The Parents Leadership Council continues to leave its mark on UGA’s campus

The Parents Leadership Council is providing over $350,000 in important funding for over 50 campus organizations and programs for the 2018 – 2019 academic year.

Once a year, the council awards funding to student organizations who leave a positive impact on campus. The Parents Leadership Council Grants Program is one way the council parents are able to invest in student areas of high need.

“Our council strives to award grants collected through donations to the Parents Fund and the Parents Leadership Council Fund in a way that can make the greatest impact on the students on campus and the life they experience in Athens,” said Elizabeth Correll Richards, chair of the Parents Leadership Council.

The purpose of Parents Leadership Council Grants Program is to provide financial assistance to students who are unable to afford the total cost of tuition, provide funding to support students through career placement assistance, medical services and academic support, and financially support cultural experiences.

Included in the campus organizations and programs who received funding from the Parents Leadership Council Grants Program in the 2018 – 2019 academic year are the University Health Center’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services, Dean of Students Student Development Fund, Performing Arts Center Student Ticket Initiative, Student Veterans Resource Center and UGA Dawg Camp. View the full list of grant recipients.

Dr. William McDonald, Dean of Students, has seen the impact that grants can make on an established office at UGA, so he knows how vital it is for smaller student programs and organizations. He wants to see the Parents Leadership Council continue to enrich student life and have a growing impact on the bulldog family.

“The members of the Parents Leadership Council tell us what is going on in the lives of their students. Their funding gives us the resources to do activities with students that we would not otherwise be able to do,” said Dr. McDonald.

This year, the Parents Leadership Council also created an additional Georgia Commitment Scholarship with a 100,000 gift using grant funds. This gift will be matched to create a total $200,000 endowed undergraduate need-based scholarship for the 2018 – 2019 academic year.

The council is a group of highly engaged parents who enjoy being involved on campus while directly making an impact in a student’s life. With the help of these generous parents, students’ dreams are becoming their reality.