The impact of scholarship support

Color photo of three students, one in the middle making a hand gesture as if explaining something

Students in class

In 1897, Levi Strauss, co-inventor of the blue jean, endowed the first scholarships at Cal — 28 in all. Building on that legacy, scholarship support from private donors today enables Berkeley to fulfill its public mission and accept students based on their ability to achieve — not on their capacity to pay.

In 2015–16:

  • $41.9 million in privately funded undergraduate scholarships supported 6,000 recipients.
  • $15.8 million in privately funded graduate fellowships supported nearly 2,000 recipients.

Discover more Cal facts.

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