MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: How Scarlet Promise Grants can transform a student's future.

Jonathan Holloway
Jonathan Holloway is the 21st president of Rutgers University.
Photography by Nick Romanenko

On the day I was introduced as president of Rutgers in January, I explained what my scholarship about universities had revealed to me: that among the nuances woven into the fabric of these institutions are a deep commitment to curiosity, an embrace of uncertainty, a faith in the timelessness of some ideas (and the courage to test this faith regularly), an unblinking acceptance of complexity, and an unwavering dedication to service.

I couldn’t have guessed then how these attributes would be called upon in the ensuing months. Rutgers has dealt with the profound uncertainty of a global pandemic and its effects on our academic and research enterprise. We have risen to accept the complexity of responding to a racial reckoning that has become the largest social movement in our history. And—through the innovation in our labs and heroism of our frontline workers—our community has displayed a dedication to service above and beyond.

Just as important, we have been reminded of the timelessness of this core idea: opportunity. Rutgers has a mighty history of opening its doors to people from a wide range of communities and especially of providing opportunity to students across the socioeconomic spectrum, including so many who are first in their families to attend college.

At a time of great need for many families, Rutgers needs to continue being that place. We need more than ever to provide opportunity for students of immense talent but modest means, for whom a Rutgers education can transform their future and that of their families.

A great many of our proud alumni received financial aid during their time at Rutgers. They know better than anyone how that aid can make all the difference in a student’s life. That’s why my first act as president was to announce a campaign to raise $10 million for the Scarlet Promise Grants program—and to make a personal donation from my wife, Aisling, and myself.

There is no better vehicle to address the financial needs of our most economically at-risk students than these grants, which help close gaps of $500 to $5,000 to keep a student in school. And there is no more meaningful way to support the current classes of Rutgers students, who have been through a deeply disruptive time in their college careers. Many of their families have suffered directly from the pandemic, whether it be losing a job or contracting the virus.

I’m pleased to say that we have already received a few leadership gifts to the Scarlet Promise Grants campaign along with many smaller gifts that have moved us closer to our goal. (You can read about the grants in “Scarlet Promise Grants Aid Students.”) I don’t want to use the term “modest gift,” because there is nothing modest about any gift that will support a Rutgers student and keep him or her on the path to a Rutgers degree.

Please consider helping us provide the opportunity that has made such a difference in your life. You can donate to the Scarlet Promise Grants at support.rutgers.edu/scarletpromise.