Yes! Online donations can be made through the Annual Giving online form. When allocating your gift, be sure to select Park Scholarships - Study Abroad Fund from the pull-down menu.
For information on how to donate, see the How to Give page or download our donation form.
A donation, as we are defining it, is a one-time gift to our fundraising campaign for any amount. A pledge is the promise to donate a certain amount of money that will be paid in increments over a period of time. For more information on making a pledge, visit this section.
Matching gifts are made by employers, not by individual donors. Many companies offer to match the donations their employees make to educational funds. If you work for a company with a matching gift program, you provide your employer with information about your gift (usually by calling a toll-free number or filling out a company-produced form) and the company does the rest. For more information about matching gifts, and to see whether you qualify, please visit our matching gift section.
Gift credit is given to both the donor and the company when a matching gift is received. These gifts are also factored into the calculation for the donor’s placement in Chancellor’s Circle and the Lifetime Giving Societies.
The Chancellor’s Circle is the university’s highest level of annual-donor recognition. It recognizes alumni and friends who have made a gift of $1,000 or more during a single fiscal year (The minimum is $500 for alumni who have graduated in the last ten years). Membership is renewable annually and is based on an individual’s giving record. Corporate matching gifts are included in the donor’s gift total.
Virtually every gift to NC State is 100% tax-deductible. Whenever you are not being promised a benefit or receiving anything tangible in exchange for what you give, the IRS permits you to deduct the total amount of your donation. All donations to the study abroad stipend meet this criteria.
For more information on maximizing your tax benefits, please see NC State's tax benefits section or consult your personal tax advisor.
The Director of the Park office, working with the GRASPs committee, decides how to best distribute the Study Abroad Stipends. Criteria, an application process and selection are determined and managed by the office with input from the PAS. The office reports to the PAS each year on how the funds are distributed, and recipients of the award are expected to provide a the PAS with a brief summary of their trip.
The Study Abroad Stipends cover travel expenses for students who plan to study abroad as part of a direct semester or yearly exchange, or in conjunction with a class during the standard academic year. The course credits must be accepted by NC State for transfer.
In the beginning, and for the most part, yes. Tuition for many semester study abroad exchanges are covered fully by the Park Scholarship, if they are equal or less than tuition at NC State. By offering to cover travel expenses, the PAS hopes that more scholars can take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. In some instances, however, grants might be made to help with other outside expenses not covered by tuition. Final distribution will be determined by the Park Scholarships Director, who will report on those decisions to the PAS.
Not initially. Summer programs are often less structured and would require more consideration to confirm that they count toward NC State credits or meet certain academic requirements. They often differ widely in both cost and content, and are less likely to be affiliated with a school or a direct-exchange program. This could be reconsidered as the stipend fund grows, however.
The Study Abroad Fund will be an on-going PAS fundraiser, until we are able to endow the grants. The deadline for this fundraising period is July 1. Donations made after this date will count toward next year’s fundraising totals, and will not count toward participation goals for this campaign.
For an endowment of this nature, NC State requires at least $15,000 before opening an account. Of course, more is necessary to be able to make awards each year without spending beyond the year’s interest. Once we have reached the initial endowment size and can still fund grants above the $15,000 requirement, the Study Abroad Stipend account will be converted to an endowment.
The application process is promoted and handled by the Park office, usually at a time that coincides with other GRASP applications. For more information, contact the Park office, or check for announcements in SPIFFY.