarship funds within the 24-hour period will be matched 3-to-1 – thanks to gifts from Wells Fargo and Foster Farms, according to a news release.

Last year, the campus raised more than $310,000 in support of UC Merced student scholarships, according to officials. This year, the goal is $500,000 in gifts to any of the 14 eligible funds.

The money raised last year added up to 116 scholarships being used for the current academic year, according to the news release.

Here are some of the scholarships that benefit:

▪ The Guardian Scholars Scholarship Fund, which supports former foster youths enrolled at UC Merced, received more than $31,000. This fall, 33 students were awarded the scholarship.

▪ The Dream Act Scholarship Fund got more than $29,000 and funded 19 students. The fund supports students covered by Assembly Bill 540, which allows undocumented students who graduate from California high schools to enroll at public universities. Those students are not eligible for federal financial aid.

▪ The University Friends Circle Scholarship is awarded annually to students who are involved in community service.

▪ New to this year’s Giving Tuesday is a fellowship that honors one of UC Merced’s 13 founding faculty members, Will Shadish, who died earlier this year.

For more information, go to www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaMerced/giving-tuesday-uc-merced.

This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 2:59 PM with the headline "UC Merced is ready for ‘Giving Tuesday’."