The College Receives $1- Million Gift for Financial Aid Fund
Colby College is pleased to announce that it has received a $1-million gift from Jason Werlin ’00 and Amelia Schultz ’00 for the College’s endowed financial aid fund. The gift will expand access to Colby for more students.
“We are incredibly grateful to Jason and Amelia for their generosity,” said Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Officer Matt Proto. “Their gift will allow more talented students from all backgrounds the opportunity to benefit from a Colby education.”
Both Jason and Amelia credited their time at Colby for shaping their lives. In addition to meeting each other on Mayflower Hill, both benefited from the rigors of a Colby education and the opportunities that it created.
“Colby was an amazing and transformative experience for me,” Werlin said. “I had such wonderful teachers, who challenged me and really made me curious. My time at Colby was the launching point of my career.”
Schultz said the couple decided to make the gift to Colby financial aid to help others achieve their dreams. “Jason and I think a lot about educational equity. Our Colby experience was formative, and the idea that we could help others have that same experience, it was an easy decision for us to make. The fact that we are able to do this feels like a gift to us.”
Expanding access
Colby has become a national leader in access and affordability among colleges and universities. Through a leading admissions and outreach effort that has enrolled the most academically prepared and diverse students, along with new partnerships forged with community-based organizations and innovative financial aid programs, Colby is one of the most accessible colleges for the most talented students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
The College has an ongoing initiative to recruit exceptional students regardless of family income or circumstance and to meet each admitted student’s demonstrated financial need. Colby is one of only a handful of highly selective schools to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need without loans—providing students the opportunity to graduate without student loan debt.
“Colby’s financial aid program ensures the College’s classrooms are enriched by the perspectives, insights, and experiences of talented students from all backgrounds,” said Randi Arsenault Maloney ’09, associate vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid. “Our community’s deep and meaningful commitment to expanding access and providing opportunity has a profound impact on both current and future Colby students.”
Dare Northward has played a major role in taking Colby’s financial aid to the next level in transformative ways. With more than $76 million in financial aid gifts since the start of the campaign, donors make this commitment possible. The College’s ability to expand its financial aid programs is a reflection of a community made up of passionate and generous donors like Werlin and Schultz.
