Program allows recent graduates to donate to university at lower cost

By Jenny Boylan

Starting out in the real world after college can be tough financially for recent graduates.

The Young Fellows Society, a part of the Student Development Council, intended to recognize major donors to the university, makes it possible for current students and new graduates interested in making a pledge of at least $10,000 to do so without having to pay it off all at once, according to the Office of Development Web site.

According to the Web site, Young Fellows receive the same benefits as other Fellows, but have five extra years to pay off their pledge.

Members can pay off their pledge each month through an automatic debit charge, said Susan Harper, assistant director for Fellows Society and Donor Relations. For the first five years the donation is only $20, followed by $75 a month for the next 10 years, she said.

A husband and wife can become joint fellows and take advantage with no additional financial commitment, according to the Young Fellows Program information pamphlet.

As a Fellow, you are able to choose the particular fund you wish your donation to go toward, be it a specific college, program or scholarship, Harper said.

Katti Bowling, a 2006 business and marketing graduate and member of the UK Fellows Society, has taken advantage of the Young Fellows Program. She became a Fellow spring semester of her senior year and decided she wanted her donation to go toward a study abroad scholarship in the College of Business and Economics.

Bowling said her biggest hope was that someone else could have an experience as meaningful as hers.

“Knowing that I have the opportunity to help others experience a study abroad program means so much,” Bowling said. “My study abroad program was one of the many highlights of my college career.”

The Young Fellows program is one of many ways UK hopes to widen its donor base.

“We want to show how individuals make a difference and develop a culture of philanthropy on campus,” said Paula Pope, director of Campaign Services and Donor Relations. “In a year of widespread economic hardship, people still want to be Fellows.”