Planning That Puts Education Within Reach

from April 2023 The Pulse

The Finish Line Is In Sight

By Lisa Alexander, CFRE President, CoxHealth Foundation

n January of this year, I lost my father. It was the hardest day of my life especially given that it was very unexpected and he had been living a full and rewarding life. Dad walked three miles a day, volunteered three days a week and had lots of plans for this coming year. At 83, he was still a young man!

Following the funeral we began going through his documents and found that in his estate plan, he wanted to support a college scholarship at his alma mater. My father had always valued an education and told all four of his children early in our lives that education is what would help guide us. This was so true. We were blessed with parents who taught us the value of a dollar and how to save. I didn’t have to take out a loan for college, but I found amongst my peers that was pretty unusual. Today, despite savings, many parents still find it hard to send their children to college given the cost of an education. I remember to the dollar I paid $940 a semester for my degree at MU. (I kept my tuition receipts and still have them in my lock box!) If only that was the cost now.

At Cox College, the tuition and fees are what comprise the budget of the organization. The students are what pay the salaries of staff, the price of new equipment and the maintenance on a building that has been beautifully renovated, but still resides inside a 1956 core. The cost of education does continue to rise despite the great efforts of administration to control it as best it can. Donors and grants received have assisted in abating some of the larger needs but the student body remains at over 88% requiring financial aid to attend.

In the past two years over a dozen Burge/Cox College graduates have left the college in their estate plans. These gifts have created new scholarships and contributed thousands of dollars in support of technological advancements. Students like Keri Jones who received a newly gifted scholarship from a planned gift wrote to the donor’s family, “I had to detour my nursing dream ten years due to family, but now my four boys are older and I’m able to pursue my passion. I am close to finishing my degree and plan on working in a trauma based setting. I promise to use this generous donation to be the best nurse I can be.” Another recipient, Dominque Schuster wrote, “This scholarship will help me tremendously as I am financially independent. I am excited to put my full heart and mind into succeeding in nursing school. I can’t express enough how grateful I am to be the recipient of this scholarship.”

The common theme amongst many of our Cox College students is that they have families, are on their own, and are working and going to school to support themselves and their children. Scholarships often do make the difference between a student pursuing nursing or not. In this day when most hospitals run hundreds of nurses short, every student lost is another 20-40 patients a day without access to care. As the nursing shortage continues to escalate again, Cox College is a key to CoxHealth and hospitals that draw from our graduates, in being able to continue to provide outstanding care.

As I look at my dad’s plan for his giving, what I see is another young person fulfilling their dream, meeting a goal and providing outstanding service to the next generation. If you are considering your plan for the remainder of your life’s rewards, it is our hope you will see an amazing young person delivering quality care to thousands over their lifetime. In making this gift you are the one making that lifetime of service a reality. What an incredible gift that can be.

If you have an interest in creating an estate plan and including Cox College within it, please give us a call at 417-269-7109, email me at lisa. alexander@coxhealth.com, or scan the QR code below. We would be happy to assist you in meeting this life changing goal.

Thank you for your service TODAY!