Minimum Gift
Each Church institution of higher education has established a different minimum amount for endowed scholarships. These amounts are revised periodically to keep pace with tuition increases. For the current minimums, see the table on the back of this card.
Scholarship endowments may be fully funded by the initial gift or by a series of gifts over a period of up to five years (or three years for BYU–Idaho). Proposed endowments that are not fully funded within five years may become entirely spendable, except for proposed endowments that are intended to be funded primarily from a donor’s assets after his or her death.
Restrictions
While having fewer restrictions allows the institution greater flexibility in meeting student needs, donors may give preference to students who meet certain qualifications, such as:
- financial need
- specified major, program, department, school, or college
- graduate or undergraduate status
- geographic area, with the institution’s approval (BYU–Idaho and Ensign College do not permit geographic restrictions.)
- other restrictions, with the institution’s approval
Restrictions cannot be based on gender, age, disability, race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
First Award
Because awards are made from annual earnings, scholarship awards are given beginning the fall after the fund reaches the endowment minimum amount and has been invested for a full calendar year. For example, a December 2024 gift fully funding a scholarship endowment will be invested for all of 2025, and the first award will be given for fall 2026.
| Endowment Minimum | Tuition Per Semester | Maximum Endowment Percentage Available Annually for Distribution from Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | $75,000 | $3,344 | 4.5% |
| BYU-Hawaii | $80,000 | $3,315 | 4% |
| BYU-Idaho | $75,000 | $2,400 | 4.25% |
| Ensign College | $40,000 | $2,002 | 4% |
You can learn more about the Church's institutions of higher learning, other ways to donate to them, and their giving priorities below.
