Elizabethtown College, as part of Build Brighter Futures: The Scholarship Campaign for Etown Students, has launched a new Million Dollar Match to expand student access to a transformative Etown education through the creation of 20 new $50,000 Signature Learning Experience (SLE) funds. 

SLEs provide students with personalized, hands-on experiences that serve as the cornerstone of how students learn, grow, and lead beyond the classroom at Etown. 

“Making life-changing, real-world educational opportunities available to every student at Elizabethtown College is at the core of what we do each day in fulfilling the promise of this campaign,” Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider said. “We know our students will take every pathway given to maximize their impact on building a purposeful life for themselves and to improve their communities.” 

Through a generous $500,000 challenge fund provided by donors, this new initiative will double $25,000 SLE commitments, dollar for dollar, to create 20 new $50,000 SLE funds – generating $1 million in new SLE funding.

Students at Etown have the opportunity to transform their courses into demonstrated, guaranteed real-world action by participating in at least two of the College’s five SLEs:

  • Internship, Practicum, or Field Placement: Students gain hands-on experience in a professional setting aligned with their major and career goals. 
  • Supervised Research: Students work alongside a faculty mentor to explore, test, and bring their big ideas to life. 
  • Capstone Course, Project, or Development Portfolio: Students showcase their growth and knowledge through a culminating project, publication, or performance. 
  • Cross-Cultural Experience: Students can broaden their worldview through study abroad or domestic intercultural learning experiences. 
  • Community-Based Learning: Students embody Etown’s Educate for Service motto by engaging in service that addresses local and global community needs.

“The Million Dollar Match provides an unprecedented opportunity for donors to create SLE endowments and ensures every Blue Jay, regardless of their financial circumstances, has access to these transformative experiences,” Brian Falck ’95, Elizabethtown College Vice President for Institutional Advancement, said. 

The new challenge builds on the success of Etown’s initial Million Dollar Match campaign in 2025, which resulted in 22 new endowed scholarships.

The match is only available to first-time endowed scholarship donors, and a $25,000 commitment in the form of an outright gift or a multi-year pledge is required. Gifts can be made through cash, stocks or other securities, a donor-advised fund, or an IRA-qualified charitable distribution. Each donor/household is eligible for one match.

Join us in helping students apply their knowledge, solve real-world problems, and make an impact by contacting ia@etown.edu or 800-877-9658. Double your impact today at etown.edu.