Chancellor Marye Anne Fox with students who have benefited from scholarships thanks to the Chancellor's Challenge 5K.

In the face of rising educational and living costs, many students are rallying to support philanthropic endeavors at the University of California, San Diego.  From helping fund scholarships to building awareness about the true cost of a UC San Diego education, students are making a difference throughout the campus community.

"Philanthropy is contagious," said Kevin Eimoto, '10, a trustee of the UC San Diego Student Foundation, which offers hands-on experience for students to learn the importance of private support and how to run a foundation..  “The more students get involved, the more the principles of philanthropy will spread.”

Hundreds of UC San Diego students will gather on Oct. 23 to "race for scholarships" as part of the 14th annual Chancellor’s 5K Run/Walk for Scholars. Online registration is just $10 for students, offering a way to give back to their school without breaking the bank. Since the first Chancellor’s Challenge 5K in 1996, thousands of students have joined alumni, faculty, friends and community sponsors to raise $2.12 million, which has benefited more than 800 scholarship recipients. At UC San Diego, 64 percent of undergraduate students currently receive financial aid. 

This year, students will bring a new component to the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K: the "Act, Advocate, Give" awareness program, serving as a follow-up to last year’s "Day Tuition Ends."  This student-driven program was created by the UC San Diego Student Foundation to educate students about the crucial role of philanthropy in funding a UC San Diego student’s education. Since 2005, the organization’s student philanthropists have awarded 31 scholarships totaling nearly $55,000. As 5K participants walk and run down Library Walk, they will encounter a series of eye-catching banners displaying facts about the rising student fees, decreasing funds from the state of California and the critical need for student support. 

"Students sometimes forget how much the university and donors help to support their education," said alumna Sarah Chang, '09, a former president of the Student Foundation. "Student fees add up to only a fraction of the cost of educating one student at UC San Diego."

Not surprising for a school with a tradition of philanthropy, UC San Diego students — along with alumni, staff, faculty and friends — are reacting to the current economic situation with a renewed spirit of giving, proving that gifts of any amount, when pooled with other donations, can make a significant impact at UC San Diego.  In the 2008-09 fiscal year, 2,810 people donated $10 or less, yet the donations totaled nearly $19,000, which can make a great difference to the university and its students.

Gifts to the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K will be included in the $50 million fundraising goal of Invent the Future: The UC San Diego Student Support Campaign. The race will begin at 12:15 p.m. Online registration for students is $10.  Student registration on the day of the event is $15. The registration fee for all others is $15 online, and $20 at the event. To register for the Chancellor’s Challenge 5K and support undergraduate scholarships, visit www.ucsd.edu/5k.