Empower outstanding students

Goal: $450 million

With your support, we will transform the lives of high-achieving students, enabling them to attend SMU regardless of financial means and apply what they gain on the Hilltop as they change the world.

SMU Ignited will enable us to bring top-ranked students to our campus. With your support, we can help Mustangs thrive by offering more need- and merit-based scholarships.

Your SMU Ignited investments will help exceptional students persist through any challenges they encounter to ensure Mustangs graduate on time and ready to succeed, thanks to programs that make them feel welcome and equip them to achieve academic, personal and professional success.

Donors to SMU Ignited will equip all Mustangs, including members of diverse and underrepresented populations, to excel by investing in programs targeted to meet their needs.

Your support of SMU Ignited will provide a wide range of internships, stipends and international study support to give all Mustangs real-world experiences that prepare them to succeed.

“I learned how to think critically and reflect on the information I was receiving, rather than just memorize and regurgitate facts. At SMU I was exposed to a world different from my working-class upbringing in East Austin.”

— Pastor Richie Butler ’93, SMU Trustee and Former Scholarship Recipient