STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

$20 MILLION

It’s our responsibility and our privilege to ensure that we continue to make those opportunities available and accessible for current and future students, especially those from under-resourced households and underrepresented communities for which an education may be less financially feasible. The sincerity of our commitment is reflected in our student demographics: in 2022, 47 percent of first-year students had a family income of $50,000 or less, one-third of Salem State students were the first in their family to attend college and 36 percent identified as students of color.

These students are prepared to work hard to earn their degree this is part of what makes them exceptional employees and leaders when they leave the university. However, this work ethic has diminishing returns if the financial burden becomes a greater focus in their lives than their education.

Gifts of all sizes have a profound effect on helping our students meet the moment and reach the finish line. For some Salem State students, the cost of a single $200 textbook can be enough to prevent them from completing their coursework. Your gift can change the life trajectory of those students enabling them to earn their degree, take charge of their future and reap all the benefits of a college education.

47% of first-year students had a family income of $50,000 or less

1/3 of Salem State students were the first in their family to attend college

36% identified as students of color

Removing the Hurdles

“When we heard about a student who had to borrow a textbook from a classmate because they couldn’t afford to buy their own, we knew we had to step up,” Kim Gassett-Schiller ’83, ’18H explains. “We wanted to give hard-working students a bridge to help them complete their degree.” In response, Kim and her husband Philip established the Viking Completion Grant Endowment with a significant portion of their $6 million gift to Salem State. The fund provides grants to help seniors overcome the last financial hurdles they face before graduation.

Alyssa Giordano ’21 was one of the first to benefit from Kim and Philip’s generosity. She describes the moment she learned about the grant: “My phone rang, and I saw it was from Salem State. I was afraid they were calling to tell me I couldn’t graduate because I had an outstanding balance. Instead, they said ‘We have some good news.’ My heart just about stopped when they told me I was a perfect candidate for a completion grant that would allow me to earn my degree.”

Kim and Philip hope their gift will allow everyone in the Salem State community to achieve a return on their collective investment in student success. “We’re grateful for the chance to give students the boost they need at a critical moment in their lives,” Kim says. That was exactly the case for Alyssa, who adds, “I probably would have given up and not graduated if I couldn’t cover my balance. I can’t say thank you enough.”

These programs represent both proven strategies and innovative approaches to financial assistance that benefit students at different stages of their academic career.

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS $10 MILLION

Salem State students face a number of external demands beyond their academic requirements, including a heavy employment schedule, caring for loved ones and contributing to household income. While nearly 95 percent of our full-time undergraduates request financial aid, only 81 percent receive it. Closing that gap through philanthropy will help ensure that every Salem State student can take full advantage of the high-quality education that we provide and that they deserve.

In addition to need-based scholarships, the campaign will provide significant support for merit-based financial assistance. Strengthening our robust Honors Program, investing in merit scholarships for underrepresented populations and providing support for continuing education and graduate students will position us to maintain a rigorous, collaborative learning environment where high-performing students develop their skills, raise the university’s academic profile and ensure our students achieve their full potential.

VIKING COMPLETION GRANTS $7 MILLION

Many students who excel in the classroom face outstanding bills that prevent them from graduating. If these students don’t graduate, they find themselves in a precarious situation: simultaneously burdened with educational debt and without a degree to show for it. Completion grants are a low-cost, high-reward strategy that can make all the difference, ensuring an outstanding balance of $6,500 or less won’t prevent students from earning the degree they worked so hard to attain.

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND $2 MILLION

Our students often navigate serious financial challenges resulting from job losses, illness, family responsibilities, and other factors. In response, we’re growing the base of support for our Student Emergency Fund, which provides critical aid in moments of unexpected need. Standing in solidarity with our students has always been a hallmark of Salem State; we’re honored to strengthen that commitment.

INTERNSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS $1 MILLION

Students often balance coursework with one or more jobs unrelated to their career track, which can cause them to miss out on critical experiential opportunities that position them for long-term success. In addition, professions such as nursing, social work and teaching often require students to complete unpaid clinical or student teaching experiences to earn their degree. The campaign includes support for paid internships and clinicals that will enable more students to take advantage of vital opportunities that align with their ambitions without jeopardizing their financial stability.

Uplifting Communities

Reverend Arthur T. Gerald ’12H first joined the Salem State community in 1972 as the advisor to the Afro-American Society. The following year, he became the director of the minority affairs program, with the mission of helping to recruit additional students of color. It quickly became clear that bringing students of color to campus wasn’t enough the school also needed to provide resources to help them succeed on campus. Arthur’s position was shifted from student life to academic affairs, and the focus became retention and support. He and his colleagues helped develop a summer program for incoming students and created what was then called the Learning Center now the Center for Academic Excellence to ensure that every student not only had a place at Salem State, but also had the support they needed to thrive.

Arthur remained an important voice for inclusivity from the moment he stepped foot on campus until he retired from his role as associate dean in 2010. In 2009, he and his wife Henrietta ’75 endowed the Arthur T. Gerald, Jr. Scholarship Fund to continue his work of helping students of diverse backgrounds attend, succeed and realize their dreams at Salem State. Students like Keyla Romero-Velasquez ’23.

“Systems like FAFSA don’t fully address the needs of today’s first-generation, low-income students. Students aren’t going to graduate if they’re hungry and have nowhere to sleep. The Student Emergency Fund is helping to provide our most vulnerable students with the basic security, dignity and autonomy they need to succeed in college.”

Already the first in her family to graduate high school, Keyla is determined to earn her college degree. “I pay my own bills and buy my own food. For a while, I was working 30 to 40 hours every week at Starbucks on top of going to class, but I had to stop because it was taking a toll on my mental health,” says Keyla. “I want the Geralds to know their contribution to my education is deeply appreciated.”

Making the decision to support student scholarship was simple for Arthur. “I’m indebted to all those who helped me get where I am in life,” he says. “And as I have been helped, so must I help others.” For her part, Keyla is also looking to pay this gift forward: “Once I graduate, I want to help heal and uplift the communities that raised me.”

$25