University Development Division

Since its founding in 1867, Howard University has strived to educate deserving young men and women, regardless of their financial circumstances. Unfortunately today, the nation‘s economic crisis has put a tremendous strain on many of our students. Pay cuts and unemployment continue to reduce or eliminate family contributions. Student loan amounts have been cut, and federal student aid is limited. Leaving many students are left to question... How will I pay for my Howard degree?

Consider Howard student Andre D. Rosario. After watching his mother and grandfather suffer and die from cancer, Andre swore to himself that no one should have to endure so much physical pain. So he decided to pursue a career in Oncology. His goal: To find solutions to ease the suffering of cancer patients across the world.

Andre‘s off to a great start. He earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Howard in 2009 and expects to complete his M.D. by 2016. As an undergraduate, he served as a Post Baccalaureate Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute. There, he conducted experiments that could aid in cancer defense.

Andre‘s dream will make life better for future cancer patients, but that dream – and Andre‘s education – would have been deferred were it not for The Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign, an effort to create a $25 million unrestricted and endowed scholarship fund for students in need. As a result of the scholarship that Andre received, he could worry less about money and focus more on medicine.

The campaign, a call for action launched last year by President Sidney A. Ribeau, Ph.D., could not have come at a more urgent time.

Due to the economic climate, almost 90% of Howard students require some form of financial aid including scholarships.

Nearly 10% of Howard under–graduates have dropped classes for financial reasons. Approximately 7% of enrolled students can’t continue their academic programs as a direct result of their inability to meet financial obligations.

For many families, the prospect of paying for college is daunting, but you have the power to help students like Andre rise above this challenge. Your donation to the Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign will ensure that Howard‘s best and brightest have the funds they need to complete their studies and launch their careers.

Students like Andre need your help, but more importantly, the world needs the leadership, skills and solutions that future graduates like Andre will provide. The Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign is your opportunity to answer the call.