Thayer Announces $5 Million Engineering Scholarship Gift

Engineering undergraduate students working in the MShop. (Photo by JuanCarlos Gonzalez)

The gift from an anonymous donor is a significant step in the drive to raise $25 million to provide comprehensive, loan-free financial aid awards for students who remain at Dartmouth for all or part of a fifth year to complete their Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree. Meeting the financial needs of fifth-year BE students will expand access to Thayer's distinctive engineering program and advance Dartmouth's commitment to meet the financial needs of all undergraduates. 

The donor is a Thayer alumnus who benefited from financial aid as a student and is endowing a scholarship fund to pay it forward for future generations.

Expanding students' understanding of the world

"This extraordinary gift brings us closer to our goal of ensuring that all engineering students can choose to pursue the BE degree and engage in the opportunities and experiences that make Dartmouth unique," says Douglas Van Citters '99 Th'03 Th'06, Thayer's interim dean. "We are deeply grateful for this remarkable act of generosity that will help enable engineering students to explore the arts, play sports, study abroad, or dive into history, anthropology, or economics, as they learn about medical devices, control theory, and thermodynamics." 

Most Dartmouth undergraduates studying engineering earn two degrees: the College's liberal arts-based AB and the BE, an accredited, professional degree awarded by Thayer. Students are typically encouraged to consider earning the two degrees over five years—completing the AB in their fourth year and then the BE in their fifth year—so they can explore a range of courses across the liberal arts and participate in multiple extracurricular activities.

"The Dartmouth experience is not separate from engineering," says Van Citters. "We shape engineers who are not only technically skilled but also thoughtful problem-solvers, grounded in an understanding of humanity and the complexities of our world."

Thayer currently cannot fully meet the demonstrated financial aid need of most fifth-year BE students. As a result, engineering undergraduates who want to pursue both degrees but have limited financial resources face the choice of taking on student loan debt to finance their fifth year; giving up portions of the full Dartmouth experience and accepting the pressure of completing the two degrees in four years; or skipping the BE altogether.

Ensuring choice in how students pursue engineering

Securing $25 million in endowed scholarship funds dedicated to fifth-year BE students will help guarantee that money is not the principal factor when engineering undergraduates decide whether to pursue the two degrees over four years versus five years. 

"Expanding Thayer's capacity to offer financial aid awards across five years will ensure all engineering students have the choice to participate in the breadth of student life experiences available at Dartmouth and to complete the AB and BE within the timeframe that works best for them," says Professor of Engineering Vicki May, associate dean for undergraduate education. "We know many students prefer to complete the two degrees within four years so they can launch their careers or move on to graduate school. We also know that the majority of students who choose Dartmouth want to engage with the College's renowned academic offerings and the myriad cocurricular and extracurricular activities that make Dartmouth so special." 

The BE degree requires nine courses beyond the AB in engineering sciences major requirements. For many students, completing the additional coursework within four years means students must take at least two STEM courses each term, which prevents some students from participating in athletics or the arts, pursuing a double major, or studying abroad.