You Support BU, and BU Supports Students
This Giving Tuesday, your gift can be directed to programs that uplift students seeking to embrace diversity, explore the arts, or engage in cutting-edge research.
Written by Rebecca Beyer | Posted November 2024
A student interested in connecting with people from different cultures. A first-generation scholar seeking guidance and support. A member of the LGBTQIA+ community looking for an inclusive environment. An arts enthusiast. An aspiring researcher hoping to explore subjects ranging from biological anthropology to computational neuroscience.
Boston University is the place for all these people. That’s because at BU, everyone has a place.
Self-Discovery in Community
In an increasingly polarized society, BU’s commitment to inclusivity stands out. That commitment comes to life in many ways but especially at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, founded nearly four decades ago to honor the legacy of philosopher and poet Howard Thurman, dean of Marsh Chapel from 1953 to 1965. Through culturally based programs—including weekly Coffee and Conversation sessions where students can practice civil discourse—the center encourages students to pursue their own self-discovery in their interactions with others.
Students seeking like-minded individuals can find more specific communities as well. The LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, for instance, offers a safe environment for queer and trans students. The Newbury Center, which opened in January 2021, supports first-generation students at BU, offering assistance in navigating financial aid, academic support, internships, study abroad opportunities, mentoring programs, and family relationships. And the BU Arts Initiative elevates university-wide programs that increase student engagement with the arts on campus and beyond.
Increasing Access
BU also offers a robust array of scholarships and financial support to ensure its offerings are accessible to ambitious and qualified students. They are an investment in students’ capacity to make a difference, allowing them to choose careers that align with their interest and beliefs. They also increase academic excellence through diversity. Through its Century Challenge, first announced in 2010, the University matches the income paid from endowed undergraduate scholarship funds for 100 years, doubling the impact any one fund can make.—Your gift can also be directed to existing funds, including the General Scholarship Fund, the Terrier Athletics Fund, and the BU Alumni Association Scholarship, which was created in 2023 by the Boston University Alumni Council.
Since 2020, scholarships have helped the University meet 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of its admitted, first-year students who are US citizens or permanent residents as part of affordableBU, a component of the University’s strategic plan.
Supporting Research
For students seeking support to delve deeper into a particular field of study, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) connects undergrads to faculty-mentored research projects on a volunteer, for-credit, or paid basis. Funding through the program includes stipends, scholarships, and summer housing assistance.
Tyler Pauly (CAS’25) is a first-generation student studying psychology and public health. She chose BU in part for its research opportunities, including UROP, through which she has worked on a project with the Boston Medical Center to design an algorithm that can help determine housing insecurity. Pauly also has participated in time-management programs offered through the Disability & Access Services office and academic supports offered by the Educational Resource Center within the Office of the Provost’s Undergraduate Advising & Student Success department. She receives housing assistance through the Charles River Housing Grant and a full-tuition scholarship from BU in partnership with the Posse Foundation.
“A combination of a really good scholarship and aspects of what I wanted educationally and career-wise are the things that brought me to BU,” Pauly says.
She also has a mentor, Gina Powers, a master lecturer at the Questrom School of Business, who offers Pauly personal and academic guidance.
“I call her my ‘BU mom’ because that’s basically what she is,” Pauly says. “Having that support means a lot to me, and I wouldn’t be where I am without it.”
Giving Tuesday, held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is part of a global movement started in 2012. BU has participated since 2014; last year, Terriers and their supporters gave $296,038 to causes they care about on campus.
Every gift, of every size, matters, and you can choose exactly how to direct your contribution to benefit students seeking unique and fulfilling experiences on campus and off. On Giving Tuesday, your gift can make an even bigger impact because it may be matched by other donors or sponsors.