Scholarship Seeds Planted in New Mexico are Flowering at DU
Ten years ago, when philanthropist Andrew Davis invested $60 million to fund the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, it inaugurated a remarkable opportunity for first-generation college students from that state – supporting the full cost of attending one of six partner colleges and universities. And unlike many other scholarship programs, for Davis New Mexico Scholars, “full cost” means just that: four years of tuition, room and board, books, travel funds, mentoring, emotional support, and networking opportunities to dedicated students who are the first in their families to attend college.
In 2014, DU was selected as one of the three original partner schools for the Davis New Mexico Scholarship recipients and today we host over 100 Scholars — more than any other institution – which has proven a remarkable benefit not only to those students but to the DU community. As a result, the DU campus is a richer, better, more vibrant place. With Davis New Mexico Scholars as part of the student body and jointly, the scholarship and DU have demonstrated that first gen students can thrive on college campuses, and dramatically so.
- Since 2014, 95% of Davis scholars have persisted into their second year – higher than the overall DU rate, and leaps and bounds over national rates for first-gen students.
- Since Covid, Davis Scholars’ six-year graduation rate is 83% and three of those four classes had a 100% graduation rate.
To enhance the impact for DU’s Davis Scholars, the University has contributed $2.5 million, adding to the Davis Foundation’s contribution this year of $3.1 million. To date, Davis Scholarships totaling more than $10 million have been awarded to over a hundred and fifty students, according to the Center for First Generation Student Success, and participants in the program have a four-year graduation rate of 93 percent.
In addition to DU, other higher ed institutions participating in the Davis Scholarships partnership include the University of Portland, Lawrence University, Southwestern University, Loyola Marymount University, and St. Edward’s University., Lawrence University, Southwestern University, Loyola Marymount University, and St. Edward’s University.
