Financial Giving Opportunities
To sustain and expand these opportunities, we rely on donor support for opportunities, such as:
- Scholarships
- Faculty research
- Conference travel
- Academic courses and programs
- Student organizations
- Academic speaker events
- CFA Level I exam support
- Alumni engagement programs
- Critical resources and software
- Enhancing experiential learning
ITEMS IDENTIFIED FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Your contributions and donations help fund a number of critical areas for the department, such as:
| NAME | DESCRIPTION | COST |
| Financial Literacy Initiative | The Finance Department offers “Investments and Financial Literacy,” a course open to all Virginia Tech students regardless of major or level, teaching essential financial skills such as budgeting, managing debt, retirement planning, insurance, and investing. First launched in Fall 2014, the course has grown to 5-6 sections with 200-250 students each semester. Our goal is to equip all students with the personal finance skills needed for lifelong financial well-being.
|
$10,000 per section per semester |
| Department Excellence Fund | The department has ongoing expenses, including office supplies, copying, software, and scholarships. Faculty also provide printed handouts to reduce classroom distractions and travel to conferences to present research and enhance their expertise. | $100,000 as an endowed fund |
| Bloomberg Terminals | The department maintains a subscription for 12 Bloomberg Terminals: 4 with BASIS, 2 with SEED, and 6 in the computer lab. Bloomberg is an essential tool for anyone in financial markets, including traders, investment bankers, and fund managers, and certification is expected for all Finance students before graduation. | $80,000 per year |
| Student Scholarships | The Finance Department offers limited scholarships for top-performing Finance students. Donors can set selection criteria, such as field of study (real estate, banking) or academic performance (GPA). These scholarships encourage students to major in Finance and recognize outstanding achievement. | $2,000 per scholarship per year. Or an endowment of $100,000 that will generate about $4,000 a year. The scholarship(s) will be awarded at the Awards banquet each year. |
| CFA Scholarships | The Finance Department encourages graduating seniors to take the CFA Level I exam to strengthen their job prospects, as the CFA charter is highly valued for investment-related careers. However, with exam and study material costs exceeding $2,000, many students are deterred. We believe that scholarships of $1,500 each will make the cost more reasonable and create an incentive for more students to take the exam. If appropriate, a donor can lay down additional criteria for selection of students for this scholarship. | $1,500 per scholarship per year. The scholarship will be awarded at the Awards banquet every year. |
| Funding SEED, BASIS and CREDIT | Our student-run, faculty-advised organizations (SEED, BASIS, and CREDIT) require funding for travel to financial hubs like New York, Chicago, and Northern Virginia. CREDIT, our newest organization, also needs operational support as its management fee from the VT Foundation is still small. While the department and college provide some funding, additional support is needed to help these groups achieve their goals. | $10,000 per year. Each for SEED, BASIS and CREDIT |
| Faculty Support - Summer Grants | The university employs regular faculty for an academic year, that is, from mid-August to mid-May. High-quality faculty expect to be funded during the summer for continuing to work on their research. The college provides limited support, which is inadequate to retain faculty. | $20,000 per year for a faculty member. |
| Finance Club, FFF, and FinTech Club | The Finance Club helps students connect with peers, faculty, and alumni across a range of finance career paths. The club also hosts mixers with Finance faculty to help students build relationships with their professors and offers information sessions on the Finance curriculum, career opportunities, and the internship and job search process. Finance for Females and Friends is open to all students and majors, focusing on empowering students to take control of their financial futures. Through partnerships with companies, the organization hosts panels, treks, and workshops to introduce members to career paths in finance and explore how finance plays a role in everyday life. By fostering conversations about money and connecting students with faculty and industry professionals, the organization supports members' academic, professional, and financial development. The FinTech Club, also open to all students, offers an inclusive space for exploring financial technology and gaining hands-on experience. Members participate in quant finance projects, network with industry professionals, receive mentoring, and attend speaker events. The club also competes in finance and quantitative finance competitions throughout the year, giving students valuable real-world exposure.
|
$5,000 each/per year for the operations of these clubs |
| Funding for Experiential Learning Programs | The Finance Department supports experiential learning programs like SEED and BASIS, which provide hands-on investment training to a select group of talented, disciplined, and committed students. These programs have helped students secure positions at top investment banks, corporations, and consulting firms, competing successfully with graduates from more well-known schools. The department aims to expand experiential learning opportunities into corporate finance and banking to further enhance student preparation and career success. | |
| Finance Academic Speaker Series | The Finance Department invites academic speakers from top universities such as Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan, Wharton, and UNC to present their research, meet with faculty, and engage with doctoral students. These visits foster an intellectual environment that supports high-quality, impactful research by encouraging collaboration, discussion, and knowledge exchange within the department. | $10,000 per year |
| Finance Visitor Series | The Finance Department hosts alumni visits where alumni spend a day on campus meeting with classes, administrators, and students in informal settings. These visits are essential for students in the Careers in Finance course, providing real-world insights into career paths and required skills. They also help students build relationships with alumni, give administrators valuable feedback on the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and offer alumni the chance to support and mentor current students. | $5,000 per semester, or $10,000 per year |
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