Penn State has a $100,000 Matching Donation

“For many undergraduates, the costs of an education strain their families’ financial resources to the limit. An unexpected crisis, be it a death in the family, job loss, or other unforeseen emergency, can jeopardize their educational hopes and dreams.

For a limited time, Penn State parents and supporters Tom Sharbaugh ’73 and Kristin Hayes are challenging fellow alumni and friends of the University to assist undergraduate students who are facing extraordinary and unexpected challenges in earning their degrees. Through the new Microfinance Match Fund, Tom and Kristin are offering to match 2:1, up to a total of $100,000 in matching support, for any gift to a revolving growth fund that offers small loans to undergraduates requiring urgent assistance that could make the difference between dropping out and graduating. Both principal and interest are returned to the fund’s pool of resources and then directed to new recipients, and the impact of a gift to the fund will, therefore, grow over time.”