Greater Access

With you, WashU empowers qualified and motivated students to access a world-class education and all the opportunities it affords.

At WashU, we create life-changing opportunities for talented learners. By admitting the world’s top students based on merit versus the ability to pay, we grow stronger and more powerful in our fundamental mission of academic distinction: discovering knowledge and forming leaders. Meanwhile, increasing our socioeconomic diversity strengthens the excellence of our student body and the quality of our educational and research enterprise.

Fulfilling the promise of greater access to a WashU education requires ongoing philanthropy. We must continue to raise significant funds for scholarships at all levels, as well as investments in student success once they get here — including internship support, robust career services, and mental health resources. With you, we can build on the tremendous progress made in recent years through our leadership investments in greater access, such as the WashU Pledge, the move to need-blind admissions and no-loan financial aid for our undergraduate students, and our investments in student health and well-being through the Healthy Excellence initiative. Together, we can build a world where access to WashU’s world-class education is determined solely by a bright mind, demonstrated talent, and dedication to meaningful goals — irrespective of financial circumstances. With you, this is what WashU can do.

Slide

“Scholarships unlock potential. … For me, the Ervin Scholarship was life-changing. As a high school senior, I was deciding between two colleges, but the Ervin opportunity made the difference.”

Angelica Harris, BS ’21, BSBA ’21, MS ’22

Founder and CEO,
Top Tutors for Us

Read her story

Slide

“WashU made it possible for me to get the education and the life I have, based on the foundation my mom laid — making sure I got the same education as the sighted kids. The rest of my life has been transformed by that.”

Alice Conway, AB ’76, MA ’79, PhD ’83, JD ’83

Assistant General Counsel
Commercial and Employment Law,
Bayer

Read her story

Slide

“WashU hasn’t just opened doors for me; it’s opened an entire panoramic view of what’s possible.”

Davin Hickman-Chow, BS ’25

McKelvey School of Engineering

Read his story

Opening doors to opportunity

Greater access is about removing financial barriers to a WashU education so talented students can fulfill their potential. With you, we’ve made substantial progress — clearing a path for students from Missouri and southern Illinois, instituting need-blind admissions, offering no-loan financial aid, and more. Let’s keep the momentum going.