‘Vigil’ by acclaimed author George Saunders kicks off the new Campus Reading Program
May 13, 2026
Northwestern University is putting support for its students front and center with a new fundraising campaign.
Through the Forever Shine Campaign, announced today, the University aims to raise at least $625 million for scholarships and supplemental programs benefiting undergraduate, graduate and professional school students. It is the first Northwestern-wide fundraising campaign focused on student support.
As of April 30, the University has raised $251 million from 23,861 individual donors, including a transformative gift from campaign co-chairs Adam ’93 and Tonia Karr (’25, ’27 P) to fund student scholarships and experiences. A portion of the Karrs’ gift has created an endowment for Northwestern’s Beacon Scholars program to provide mentorships, career resources, summer internships and community programming to more first-generation and/or lower-income undergraduates.
“Scholarships have the power to change lives and are essential to the University’s continued success,” said Interim President and President Emeritus Henry S. Bienen ’09 H (’19, ’25, ’28 GP). “Visionary gifts from Adam and Tonia Karr and our generous community of supporters will help us give students every opportunity to shine at Northwestern and after they graduate.”
> Learn more about the campaign from co-chairs Adam and Tonia Karr
Making an impact
The Northwestern community’s support of the campaign, which takes its name from a line in the University’s “Alma Mater,” will help attract the strongest applicants and meet the growing needs of admitted students from low- and middle-income families.
The amount of financial aid Northwestern provides annually to undergraduate students has increased every year on record. In the 2025–26 academic year, the University awarded more than $300 million in financial aid to over 4,000 undergraduate students through a combination of scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities and more. This figure represents a nearly 50% increase to Northwestern’s financial aid since 2019. Recipients received an average of approximately $65,000 in scholarships and grants this year. They hail from all 50 U.S. states — plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico — and several countries.
Through the Forever Shine Campaign, Northwestern will raise sustainable funding for most undergraduate students whose families make under $150,000 per year to attend the University tuition-free, and most students whose families earn less than $70,000 per year to attend at no cost.
“Financial aid is one of the highest-returning investments Northwestern can make,” said Adam Karr, vice chair of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees and a first-generation college graduate who benefited from scholarships as a student at the University. “It changed the trajectory of my life, and Northwestern’s commitment to it is the reason I’m leading this effort today.”
> Learn more about Adam Karr’s Northwestern Direction in his essay for Northwestern Magazine
“The Forever Shine Campaign is empowering the Northwestern community to create these life-changing opportunities for students from both lower- and middle-income families,” said Tonia Karr, who also benefited from a college scholarship. “Together we can make sure that the door is open to all students who are qualified and motivated — and that they are able to make the most of the Northwestern experience.”
Helping students thrive
During her time at Northwestern, Cydney Hope Brown ’26 has had opportunities to explore various passions and potential careers, from serving as founding president of the Black Poetry Society to interning at iHeartMedia in downtown Chicago.
A communication studies major and Black studies minor from Philadelphia, Brown has made it a priority to be actively engaged in the Northwestern community. While she credits scholarships with helping her pay for college, programs for first-generation and/or lower-income (FGLI) students have enabled her to thrive.
One such initiative is Northwestern’s Beacon Scholars program, which offers one-on-one mentorship from dedicated staff as well as community-building events that help FGLI students bond.
“Beacon Scholars has definitely helped me to get the resources I need on campus, connect with other students and just feel a sense of belonging,” said Brown, who is also a Carlyon Scholar.
With support from these programs, Brown has excelled, both in her studies and outside the classroom. In 2025, she received the Communication Studies Departmental Excellence Award for Undergraduate Students, and she is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, an honor society that recognizes outstanding academic achievements in the field of communications. During her sophomore year, Brown interned with iHeartMedia, where she worked with radio personalities, prepared for on-air interviews and researched local issues. She has already secured a job after graduation as a communications analyst for Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Beacon Scholars enrolls an annual cohort of 30 to 40 undergraduates who demonstrate both leadership potential and a need for academic support. Northwestern’s Forever Shine Campaign will raise funds to fully endow the program and expand it to serve a larger group of students. The Karrs’ transformative gift will be the cornerstone of that expansion, ensuring more students like Brown have access to both the academic foundation and the community to help them thrive.
“Beacon Scholars not only helps students excel academically but also inspires them to lead, innovate and make a meaningful impact on their communities and the world,” said Susan Davis, vice president for student affairs. “Supporting this transformative program will help shape a brighter future — one where students rise to their full potential as leaders and changemakers.”
