More than 177 students donated nearly $600 so far to the Campaign for Change to aid the organization in giving scholarships to fellow students.

Campaign for Change is an organization that was started to teach students about giving and to keep connected with other students, alumni and faculty.

Tiffany Schultz, the Associate Director of the Office of Annual Giving, said the program started in 2007. Since then, parents, students and faculty helped raise more than $41,000 with the Campaign for Change scholarship fund. The money donated is used to award one student with a scholarship of $1,250 every year to aid with the costs of tuition.

“We’re off to a strong start this year. We have a group of five amazing student volunteers that lead our effort to encourage students to take pride in their university and support their fellow Flashes,” said Schultz.

The money not used toward the scholarship each year is placed in an endowment, which is an investment fund used to help sustain income for an entity. They were able to raise enough money to endow the fund and provide scholarships for the future.

To be eligible for the Campaign for Change scholarship, students do not have to donate but they do need to apply online through the financial aid website. Students who donate are also able to receive one of eight $500 book scholarships through the Office of Annual Giving.

Angela Bakopoulos, a sophomore speech pathology major, said she would give to her fellow students through Campaign for Change.

“I would donate $10 because a lot of students need the extra financial aid to help them get through school and it’s a good way to get kids to give back to their school by helping others.”

This is the type of idea that Campaign for Change is trying to instill in all the students at Kent. Campaign for Change has a mission of trying to teach students that philanthropy begins at home and that there is a great power in numbers.

Penn State University has a similar program called For the Future. That program has been supporting and encouraging students for over 10 years. Penn State’s program has six initiatives that all strive to better the future for students.

Penn State students must be children of alumni while Kent State students can still apply for scholarship even if they do not donate.

Melanie Ekdahl, the administrative assistant to the assistant director of Penn State For the Future Program, said the program does not involve student donations but it does try to bring connections between students, faculty and alumni.

“We strive to raise about $2 billion a year. This money is being raised for students, and it’s raised by PSU Alumni, staff and faculty,” said Ekdahl.

Contact Maura Zurick [email protected].