Friday, February 28, 2025, 3:28PM |  41°
MENU
Advertisement
Westminster College—founded in 1852— is a private, four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in New Wilmington, Pa., just 65 miles north of Pittsburgh. Its 300-acre, tree-lined campus features a 100-acre outdoor laboratory, several athletic fields and Brittain Lake.
2
MORE

Coming to a campus near you: a pandemic-themed fundraiser?

Courtesy of Westminster College

Coming to a campus near you: a pandemic-themed fundraiser?

Westminster College goes public with effort to aid students whose familes hit hard by COVID-19

Matthew Stinson knows well the art of the ask when it comes to raising money for campus brick and mortar, fledgling academic programs or new student scholarships.

But the note he recently penned on behalf of Westminster College and sent to some of its key donors spoke to unusual times.

"We recognize that the trajectory of the lives of many of our students could be dramatically altered," wrote Mr. Stinson, the school’s vice president for institutional advancement.

Advertisement

"Our specific concern is for students whose parent or parents have found themselves unemployed through no fault of their own," he said "Their focus will shift rapidly to simply providing the basic needs of survival."

The University of Pittsburgh said it will make the ACT and SAT tests optional for applicants at its regional campuses for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle.
Bill Schackner
Colleges buffeted by COVID-19 grow wary about fall admissions

Of all the times to announce a fundraising drive, a global pandemic seems a less than obvious choice. But colleges increasingly are worried about new financial hurdles that could drive students away, and they have turned to philanthropy, Westminster among them.

Officials on the campus of 1,150 students said they fear some of their students will need more financial help to return in the fall than school resources allow. So they went public late Monday with a special two-week effort through May 5, hoping to reach alumni and regular supporters, and even the general community.

The school in New Wilmington, Lawrence County, is working to raise $250,000, more than half of which came in recent days during the effort’s “quiet phase.” The tally is updated on a web page titled “Bring Back the Titans,” a reference to the school’s mascot.

Advertisement

Colleges already faced a tough recruiting season but suddenly have more to fear. In just weeks, an economy with near-record low unemployment has logged 22 million jobless claims, as the virus that has killed nearly 44,000 in the U.S. forced businesses to shutter.

At Westminster, first-generation college students comprise nearly a third of total enrollment, and almost four in ten have household incomes small enough to qualify for the federal need-based Pell Grant, according to campus data.

"When you have that many students on the margins," Mr. Stinson said, “it doesn't take much to throw them off path."

Even students from families whose finances had seemed secure now are more vulnerable, he said.

In this file photo, the Cathedral of Learning, right, towers over the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland on July 8, 2019.
Bill Schackner
Back to normal not likely for Pitt in the fall, chancellor says

Various schools, large and small, have emergency student funds kept flush by donors, and one at Westminster helped with travel and other assistance to get students home as spring classes moved online and dorms quickly emptied. Now that those students are back with their families, the extent of  the financial toll is clearer.

In this extraordinary time, schools across the nation are trying to be sensitive to various issues now facing their students, said Linda Durant, vice president for development with the Washington D.C.- based Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

“You may see others that are going to take the same kind of approach,” she said.

Most Westminster students live within two hours of campus, but some are from across the country, including COVID-19 hotspots like New York City. Some already lost summer jobs, Mr. Stinson said, or have families now with one or both parents out of work, suddenly in need of support.

"Imagine being an 18-to-20-year-old and needing to decide if you if you have to go to work at a Walmart or a grocery story or continue your studies," Mr. Stinson said.

Prior to the pandemic, Westminster had a $125 million endowment, larger than many its size, though its value as bobbed up and down as the pandemic roiled the Stock Market.

Founded in 1852, Westminster charges $36,806 in tuition a year, but discounts it on average 55 percent. With room, board and other mandatory charges, total cost is $47,909.

Officials said nearly 8 in 10 freshmen persist and three quarters of those who enroll graduate in six years, reflective of what Mr. Stinson said is a work ethic officials on campus hope will resonate with Western Pennsylvanians. Already, the campaign has a gift as large as $25,000, but has smaller amounts — $25 and $10, for instance — in greater numbers. 

“I’m so grateful for the impact this will have on our students,” said Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, president of Westminster College.

Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @Bschackner

First Published: April 21, 2020, 6:28 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard passes against Notre Dame during first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta.
1
sports
Steelers NFL draft big board: Best fits at quarterback
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, center, and teammates run the 'Tush Push' play during an playoff game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia.
2
sports
Ray Fittipaldo: The Packers are right. The NFL should ban the 'Tush Push'
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic takes a timeout during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
3
sports
Penguins rally after Alex Nedeljkovic’s outburst, beat the Flyers in overtime
The 1860s farmhouse at 317 James St. in Verona has a new gray and black color scheme.
4
life
Buying Here: Brooklyn chef snaps up an 1860s farmhouse priced at $230K
Janet Broniecki pushes a cart of bread into a temperature-controlled proofer to let the dough rise before baking. Mancini's  produces 10,000 loaves a day, 7 days a week.
5
life
Iconic Eats: McKees Rocks-based Mancini’s Bakery has been feeding the area since 1926
Westminster College—founded in 1852— is a private, four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in New Wilmington, Pa., just 65 miles north of Pittsburgh. Its 300-acre, tree-lined campus features a 100-acre outdoor laboratory, several athletic fields and Brittain Lake.  (Courtesy of Westminster College)
The Old Main administration building at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Lawrence County.  (Courtesy of Westminster College)
Courtesy of Westminster College
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story