When you support Southern Illinois University, you ensure that our mission is carried out in the following key areas:
Access to World-Class Education
Opportunity is at the heart of SIU’s mission. We believe that all students – regardless of their means – deserve access to a world-class education. Students such as Suhas Dantuluri, who is passionate about making sure rural areas have adequate health care. Suhas greatly appreciates the ability to study medicine, “without having to worry about keeping the lights on. I can focus on my studies.”
Today, SIU has a record number, about 90 percent, of deserving students seeking financial support. This large increase is largely because federal and state grants no longer cover the cost of attendance for many SIU students.
Your support helps us to attract bright minds to SIU, so that our students can continue to include the most talented, regardless of financial need. Most importantly, though, your gift opens doors of learning and changes lives.
Watch this video to meet Kayla, an SIU scholarship recipient.
Attracting and Retaining Excellent Faculty
The SIU story is about professors and students who make each other better as they explore and learn. It’s about a faculty member going the extra mile to help a student grasp new knowledge, find an internship and connect with a prospective employer.
SIU’s goal is to ensure that we continue to attract and retain faculty who are as focused on the student experience as they are on their own fields of expertise. Many of our faculty are considered to be national and international leaders in their fields, and their reputations and knowledge raise our students as well as the university’s reputation.
Your support provides resources that help our faculty hone and share their expertise to benefit students. In addition, investments in endowed faculty chairs will help attract top educators and scholars to core programs across campus.
See how Saluki faculty work to create value in an SIU degree and encourage their students to be even more successful in their field.
Advancing Research
Every day, SIU faculty and students are on the leading edge of research that contributes new knowledge for the greater good. In fact, SIU ranks in the top 5 percent of all U.S. higher education institutions for research. Many of our research studies and faculty have gained national and international attention.
SIU prides itself on engaging students in research as early as the freshman year. REACH, our Research-Enriched Academic Challenge program, offers students opportunities to work on independent creative activities or research.
Your contributions support research that addresses real-life problems while giving students hands-on experience that will advance their careers.
See how SIU research programs enrich students’ lives and create a lasting impact on the world.
Enriching Programs
Some of the most memorable lessons our students learn take place beyond the walls of the classroom. Internships, study abroad, research and creative activities, community service and Registered Student Organizations all provide learning opportunities that extend and enrich the learning experience.
Your investment in academic and student support programs ensures that SIU students are well-rounded and well-prepared for life after graduation.
See how John and Jayne Simmons’ $10M gift to the SIU School of Law is helping our students change the world.
Campus Improvements
Whether a student is learning in a chemistry lab, on the farms or in a studio, access to state-of-the art facilities and equipment makes a difference. Programs from physical therapy to automotive technology to journalism rely on specialized learning spaces, and traditional classrooms should be equipped with current technology to connect students and faculty with resources around the world.SIU’s goal is to make sure every program has what it needs to prepare students for life after graduation.
Quality facilities also contribute to the quality of campus life. Whether students volunteer at Touch of Nature, practice on the soccer field, play basketball at the Student Recreation Center or simply walk around Campus Lake, your support ensures that we provide an outstanding environment that will contribute to student satisfaction and retention.
See the new Tedrick Welcome Center that will be be the first place students walk into and experience what it means to be a Saluki.
“Receiving the scholarship was hugely impactful in my life. I was faced with having to fund my undergraduate education by myself, so when I found out that burden was lifted, it shaved a lot of worry and stress from my life.”
—Colton Newlin, Chancellor Scholar