Scholarships, Financial Aid & Student Experience

Enabling Dreams:
Increasing Access to Darden

The Powered by Purpose campaign acts as a catalyst, transforming lives by significantly increasing scholarship support and thereby attracting top talent.

Opening Doors:
AccessDarden

Launched in 2020, a new merit scholarship program based on financial need, AccessDarden, is a significant step toward making Darden’s world-renowned education affordable to all students. The program, which aligns with the University of Virginia’s AccessUVA program for undergraduates, offers financial grants to students based on need, considering factors such as income, savings and assets. This offering complements an existing portfolio of merit-based scholarships with a need-based component. Over time, thanks to donor support, AccessDarden grant amounts have grown.

Mentoring Future Leaders:
Future Year Scholars Program

Another example of the campaign’s commitment to increasing access is the growth of Darden’s Future Year Scholars Program, founded thanks to a generous gift by an anonymous donor. The program invites outstanding college students to join Darden before gaining work experience. Admitted scholars may then begin their MBA after gaining two to five years of work experience.

Breaking Barriers:
Welcoming First-Generation Talent

In 2019, David C. Walentas (MBA ’64) and Jane Walentas donated $100 million to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation. From this donation, a $25 million Walentas fellowship program was established to support first-generation students pursuing a Full-Time MBA at Darden.

Illuminating Paths:
Oculus Fellowships

Also launched in 2020, the Oculus Fellowships play a significant role in increasing access to Darden. Named for the Oculus — the circular opening at the apex of the Dome Room in the Rotunda — the fellowships represent the illumination these promising students and their ideas bring to the University and Darden. These generous fellowships provide sufficient financial support so that these leaders of tomorrow can fully develop their talents and contribute to Darden’s student-governed community while pursuing an MBA.

Cultivating Community:
Promoting Inclusive Excellence

The Powered by Purpose campaign is making significant strides in promoting inclusive excellence at Darden. Darden School Foundation scholarships support diverse populations, including women, firstgeneration students, international students and those with a military background. Notably, in 2021, the campaign helped launched two Darden School Foundation programs: Breakthrough Scholars and Impact Fellows. Breakthrough is designed to foster a new generation of diverse leadership in private equity, venture capital and other areas of asset management. Impact focuses on those traditionally underrepresented in top business schools and the ranks of senior management, especially women and people of color. This pair of Darden School Foundation meritbased scholarships ensures that those with the greatest potential choose Darden regardless of background, and they foster a lasting culture of inclusive excellence at the School. Both programs provide recipients with carefully tailored mentorship and leadership development programming involving Darden alumni, faculty, fellow students and staff.

Celebrating Roots:
Attracting International Students

The Powered by Purpose campaign is also making significant strides in promoting global connection, recognizing the importance of a global perspective in today’s interconnected world. For example, the Darden School Foundation received generous gifts from Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88) & Bruno J. Mejean, establishing the Hund-Mejean Family Scholarship Fund to benefit select European students. George S. Tahija (MBA ’86) & Laurel Tahija also made a significant contribution to create a fellowship at the Darden School Foundation, providing scholarships to several students from Indonesia.

Global Catalyst:
Batten Foundation Darden Worldwide Scholarship Program

Established in 2018 through a transformational gift to the Darden School, the Batten Foundation Darden Worldwide Scholarship program ensures students receive firsthand international business experience and a deeper understanding of diverse cultures. This program enables all Full-Time MBA students to participate in a Darden Worldwide Course at no incremental cost. The impact is profound, enriching the Darden community with new perspectives and insights. It also strengthens Darden’s relationships with businesses and organizations worldwide, enhancing the School’s global reputation and reach.

Alliance for Excellence:
Partnering for Greater Impact

The campaign’s focus on global experiences extends to its partnerships with external organizations. For example, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund’s McGowan Fellows Program, which Darden joined in 2019, provides a full-tuition scholarship and a host of experiential leadership development opportunities to a rising Second Year Full-Time MBA student at Darden. This program not only supports the development of future business leaders but also fosters international collaboration and understanding.