Campus Connect – Get to know the expanding Poly Experience Fund

The Poly Experience Fund — the result of a wonderful idea and gift from the Class of 2016 and their parents— is now an established as part of the school’s endowment offering assistance for the extra expenses beyond tuition that come with participating fully in Poly life. Recognizing that many of the most formative opportunities in a Poly education require additional spending, both minor and substantial, the community of school families has made the Poly Experience Fund a special priority in addition to annual gifts to the Poly Fund.

“As Poly tries to open doors widely for whomever is best suited to this education, we also need to fix our awareness of how to be a welcoming community for every student,” says Ruth Zeronian Edwards ’84, a former trustee and Poly parent who helped conceive the idea for the Poly Experience Fund in 2015. Not only students with high need for tuition assistance have trouble affording all of the “extras”; many families’ finances are stretched as cost of living rises. “We were hoping the fund would help ease the way for everyone to benefit from the aspects of Poly that happen outside the classroom,” Ruth explains.

The Financial Aid and Advancement offices are committed to improving and expanding on the delivery of support for auxiliary school expenses so that students and their parents can focus on making the most out of the special Poly experiences themselves.

What you should know about the Poly Experience Fund:

•            Established through directed gifts (separate from annual giving to the Poly Fund)

•            Anyone may contribute to the Poly Experience Fund, now part of the school endowment.

•            All school-related costs separate from tuition are considered for assistance, such as –

o                          School-day lunches, advisor group snacks, even Friday Middle School outings to Lake

o                          After-school programs on campus

o                          Outdoor Ed supplies and equipment

o                          Teacher-specified school supplies

o                          Athletic equipment

o                          Technology devices (laptops, scientific calculators, etc.)

o                          Tickets to dances

•            Director of Financial Aid Lindsay Morales helps deliver the assistance, but any Poly faculty or   staff member can help with a request from a student or parent.

Growing donor interest in supporting experiences like summer internships, Global Initiatives Program trips, and other significant opportunities for students will expand fund’s reach and long-term benefits. “We are excited to hear many Poly alumni also recognize the great value of growing this fund,” Director of Individual Giving Greg O’Leary says. “No one knows better than they do how important it is for every member of the student body to have a full ‘Poly Experience.’”

Alumni and their parents have a special understanding of the potential power of the Poly Experience Fund to improve inclusion and participation in Poly life. Contact Greg O’Leary in the Advancement Office at 626-396-6340 or goleary@polytechnic.org for details on how you can help build this fund.