Transylvania receives largest gift in university history to support student scholarships

Transylvania University has received a historic $10 million commitment in support of the W.T. Young Scholars Program and The Transylvania Fund. It is the largest gift in the school's history and a powerful investment in academic excellence as the university prepares for its 250th anniversary campaign leading up to the 2030 celebration.

An anonymous donor committed $9 million to further endow, strengthen and sustain the W.T. Young Scholars Program, along with a potential additional $1 million in matching funds contingent on contributions from Young Scholar alumni.

The investment reinforces the enduring impact of the William T. Young Scholarship, a prestigious merit-based award established by William T. Young to help Transylvania attract exceptional students. The scholarship marked a transformative moment in the university's history, making Transylvania the first college in Kentucky to offer full coverage of tuition, room, board and a stipend to a select group of incoming first-year students each year.

In 1982, the first class of 10 Young Scholars began their Transylvania experience with full financial support. Since then, more than 800 students have benefited from the generosity and vision of William T. Young and the Young family, helping them succeed at Transylvania and beyond.

Today, the W.T. Young Scholarship remains one of the university's most prestigious and competitive honors. Awarded solely on merit, it recognizes students with exceptional academic achievement, leadership and promise. Recipients are selected regardless of financial need, reflecting the program's longstanding commitment to identifying and educating Kentucky's brightest students while also attracting outstanding students from across the country.

The donor's commitment reflects a shared belief in Transylvania's future as a thriving liberal arts institution that values, supports and recognizes academic excellence, as well as the university's continued dedication to awarding Young Scholarships based solely on merit.

"This transformational gift reflects a deep belief in the future of Transylvania University and in the life-changing power of a Transylvania education," President Brien Lewis said. "The W.T. Young Scholars Program has changed the lives of generations of students, and this extraordinary commitment ensures that legacy will continue to inspire and support exceptional young leaders for years to come."

As Transylvania looks to the future, the university remains committed to preserving and advancing the legacy of academic excellence established by William T. Young more than four decades ago. The university also invites W.T. Young Scholar alumni to join the effort in recognition of Transylvania's upcoming 250th anniversary by helping future students receive the same scholarship opportunities that once supported them.