The sign marking the entrance to Alaska Pacific University sits behind pillows of snow on a sunny March morning in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska Public Media’s Ava White spoke with APU’s MBA Director and assistant professor of business, Lincoln Garrick. He says the fund started about 20 years ago, when Robert B. Gillam donated 100,000 dollars in seed money to the university. Basically, it’s a portfolio that students would be in charge of. APU matched that money 100%.
One of the big inspirations here in creating this scholarship fund was to open up doors for folks who have interest in finance and have interest in business areas, but maybe don’t have the funds to make that happen in their lives.How unusual is this? I mean, do you know of any other schools that are using this model of a student managed fund that’s eventually providing scholarships for future students?Student funds are pretty common.