Establishing a CSE Graduate Student Fellowship

Endowed fellowships are important for the future of the College of Science and Engineering and its graduate students, as they provide permanent, ongoing support through income earned on the endowed funds.

• The College of Science and Engineering endowment is professionally managed and invested for growth through the University of Minnesota Foundation. The college's endowment spending policy preserves and increases the value of the endowment, and a portion of the interest earned on the principal, currently 4.5%, is used to fund the fellowship.
  
  By protecting the principal investment, the endowment provides fellowship support in perpetuity, which over time, will increase as the value of the principal increases.
   
• A minimum of $250,000 is required for an endowed fellowship.
   

          A gift of....                      Provides permanent annual support of * ...

        $250,000                            $11,250
        $500,000                            $22,500
        $750,000                            $33,750
        $1,000,000                         $45,000 — provides a full fellowship

^{* Annual distribution is set at 4.5% of the endowed fund’s 5-year trailing average}

• When you establish a fellowship at the College of Science and Engineering, you will be invited to participate in determining the criteria for the award. For example, you may wish to consider giving preference to graduate students working in a specific area of research, or to students with some other distinguishing characteristic. The college will be happy to assist you in deciding what the student qualifications should be for fellowship support.
  
  You will have the opportunity to name the fund in your own name, in honor or memory of someone, or in the name of your company. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to meet the student recipient of your named fellowship when possible, which is a meaningful occasion for students and donors alike.

Ways to fund an endowed fellowship

• An endowed fellowship may be funded through an outright gift over a period up to five years. For example, a $250,000 endowment may be established through five annual installments of $50,000. After the endowment is established, additional gifts to the endowment may be given at any time to increase the endowment principal.
   
• Endowments can be created with gifts of cash, securities, and other assets. They can be established through one-time gifts, estate gifts, and multi-year pledges. Explore your giving options.