Moved by the new financial hardships students are facing as a result of COVID-19, the University of Miami’s Citizens Board has stepped forward with a $300,000 donation in support of scholarships.
"Student support has been the theme for the Citizens Board’s efforts this year. At the beginning of the fall semester we made a $60,000 grant to be divided equally among all schools and colleges, and we have emphasized scholarship—UM’s top priority—throughout the entire year," said Citizens Board president and University of Miami trustee Roberta Jacoby. "Our students’ commitment to succeed in their studies despite any challenges they may face is truly remarkable, and now, recognizing that many of them are being affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and in keeping with our theme, we wanted to do all we could to help."
The current grant, the largest the board has made in a single year, will create the Citizens Board Scholarship Fund for UM students with the greatest financial need, with preference given to students from Florida. "We hope this donation will also inspire other people to give at this very crucial time," Jacoby added.
Third-year neuroscience major Dalton Platt, who received a Citizens Board Scholarship earlier this year, shared: "Without it, I would be incapable of pursuing my dreams in neuroscience and hopefully neurosurgery one day. I aspire to fulfill these dreams, and it all stems from this scholarship.”
Since its establishment in 1946, the Citizens Board has played an essential role in the life of the University of Miami. Its more than 270 South Florida business leaders serve as UM ambassadors in the community, knowing that strong support of higher education is vital to a community’s continued growth and cultural and economic development. Members are committed to supporting the University’s development efforts through their friend and fundraising activities. Since its inception, the Citizens Board has raised an estimated $454 million for the University of Miami.
