University of Cincinnati launches UC Promise scholarship match

The University of Cincinnati and the UC Foundation have launched the UC Promise scholarship match, which will match the financial impact of individual donors’ need-based scholarships set up through the UC Foundation. This effort comes on the heels of the introduction of the Bearcats Affordability Grant in 2025, which provided tuition-free education to students coming from families making under $75,000 per year. Together, these initiatives aim to provide affordable or free college education to even more students.

According to an article on the University of Cincinnati’s website, university President Neville G. Pinto was quoted as saying of the UC Promise scholarship match, “I’m grateful to our dedicated donors who will join us in opening doors for even more students across Ohio. Through the UC Promise scholarship match, we are demonstrating our commitment to expanding access to higher education and investing in the future of students, families and communities across our state.”

In order for a UC Promise scholarship match to take effect, an individual donor must endow a newly established scholarship fund with at least $50,000. The scholarship cannot be established by an estate gift. The scholarship must be set up to assist Ohio undergraduate students who are experiencing financial need, and donors can choose if they would like to limit the scholarship to students in a specific UC school or to students who graduate from Cincinnati Public Schools. The university will match the funds awarded to students by these scholarships 1:1, in the donor’s name.

UC Foundation President Rich Bundy said, “Our alumni and donors are remarkably generous. Through the UC Promise match, and our university’s commitment to Ohio students, I know our philanthropic community will create even more life-changing support for Bearcats. To me, the most meaningful aspect of this initiative is its ongoing impact: as endowed funds, these UC Promise scholarships become a permanent part of our support for generations of students to come.”

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Rudolph G. Buchheit, PhD., said, “In Cincinnati, we know that the future of higher education is about opening more pathways to education for students from all backgrounds. This new initiative will add to our momentum for this important work allowing  us to provide excellent educational opportunities for many different learners and prepare them for meaningful careers and lives.”

For more information about the University of Cincinnati, visit the school’s website.