Jalen Rose endows scholarship for Michigan students

ANN ARBOR—Jalen Rose, a former University of Michigan basketball player and currently a guard with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, has made a gift of $240,000 to the University to endow a scholarship for an incoming freshman.

The gift was made by the Jalen Rose Foundation under the auspices of the Giving Back Fund, a public charity that specializes in helping celebrities become philanthropists.

The Jalen Rose Endowed Scholarship will be available to a first-year student with special consideration for Michigan residents and those who either reside in an inner-city area or are a member of an underrepresented group. The scholarship award will be based on merit and financial need. The first award will be made to a student entering U-M this fall.

The $10,000 scholarship will cover the cost of in-state tuition as well as provide support for additional expenses. It will be renewable for three l years, provided the student meets the eligibility requirements that include maintaining at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

Rose has said that his desire to establish the scholarship fund grew both out of an appreciation for a University that set him on a path to succeed and his wish for other students to benefit from that same opportunity, particularly those from in an inner-city environment. Rose grew up in Detroit and attended Detroit Southwestern High School.

“The opportunity to go to Michigan is phenomenal,” he said. “These students represent the leaders of tomorrow, and I am trying to influence as many as I can.”  

Rose, a former All-American basketball player at Michigan, has a history of philanthropy in the communities that have influenced his life. He was recognized as the Community MVP for the Toronto Raptors in April 2004 and received the NBA’s Community Assist Award in 2003. In Detroit high school students to help them realize their college aspirations.

“College is a barometer of success in today’s society,” Rose said. “There aren’t a lot of good jobs for students who don’t follow through and obtain a college degree.   Knowledge is power.

“For far too many students from inner-city neighborhoods, college is an almost unattainable goal. Even if a student gets good grades and meets admission standards, there remains the issue of how they are going to pay their tuition and related costs.”

Eligible students entering U-M in the fall 2004 semester are currently being considered for the award. In order to be eligible for the Jalen Rose Endowed Scholarship in future years, students must apply for admission to U-M prior to the Feb.1 application deadline, and must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than March 1.

Contacts:   Julie Peterson University of Michigan
Estrada SFX Basketball Group