Lights Out for Philanthropy

Posted By: Ellen Heydon On: 2023-03-14
Posted On: 2023-03-14
Lights Out Day is taking place on March 14 in conjunction with Saint Mary’s Day of Giving. Lights Out Day represents the importance of the Saint Mary’s Fund and philanthropy on campus. Most students don’t know that tuition only covers about 75% of our education leaving philanthropy to cover the rest of it. We ask that you turn the lights off for a few minutes today to bring awareness to the importance of philanthropy.
Imagine a Saint Mary’s experience without sports, student clubs, or student activities. With the help of generous donations to the Saint Mary’s Fund, you receive more than just a college education from SMU. The flexibility of the Saint Mary’s Fund allows the university to finance the areas of greatest needs without forwarding further costs onto students through tuition. The Saint Mary’s Fund is used to create opportunities such as scholarship and reducing student costs to other academic opportunities, enhance academic programs such as new books and equipment, and enhance campus facilities ensuring you have the best possible environment to learn. 

The Saint Mary’s Fund fills in the gaps. It provides flexible, accessible support that helps the university respond immediately to critical needs as well as bolster support for ongoing requirements like scholarship and program investments. If tuition was the only thing paying for your education. TODAY, your education would be done for the year. The idea of the lights out is because the tuition doesn’t cover the entire cost of your college experience and we rely on philanthropy for the rest.

Philanthropy plays a role in your college experience. With an average of $1.5 million dollars being awarded to students through scholarship and 99% of students receiving some type of scholarship. Support Saint Mary’s today as we honor lights out.