Hillsdale’s Annual Fund meets the general operating needs of the College and is crucial to our ability to maintain our independence and academic excellence. The Annual Fund enables us to balance the budget each year, raising the operating income needed over and above revenues received from tuition, student fees, and endowment earnings. The operating gifts our supporters make to the Annual Fund are just as vital to the College’s success as gifts that are designated for a specific need or program.

While tuition and student fees provide much of the College’s income, the costs to operate a quality school like Hillsdale increase annually. The College is increasing the 2012-2013 cost of tuition by three percent, and we must still raise what amounts to $14,444 per student through the Annual Fund in order to meet 2012-2013 operating needs. You may know that Hillsdale does not accept federal and state taxpayer funding for any aspect of its operations, particularly for student financial aid. In fact, Hillsdale established the privately funded Student Independence Grant and Loan Fund in 1985 to replace federal financial aid. Since then, the total cost of replacing federal grants and loans has now reached over $70 million. The College also refuses state taxpayer funding for grants and scholarships available to Michigan residents, replacing over $440,000 in state monies each academic year. Meeting our Annual Fund goal ensures our success in sustaining our complete independence from federal and state funding.

Monies generated through the Annual Fund support the following needs:

• Merit-based and need-based scholarships
• Student Independence Grant and Loan Fund
• Michigan Independence Grants
• Faculty sabbaticals and professional development
• Internships in Washington, D.C., through the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship and the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP)
• Study-abroad programs
• Volunteerism programs
• Distinguished visiting lecturers
• Mossey Library book acquisitions and improvements
• Information technology
• Hillsdale Chargers athletic programs
• Imprimis monthly speech digest (sent free to over 2.4 million readers)
• Center for Constructive Alternatives (CCA)
• Ludwig von Mises Lectures in free-market economics
• Arts Performance Series
• Campus improvements and maintenance
• Our model K-12 Hillsdale Academy

No matter the amount of the gift, each Annual Fund cash gift, pledge or stock transfer contributes to the strength of Hillsdale’s mission as a liberal arts college and enhances our ability to provide a quality liberal arts education for students who seek it, now and for years to come.