Each year, Princeton alumni, parents and friends make a commitment through Annual Giving to support and expand Princeton's mission of excellence. A new video in the "Walking Together" series demonstrates how that commitment to give back to the University makes it possible for high-achieving students to attend Princeton regardless of their socioeconomic background.
“We cannot make the difference that we want to make in the world unless we are drawing talented students from every sector of society,” said President Christopher L. Eisgruber.
The Annual Giving campaign, which concludes June 30, helps make it possible for over 60 percent of Princeton to students receive financial aid. And thanks in part to the loyal support of Princeton alumni, parents, and friends, 83 percent of graduates will leave campus with zero student debt.
“I feel so supported by the University, and that’s through financial aid,” said recent graduate Alissa Lopez Serfozo. In the video, the architecture major noted that she is eager as she starts her career to "understand design as a creative solution to social problems.”
Rising senior Joseph Percival, a psychology major and a member of the Princeton football team, says that University support helped him stay in school as he dealt with a family illness — and inspired him to want to make a difference in return. “I’m blessed to be here and I’m happy to give back in any way I can.”
Princeton University’s 2016-17 Annual Giving campaign raised $74,912,035, with 56.8 percent of undergraduate alumni participating. Unrestricted gifts to Annual Giving go directly into the operating budget for the benefit of Princeton’s students and faculty. These flexible funds allow the University to seize new intellectual opportunities, respond to unexpected challenges and support a pioneering financial aid program that makes a Princeton education possible for all admitted students.
