The Impact of Gifts

The cost of higher education is prohibitive for many asipiring students in Wisconsin. For these five students, Bucky’s Tuition Promise provided a life-changing opportunity.

Dedicated to making UW-Madison an accessible and affordable option to anyone who is admitted, Chancellor Blank reflects on the impact of Bucky’s Tuition Promise in its inaugural year.

The second year of Bucky’s Tuition Promise offered free tuition to 848 Wisconsin residents the chance to attend the state’s flagstaff university free of charge.

For 796 students from 65 Wisconsin counties, Bucky’s Tuition Promise delivered full-tuition scholarships in its inaugural year.

The long-term impact of the Chancellor’s Scholars Program is evident in the life of ’96 graduate Justin Cruz, who in a position of authority at American Family Insurance marks one of the most impressive ascents that an executive of color has made in Madison.

As the daughter of a firefighter and a schoolteacher, this Center for Educational Opportunity scholar sees her choice to become a doctor as furthering her family’s tradition of public service.

World War II pushed the Apinis family to leave Europe, but the careers they built in Madison continue to influence student pharmacists and researchers. Through establishing three scholarships and a professorship, this family legacy will change lives for years to come.

Following the Wisconsin Idea, Phil and Kit Blake establish a scholarship to benefit Computer Science students from rural areas within the state. Two current scholarship recipients share their dedication to put this idea into action.