One of the club’s missions in support of alumni and the university is to recruit the best and brightest students from the Atlanta area to attend the University of Michigan. Our toughest competition is the Georgia Lottery that provides full or partial tuition for Georgia residents to attend schools and universities in the State of Georgia. Today, it costs over $50,000 a year for tuition, books, fees, as well as room and board for out-of-state undergraduates to attend Michigan. To attract top students and help offset the financial burden, the University of Michigan Club of Atlanta (UMCA) offers scholarships to prospective students from Atlanta area high schools.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The UMCA offers two scholarships for incoming freshman from metro-Atlanta to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The scholarships are $2,500 each and are one-time awards that are automatically credited to the student’s tuition account, half in the fall and half in the spring.
The first scholarship is based on financial need, as determined by the university’s Office of Financial Aid; however, academics will also be considered in the event of multiple candidates. The second scholarship is based on academic merit, which includes grades, SAT/ACT scores, extra- curricular activities, community service and an essay question.
APPLICATION/AWARD PROCESS
The university will notify our club when all incoming students, have paid their enrollment fee and committed to Michigan (i.e., matriculated). The scholarship chairperson will send out the scholarship application form via email to each student in late June or early July and students will have roughly a month to complete the application. The two recipients of the UMCA scholarships are notified a week prior to the Student Send-Off in early August. This informal event allows incoming students and their families an opportunity to network before heading off to Ann Arbor for their first semester at the University of Michigan. In recent years, about 30+ admitted students have applied for the scholarships each year, so it is somewhat competitive.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
Funds for financial aid provided through the club come from two sources. A key source of the funds comes from the raffles that the club conducts during the weekly football watch parties. The raffles are a lot of fun and participants are eager to win MICHIGAN apparel and memorabilia. In addition, and equally as important, we rely on individual contributions to the scholarship fund by Atlanta area alumni and friends.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
The club’s scholarship fund is maintained in the Office of Financial Aid on campus and professionally managed as part of the university’s endowment program. You can donate to the club’s scholarship fund in several different ways:
- Go to the university’s secured online processing site at Michigan Online Giving to donate to the UM Club of Atlanta funds. You can safely use your credit card to make your donation!
- Print out and complete our Scholarship Fund Contribution Form and mail with your check, made payable to The University of Michigan, to the address of the central processing office on the form.
- Designate the scholarship fund as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and take credit for donating the face value of the policy.
- Contribute real property (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.) and avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciated value, while getting a deduction for the appreciated value.
- If you are an IRA owner who must take a required minimum distribution (RMD), you can avoid some or all of the resulting income tax liability by making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD).
- Include the UM Club of Atlanta scholarship fund in your will.
All gifts to our scholarship fund are recognized by the university, and are posted as part of your overall giving plan to the university. Your contribution to the scholarship fund may also provide you with federal income tax benefits if you itemize your deductions. When making non-cash donations we recommend that you consult with your tax advisor and the UM Office of Gift Administration.
PLEASE MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Any contribution, large or small, makes a real difference. An average donation of just $25 per local alumnus would total over $100,000 per year! That is more than 10 times our current level of support! That level of support would enable us to award scholarships to all incoming freshman. Please consider making a gift or pledge now while you are thinking about it. The students who receive our help are extremely grateful as we help them become the Leaders and Best.
Thanks and GO BLUE!