Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/128989
Dear Cavalier Friends, The month of April had a fast and furious finish with more than 5,900 donors making their annual campaign pledges during the first period of 2013, along with the thousands who have renewed their season football tickets. We are thankful to have so many fans that continue to support the educational and athletic experiences of Virginia's student-athletes each year. We are especially grateful for the more than 2,500 (and climbing) donors who have participated in our "I Give 110%" initiative. Donors at all giving levels have participated in this important initiative — from $25 to more than $25,000. This kind of support will go a long way towards helping us meet a rising scholarship bill this year. It is not too late to participate, even if you have already made a pledge. This initiative will continue until the end of December. Recently, the Board of Visitors announced the tuition increases for the 2013-14 academic year — a 3.8% increase for in-state students and a 4.8% increase for out-of-state students. This is an especially important announcement for our budget planning and the impact on our fundraising plans for the future. In our 25 sports, there are 316.6 full scholarship equivalents awarded with some as full scholarships and some as partial scholarships. Being able to fully fund all of our scholarships is a steadfast commitment of our VAF Board of Trustees. This increase will add more than $650,000 to our scholarship expense at a point when our annual fund still has not recovered to be able to fund all scholarships without using cash reserves in our endowment. Our donors remain the sole source of scholarship funding at the University and a critical component for our overall success. I realize many donors are interested in their priority points and benefits. As a reminder, you can visit our website at www.VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com to access your account, make a pledge or payment, view your priority points and much more. Keep in mind that a current 2013 pledge must be recorded in order for priority points to be calculated. On May 20, all donors who have football season tickets will receive information (date and time) for online seat and parking selections. The selection times, assigned in priority point order, begin on May 28. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 800.626.8723. Perhaps the biggest highlight of any college student's experience is graduation, which will take place on May 19 at the University. More than 160 student-athletes will walk the Lawn in one of the most memorable graduation events in the country. I hope each of our donors takes great pride in supporting these student-athletes and their experiences while on Grounds. There are many motivations to make contributions to our program, but the impact you have on the program and the lives of our student-athletes is life changing. Thank you to each of our 9,500 donors who have supported the many aspects of these student-athletes' experiences over the past four or five years. Sincerely, Dirk P. Katstra Executive Director