University of St. Thomas' Dougherty Family College Receives Anonymous $10M Gift

Comprehensive support for college students from underserved communities to continue indefinitely

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of St. Thomas announced an anonymous $10 million gift that will provide scholarships to help minimize financial barriers for students attending its Dougherty Family College (DFC), which offers two-year associate degrees and a path toward a four-year degree for dedicated scholars from underserved communities with high financial need.

The university plans to work with community partners to match this donation. The resulting $20 million will be the largest amount DFC has secured since its inception in 2017, making higher education more attainable for generations to come.

More than 80% of DFC scholars are first-generation college students, and more than 90% are students of color. Socioeconomic barriers to higher education and the impact of student loan debt, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have disproportionately affected these demographic groups.

"Six years ago, Dougherty Family College made a promise to minimize the financial, academic and social barriers for scholars from BIPOC and underserved communities to earn their associate degrees and provide them with a seamless pathway to their bachelor's degrees," said Buffy Smith, dean of Dougherty Family College. "Today, we are fulfilling that promise."

Last year, 92% of DFC graduates graduated debt-free. Thanks to generous scholarships in combination with federal Pell grants, the annual cost for many students attending college at DFC is just over $1,000, including meal plans, transportation, books, tuition, tutoring and mentoring.

"This donation, and the matching dollars it generates, will ensure DFC is forever a driving force in our community," said Carol Frey Wolfe, a St. Thomas alum who serves on the DFC advisory board and the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees. "It will close the education and prosperity gap for 300 students every year, in perpetuity."

According to multiple studies, Minnesota has one of the largest racial wealth gaps and one of the country's worst educational achievement gaps. Colleges like DFC, one of a few in the nation affiliated with a private bachelor's degree-granting university, strive to close those gaps by offering students the whole-person support they need to succeed.

"Dougherty Family College Scholars are resourceful, resilient and persistently defy racial and socioeconomic barriers every day they come to class," Smith added. "They represent the best in us and everything that is good in society."

To learn more about the Dougherty Family College and how to get involved in supporting DFC scholars, click here.

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SOURCE University of St. Thomas