Funding to support needs for growing student body as Avila welcomes largest-ever incoming freshman class
Months after welcoming its largest-ever incoming freshman class, Avila University has been awarded a grant of more than $1 million from the Mabee Foundation. With the rapid influx of students on campus, Avila will use the $1,032,753 challenge grant as a catalyst to renovate and expand the school’s Ridgway residence hall. As part of the grant, Avila has been challenged to raise an additional $1,828,512 toward the project by next January.
The grant announcement and historic freshman class continue a recent string of successes at Avila. The university has also grown its international programming, created new STEM programs as part of its expanded curriculum, launched new, vibrant logos for its athletics teams and introduced a new tagline that represents the entire Avila community: Education Without Limits. The Ridgway renovation project has a total budget of $5,163,765, and Avila has already raised $3,291,253.00 to date.
“This is an exciting year for Avila, and growth also brings growing needs for resources across campus,” said University President Jim Burkee, Ph.D. “This funding will be instrumental in helping us bring our facilities up to date, accommodate dozens of additional students, and allow us better housing accommodations for our rapidly-growing student body.”
The immediate updates to the building will allow Avila to add 43 additional beds to housing in Fall of 2024. The University is also exploring opportunities to further expand campus residential capacity in 2025 and beyond. “This is so important for this university as the expanding number of students on campus will bring a life and vitality to the institution in ways we have not seen before,” states Burkee. “It is truly a gift to be awarded these funds and be able to share Avila’s culture, our passion for student success and to further expand on the legacy the Sisters created here at Avila. It is truly a beautiful and inspiring story of institutional growth during a time when higher education is not seeing that nationwide. We could not be more proud of the hard work of our faculty and staff and the generous donations that make this possible.”