This holiday season, the University of Wisconsin System received a gift of tremendous size and importance. As students packed their bags for winter break last month, John and Tashia Morgridge announced a $175 million donation to support need-based financial aid for prospective students of UW colleges.

The gift, which Chancellor John Wiley called �nothing short of magnificent,� will be managed by a newly created private charity. The Fund for Wisconsin Scholars will provide approximately 2,000 grants between $1,000 and $5,000 for the next school year and more than 3,000 annual grants in following years. Recipients will be able to use the money to attend any UW System school or state technical college.

The Morgridges, both graduates of UW-Madison, had no small part in setting up UW for success, and this gift is yet another example of their deep commitment to higher education in this state. Past donations to UW including funding for the Morgridge Center for Public Service and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery/Morgridge Institute for Research have no doubt been fundamental in promoting the proud tradition of innovation and achievement at UW.

The selfless nature of the Morgridges� most recent donation, though, is especially appreciated for its attention to one of UW�s most pressing needs: Mr. Wiley has called student scholarship money his top funding priority, and with tution rising every year, a gift earmarked for the state�s low-income students could provide an invaluable avenue toward an otherwise inaccessible higher education.

Upon announcement of their landmark donation, the Morgridges expressed hope that the gift would inspire other philanthropists to give to general student aid initiatives. Indeed, the example set by Mr. and Mrs. Morgridge is one we all can appreciate and be inspired by.

On behalf of the students of this unversity, and those who might attend in the future with the help of this astounding gift, we offer our sincere thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Morgridge.