Following an uptick in donations to The University of Akron after his appointment in July, Interim President Matthew Wilson is now spearheading a $20-million scholarship campaign.

Launched on Labor Day, the campaign — titled “Making a Difference Moving Forward”  — is asking potential donors to contribute money toward establishing new scholarships at the University. No time frame has been established for the initiative.

Traditionally, the University has relied on endowed scholarships. These are large donations that remain in savings, collecting interest money that can be used for scholarships.

This campaign is different. The money raised will be immediately available for scholarships.

“I’m hoping that [the campaign] generates a feeling of giving,” said Wilson. “Not many people have the million dollars to put into an endowed scholarship, but they want to help.”

In addition to a former Board of Trustees member’s $250,000 contribution, the campaign has already received over 100 donations totaling just over $35,000.

The campaign is focused on raising funds for two different types of scholarships.

The first category includes renewable scholarships that will increase student retention and give them security for each year until graduation.

The second is primarily for excellent academic performance and will help UA “offer assistance that compares with peer institutions,” according to the University’s website.

“Over the past 18 months, there has been quite a bit of turbulence,” said Wilson. “The turbulence taught me that there really are people that [sic] care about UA, and I thought one way to help the University was to help the students.”

Those interested in donating should visit uakron.edu/forward/.