New Graduates Give Back to Alma Mater with Senior Class Gift

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  • Category: Campus News

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – For the first time at Lincoln University, the graduating class chose to establish a fund to support students who need financial assistance as the traditional senior class gift to the university. More than 150 students who were in good financial standing signed a statement authorizing the application or commitment fee they paid upon entering the university to be kept to help future students.


Members of the 2017 class wear their philanthropy cord given for participation in the senior class gift.

“The fact that we had more than 150 graduates donate selected refunds back to LU is noteworthy, not just at LU, but for the entire HBCU community,” said Stephen McDaniel, interim vice president for institutional advancement.

Each student who signed an agreement was given a blue and orange philanthropy cord to wear on Commencement day.

“This cord allows the LU family to recognize their support for LU by proudly displaying their commitment to giving back and hopefully inspire future fellow graduates to consider giving back to the university,” McDaniel said.


Members of the 2017 graduating class wear the philanthropy cord given for participation in the senior class gift.

McDaniel said he hopes this new tradition will be sustained with future classes and will further solidify the culture of philanthropy among the newest graduates.

This senior class gift coincides with other giving initiatives this spring; Lincoln University launched a new online giving platform. The site provides potential donors the opportunity to specify where they want their donation targeted, whether to an academic program, campus need, extracurricular activity, sport, or general fund. The giving site can be found at https://lupa.networkforgood.com/.

Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), educates and empowers students to lead their communities and change the world. Lincoln offers a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student body of approximately 2,200 men and women in more than 35 undergraduate and graduate programs.