Through the Match the Promise—Endowment program, Miami University seeks to provide an expendable university match for newly-created scholarship endowments of a minimum of $100,000.
Match the Promise—Endowment scholarships will be awarded to multiple students each year and bring deserving students to Miami’s Oxford campus and provide them consistent support throughout their college experience.
Match the Promise scholarships can be designated to or awarded based on one or more of the following university priorities:
• A specific college or school.
• Need.
• Merit.
• Diversity.
The Commitment
The Match the Promise—Endowment scholarship is established with a minimum donor gift of $100,000. The scholarship award will be 10% of the commitment for the first eight years.
Miami’s Match
The scholarship award will be funded 100% from university matching dollars for the first four years, then a combination of university match and endowment distribution for the second four years.
After eight years, the award will be funded solely by distributions from the scholarship under the Endowment Spending Policy.
The program offers a couple of unique features:
• Your scholarship can be awarded immediately. If your initial or complete payment is received by March 31, the university match is applied in the very next academic year (beginning fall semester), allowing your named scholarship to be awarded immediately.
• Your endowment earnings are reinvested for the first four years. Regardless of when your endowment is paid in full, no distribution will be taken from its principal for the first four years, allowing your endowment to reinvest its earnings and grow in strength.
How it Works
PAID OVER FOUR YEARS
| |
YEAR 0 |
YEAR 1 |
YEAR 2 |
YEAR 3 |
YEAR 4 |
YEAR 5 |
YEAR 6 |
YEAR 7 |
YEAR 8 |
| Academic Year |
2023-2024 |
2024-2025 |
2025-2026 |
2026-2027 |
2027-2028 |
2028-2029 |
2029-2030 |
2030-2031 |
2031-2032 |
| Donor Contribution |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
-0-
|
-0- |
-0- |
-0- |
-0- |
| Endowment Distribution* |
-0- |
-0- |
-0- |
-0- |
-0- |
$3,504 |
$4,483 |
$5,131 |
$5,410 |
| University Match** |
|
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$6,496 |
$5,517 |
$4,869 |
$4,590 |
| TOTAL STUDENT AWARD |
|
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
* The table is for illustrative purposes only. Actual results will depend on actual investment returns and timing of the gifts received. The actual distribution will be based on the Foundation’s Endowment Spending Policy in place at the time of distribution. Endowments are subject to all applicable Foundation policies. Distributions for 2028-2031 reflect the current Endowment Spending Policy of 4% of the average of the last three years’ market values.
**The match payment is made from university-funded scholarships.
Match the Promise FAQs
What is an endowment?
An endowment is a gift to Miami university that is invested in perpetuity and produces an annual distribution according to Miami’s endowment spending policy. The earnings are distributed each year in accordance with the donor’s defined wishes.
Who will receive my scholarship?
The Match the Promise program is for recruitment scholarships, which are awarded to incoming Oxford-campus students and remain with those students throughout their college careers. The student(s) can earn renewal of the scholarship for up to four years by remaining in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
How long do I have to fully fund my endowment?
The endowment can be completed over a maximum of four years. We no longer offer the additional match percent when they fund in one year.
When will my scholarship receive its match?
A scholarship can begin being awarded the very next academic year (fall semester) if the gift is received by March 31 of that calendar year. The match will be applied for eight years from that point. This allows your scholarship to have an immediate impact on Miami students.
When will my scholarship begin distributing from its earnings?
Regardless of when it is paid in full, the endowment will not distribute from its earnings over the first four years. This allows the fund to grow from reinvested earnings while the university match is used to fund the student scholarship(s). It will begin to make distributions to the scholarship, based on investment performance, in year five.
How much will my scholarship endowment distribute?
The distribution amount is determined annually based on a distribution formula. The amount determined by the formula is generally 4% of the endowment value. Your fund will receive the fixed Miami match regardless of investment performance.
What happens after eight years?
After eight years, the match is no longer applied to your scholarship. It is anticipated, however, that your endowment will grow over that same period, and the future available distribution will grow with it.
How long do I have to act?
$10 million in matching funds have been set aside for the Match the Promise program, and when those funds are exhausted, the program will no longer be available for new endowments.
How can I learn more?
To learn more please contact Miami University’s Office of Development at 513-529-1230 or MUDevelopment@MiamiOH.edu
*Exceptions must be approved by Miami University Foundation President