An endowment created by Rowan University alumni Jean and Ric Edelman has begun supporting the academic careers and professional development of high-achieving students in the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts with this year’s inaugural selection of Edelman Scholarship recipients.
The funding was created by a $10 million gift from the Edelmans in 2019 that was endowed to benefit students in perpetuity in the College of Communication & Creative Arts, which was renamed to honor Ric Edelman, one of its graduates.
“The education and experience we got from Rowan University transformed our lives,” Ric Edelman said. “My wife, Jean, and I are grateful for the opportunity to financially support some of Rowan’s many bright students as they prepare for their careers.”
Dean Sanford Tweedie said that, thanks to the Edelmans’ generosity, the number of scholarship recipients could triple in 2022-23 and continue to grow for several years.
This inaugural class of 14 students, incoming freshmen or transfers from across 10 different programs, each received $2,500 toward tuition for 2021-22. Tweedie said there could be as many as 40 new recipients in 2022-23 and, with roughly 1,800 students in the college, about 10% will eventually hold renewable Edelman scholarships.
Starting in January 2022, admitted Edelman CCCA students who meet the eligibility requirements will be invited to apply for this scholarship.
In addition to tuition support, funds are set aside to enable students to pursue professional development opportunities like internships and conferences, invaluable educational experiences for students preparing for communication- and creative-based careers.
Ric and Jean Edelman, who graduated in 1980 and 1981, respectively, founded what is now the nation’s largest investment advisory firm. Today, they operate the Truth About Your Future, a diversified media company educating consumers and financial professionals about longevity, retirement security, exponential technologies, digital assets and health & wellness.
Over the years, the couple have pledged some $36 million to the university. Their gifts include $1 million for Rowan’s planetarium and $25 million toward construction of a world-class museum at the Rowan University Fossil Park. Like the CCCA, both were renamed in their honor. Their donations are the largest gifts from alumni in Rowan’s history and the second largest overall, after Henry Rowan.
