New Need-Based Scholarship, endowed by Gould faculty, to help students beginning next fall
It’s well understood that law school is expensive. But when students are talented enough to be chosen to attend USC Gould School of Law, overcoming the high cost of tuition is important not only to those students but also to the teachers who are eager to have them in their classrooms.
That is the belief of one retired member of the Gould faculty, a belief that motivated him to endow a new fund to support admitted applicants with financial challenges. The scholarship, which will be awarded to a USC Gould student for the first time this fall, gives faculty an opportunity to contribute to students not only from the podium but by opening the profession to a wider range of lawyers.
Already the Faculty Need-Based Scholarship Endowment has received donations from other active and retired law professors, and it is also open to alumni wishing to honor their professors. Establishing this scholarship has also helped inspire several alumni to increase their contributions to endow similar need-based scholarship funds.
“Obviously, Gould, like other law schools, has used a lot of its scholarship funding in the past several decades to compete for the students it wants to attract, and law school is expensive enough that it’s good to reduce what all students have to borrow to attend,” says the faculty donor, who wishes to remain anonymous about the endowment gift. “But I don’t think I’m unusual in thinking that it’s especially important that we devote an increasing amount of scholarship aid to students who wouldn’t be able to enroll because of the cost.”
“We are so often delighted with our students’ remarkable accomplishments, such as working on behalf of clients in important areas like immigration, small business and housing, as well as those with wonderful academic achievements, such as the articles they write and the moot courts they win,” the donor says. “As we celebrate such successes, the availability of this endowment provides faculty a means both to applaud current students and, by making a contribution — whether it’s $100 or $1,000 or more — to enable future students to have an equally significant experience at USC.”
In his academic career, the donor heard from students grappling with money problems who couldn’t ask their families for help. He hopes the new endowment helps recipients keep their focus on school by tempering those concerns. He sees this as another way to support the future of the profession which will benefit from a more diverse membership.
“Being on the Gould faculty was a terrific privilege. We had great support for research and for innovative teaching from our deans and our wonderful support staff, from the fabulous librarians, and from the students who made teaching such a rewarding experience,” he says. “One gives thanks for one’s blessings.”
For more information on the Faculty Need-Based Scholarship Pooled Fund Endowment, kindly contact USC Gould Development and Alumni Relations at alumni@law.usc.edu.
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