Scholarship endowments can be established with a single gift of cash, securities or other property, or may be funded with a series of gifts made over time. They can also be funded
through a bequest or other deferred gifts, or through a combination of lifetime and deferred gifts.
Scholarships will be awarded one year after the minimum required funding level is endowed. If the donor, family member or other interested persons contribute beyond the
minimum funding level, additional scholarships or more competitive stipends are made possible.
The amount that may be awarded from each endowment is established through a spending policy adopted by the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees. In setting the spending
policy, the trustees consult with the university to determine current funding needs, then balance those needs against the need for long-term growth of the principal. Without growth,
scholarship endowments will lose their "purchasing power" over time. Currently, spending from endowments is set at four percent of the three-year moving average of the market
value of the endowment. Additional earnings are added to the principal of each fund.
Donors have the opportunity to name the scholarship or fellowship they establish. Many choose to name them after themselves; in honor or memory of a relative, friend or loved
one; after the name of a respected faculty member; or after the name of a corporation, foundation, or other organization.
Donors receive information about each student who is awarded their scholarship or fellowship as well as regular communication from the recipient. Many lasting friendships have
been forged between donors and "their" students.
