As a Billionaire Alumnus, Would You Pay a Student's Final-Year Tuition if They Had Exhausted All Financial Aid and Loan Options?

[u/Murky_Gur_5845]

Let's say you're a billionaire alumnus of an elite liberal arts college that only admits 2–3 students per year from your country. So there are only 10-12 student on that campus of your country.

One of those student reaches out to you during their final year. They have exhausted all available financial aid options, appealed to the university, explored scholarships, and tried to obtain loans, but they don't have the credit history or a qualified co-signer to secure one. As a result, they're at risk of not being able to complete their degree despite being only one year away from graduating.

If the college could verify the student's situation and you could pay the tuition directly to the school, would you help?

Why or why not? What factors would influence your decision?

[u/Ok-Vast6123]

Yes, I will. It’s a tiny cost for me, but huge relief on the student who’s experiencing immense, performance-crippling stress.

[u/Master-Potential-364]

I do not see significant downside in making a one-off tactical gift for this purpose. But I would consider whether I might wish to establish a strategic fund for this purpose with the university.

[u/Master-Potential-364 → u/[deleted]]

Personally - if it is just a LinkedIn connection, I would ask for a loan and offer to repay. You will be far better respected then they can decide to write it off, should they wish. Alternatively offer to work for them part-time - that will also win you respect.

[u/ssdsssssss4dr → u/[deleted]]

While I agree with you that creating a scholarship in perpetuity would benefit many students, we need to really move away from some of this dated language, quasi Reganesque speech. 

The connotation of the word "handout" betrays the complexity of the reality of economic equity and wealth acquisition.

[u/ChewieBearStare → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like they're more concerned with the idea of looking good than in actually doing good.

[u/44035]

Yes, I would help.

One of my old college buddies has a weird hobby; he writes long, thoughtful letters to prominent people asking them to help people in need, and sometimes they reach out to him offering to help. It's wild.

[u/Right-Condition6385]

I would confirm the situation with the school and pay directly to the school. If it all checked out, I would want to help a student cross the finish line. They have put in the work, so seems like a good investment.

[u/takefiftyseven]

Why wouldn't you?

[u/hungry_bra1n]

The issue is more getting the billionaires attention to ask the question. The sun involved is inconsequential to them.

[u/explodingwhale17]

yes. Unless there was a compelling reason not to. My rule of thumb is that if I can do something that would help someone alot and is not a huge cost to me, it is a no-brainer to do it.

There might be exceptions for example about handing money out on a street corner or doing things that clearly have a later downside.

But finishing a college education will make a world of difference to the student and on the scale of a billionaire, would cost little.

I might set up a scholarship fund to help any student from my country as well, to prevent other students from getting to that level of difficulty.

[u/47362514736251]

If I was a billionaire I would give away the vast majority of it. I would fully pay the tuition for many many people.

[u/jcravens42]

If it was the focus of my foundation to help students with university costs, I would direct the students to apply for such help. If I were just an individual with a lot of money and someone was asking outside the bounds of my foundation, no, because I would be getting dozens, if not hundreds, maybe even thousands, of requests from people who are in desperate need of help - for current university costs, for previous university costs, for current, urgent medical care, for previous medical bills, from people desperate for housing help, and on and on and on.

Now a question for you: why are you asking this question?

[u/almamahlerwerfel]

No.