Binghamton University Graduate Alumni

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Giving Opportunities

The Graduate School, which oversees all graduate degree programs, deeply appreciates your support of graduate education. Funding opportunities exist in five general categories (explained in more detail below):

New charitable rollover provision

General Fund

Graduate School Fellowships

Intellectual Entrepreneurship

Graduate Global Opportunity Fund

International Student Fellowships

Endowment Guidelines

General Fund

These funds are used as leverage for larger gifts.

Graduate School Fellowships

These fellowships are used to attract gifted graduate students who would benefit by our programs but either do not have funds for graduate education or are offered financial support elsewhere.
Student Testimonial: "I came to do a PhD at Binghamton because of the people. . ."

Intellectual Entrepreneurship [Top of page]

This program provides special opportunities for graduate students to partner with faculty and other graduate students across disciplines and with community organizations and industry to solve problems collaboratively. Whenever possible, the program supports students for at least one year.

In one project, BU and local school districts partnered to develop inquiry-based, hands-on science lessons for elementary school students.
Student Testimonial: "After only a few days in the classroom, it was clear to me . . ."

Graduate Global Opportunity Fund [Top of page]

This fund helps support graduate students who need a semester of study or research in another country, for example, to work in a museum in London, or in a rain forest in Costa Rica, or with engineer collaborators in Thailand.
Student Testimonial: "As a graduate assistant for Binghamton's Semester in London program, I was fortunate to. . ."

International Student Fellowships [Top of page]

These fellowships provide international students with the opportunity to study at BU. The program includes orientation to USA culture, values and life, which is very important to students so they can adapt quickly.
Student Testimonial: ". . .I got to feel 'at home' in this school very soon... "

Endowment Guidelines [Top of page]

Creating an endowment preserves capital, overcomes inflation, and provides long term, reliable income to the University. A gift designated as an endowment is invested by the Binghamton Foundation, and a portion of the earnings is then used to fund the scholarship or program for which it is designated. An endowment continues to grow over time, supporting the scholarship or program for as long as the University exists.

The table below provides the endowment gift ("naming opportunity") values needed in order to provide support.

What Your Gift Can Do

Amount Needed

Support 1-2 students on a fellowship for an academic year
$500,000 to $750,000

Support 1 non-science student on a fellowship for an academic year $250,000

Support 1 non-science student on a fellowship for a semester $125,000

Support 1 research student for one month over a summer $50,000

Provide travel expenses to for students attending professional conferences $25,000

Your gift of any amount is deeply appreciated!