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Pitt-Bradford cited for giving large portion of gifts to students

Pitt-Bradford has been cited as one of the colleges devoting the highest share of annual donor contributions for student financial aid.

Pitt-Bradford has been cited as one of the colleges devoting the highest share of annual donor contributions for student financial aid.

Pitt-Bradford was No. 4 on a list of colleges that devote the highest percentage  of their dollars to financial aid, according to the Council for Aid to Education and published Tuesday by the financial information website MarketWatch.

For the giving year ending June 30, 2016, Pitt-Bradford used  77.2 percent of the $1.59 million in gifts it received for financial aid. The council, which keeps track of college giving, said that the average amount institutions earmark for financial aid is 16 percent of donations.

“Making college affordable for students and their families is a high priority at Pitt-Bradford,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president.

“We're very fortunate that our friends and supporters share our conviction that all students who want to improve their lot in life should be given the chance to pursue a college education. By establishing over 200 private donor scholarships, our donors make it possible for an untold number of students to become productive citizens able to contribute to the local and national economy.”

Among students who apply for financial aid at Pitt-Bradford, 98.9 percent receive assistance through private donor scholarships, institutional financial aid, loans, work study or undergraduate research funds.

Many scholarships were created by contributions from donors. Pitt-Bradford has more than 200 privately funded scholarships that award students amounts ranging from $200 to $3,000 annually.

During the 2016 fiscal year, Pitt-Bradford awarded $671,277 in donor scholarship money to 465 students.

In addition to helping students pay their tuition, Pitt-Bradford has been recognized for its value during the last year.

Last fall, Washington Monthly magazine included Pitt-Bradford among its listing of “best bang for the buck” universities.

Earlier in 2016, Pitt-Bradford was one of 13 institutions recognized by President Obama for helping low-income students to graduate.

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