Scholarships & Endowments

The Kent State Athletic Department is largely self-supporting. Only one in five dollars of our budget comes from the university; the remainder is acquired through a combination of ticket sales, sponsorships and donor support. With the escalating cost of fielding 18 varsity sports, we must look beyond traditional athletic department revenues to ensure the continued success of our thriving programs. Here’s snapshot of the high caliber department that has been built over the years at Kent State:

• A majority of student-athletes earn a 3.0 GPA
• The baseball team earned a berth in the College World Series
• Men’s and women’s golf teams consistently win Mid-American championships while competing for regional and national titles
• Football played in a post-season bowl game
• Gymnastics competed in the NCAA championship
• The Golden Flashes claim the Reese and Jacoby trophies, the Excellence in Management Cup and the Wagon Wheel Challenge trophy on a regular basis.

But, to keep this momentum up, we must find a way to generate the necessary funding to support the athletic and academic endeavors of our student-athletes.

This is where you come in. A key component of the Building Champions initiative is a two-pronged plan to ensure Kent State’s rich tradition of athletic success and academic excellence continues indefinitely through both annual and endowment giving.  Almost half of the funds to be raised through Building Champions will go to support scholarships and endowments for the department.

Annual scholarships are the lifeblood of any athletic department. They provide opportunities for student-athletes who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford college and any gift amount can be used to support annual scholarships. Endowments can be created in two forms: named scholarships or team specific. A minimum of $25,000 is required to establish a named scholarship or team endowment and there are several options for making such a contribution.

With your generosity, we can continue to build athletic and academic champions at Kent State.