King’s College’s Presidential Hope Fund Surpasses $3 Million for Financially At-Risk Students

King’s College today announced that its Presidential Hope Fund (PHF) has distributed over $3 million in aid to help students overcome challenging financial situations and complete their degrees.

The funds cover tuition, textbooks, meal plans, housing, laptops and other costs. The PHF is supported through the generosity of alumni and friends of the College, as well as an annual awards dinner named after former King’s College president, Rev. James Lackenmier, C.S.C. Last year, the event raised approximately $300,000.

The PHF builds on the President’s Discretionary Account, originally created in 2009 by then-president Rev. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., Ph.D., to support students during the economic downturn following the Great Recession.

“We were acutely aware that some of our students and their families experienced unexpected monetary struggles that put continuation at King's in jeopardy,” said Father O’Hara. “We felt a commitment to our students, so we established a small contingency fund to help our students in times of struggle. Under the leadership of Father Ryan and Father Looney, that fund, now called the Presidential Hope Fund, has expanded to serve an increasing number of students and their families.”

“Now having reached over $3 million in distribution, this fund is at the very heart of the mission of King’s College: to help our students receive an outstanding and quality education, even in times of financial struggle,” he continued. “It represents King’s at its best, and its continuation is essential to our mission. We are deeply grateful to those who keep this fund alive.”

To date, the fund has provided approximately 475 tuition awards, assisted nearly 3,000 students with the cost of textbooks, supported 290 meal plans, and delivered 54 housing awards.

“The stories of our students in financial need are heartbreaking: parental loss, illness, food insecurity, homelessness, the inability to purchase textbooks,” said current King’s College president Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D. “The generosity of our donors to support them is heartwarming. I am humbled to help join their hearts so that both are blest.”

“The journey of a King’s student is sometimes difficult, and their ‘hopes’ must be big enough to justify the challenge of the journey; the PHF is one concrete way in helping our students achieve their hopes.” said Rev. John Ryan, C.S.C., Ph.D., who served as the College’s president from 2011 through 2021.

To support the Presidential Hope Fund, visit https://alumni.kings.edu/g/hope.