The University celebrates the 1st Benefactor Day in recognition of donors to the Alumni Scholarships Perpetual Alumni Scholarships program.

The University of Navarra recently celebrated the I Benefactor's Day, a workshop to recognize the generosity of donors who contribute to the Alumni Scholarships Perpetual Alumni Scholarships Program, which also serves as an opportunity for them to learn more about the project and actively collaborate in its dissemination. The event coincided with the graduation of the 91 graduating seniors who make up the 21st class of Alumni Scholars.  

Between different conferences and work sessions, the central moment of the workshop took place with the unveiling of commemorative plaques in the entrance hall of the Central Building, with the names of the 18 funds established since the beginning of the Alumni Scholarships program, nine of which have been set up in the last two years. Among others, the president of the University of Navarra, María Iraburu, and Joaquim Molins, promoter and president of the Joaquín Molins Figueras Foundation, vice-president of theCementos Molins business , spoke on behalf of the donors. 

"Today we celebrate something very important for our university: the invisiblenetwork of people and institutions that support us. The fact is that the University of Navarra is what it is thanks to its mission statementThe University of Navarra is what it is thanks to its mission statement, which gives us a clear direction; to the people who carry it forward every day with professionalism and commitment, but also thanks to the friends who support it. People who have believed in this projectwho have contributed to its growth and who, with their generosity, have allowed us to go further", said president María Iraburu. 

Iraburu conveyed a message of gratitude to individuals, families and entities "who make it possible thanks to the creation of scholarship funds and, therefore, in a sustainable manner over time, that many young people can study here, regardless of their economic resources." "We want to make our gratitude visible because we consider it a duty of justice and because our time, in which sometimes there is no lack of hopeless voices, also needs to celebrate generosity and commitment," he concluded. 

Joaquim Molins proudly highlighted the work of donors and described it as a service they give to society. "Donors should be proud because we contribute. Getting people without resources to be able to study, obviously with their dose of effort, I think it is positive and we have to defend that we are doing a public service." 

Alumni Scholarships funds are established through a donation to the University endowment , which reinvests a portion of the interest from the initial sum into the fund itself to ensure sustainability, while applying another percentage to fund scholarships for Degree students.

To establish an Alumni Perpetual scholarship , the donor, whether an individual, foundation or business, makes a contribution to the scholarship fund of at least €200,000. The average amount of the scholarship received by an Degree student is around €8,000. Contributions are payable in installments over a period of 5-7 years, starting with a minimum annual amount of €30,000.

Currently, 444 Degree students from 18 countries receive an average financial aid of €8,992 through the Alumni Scholarships program. For the 2024-25 academic year, the total budget has risen to 3,992,241.11 €. 

Cristina Navarro, a 5th year student of the Degree in Economics and Governance and member of the XXI class of Alumni Scholarship recipients, also participated in the Benefactor's Day and said: "We will receive the scholarship with a deep sense of belonging and responsibility. It is no longer just a degree scroll, but the testimony of a path we traveled together: you trusting us and us honoring your trust with effort and work".

Graduation of the XXI Alumni Scholarships Class

The Magna classroom hosted the graduation ceremony for the 91 students of the XXI class of Alumni scholarship recipients, the largest to date. Since 2003, more than 1,900 students have been part of this program. One of them, Gabriela Paredes, a 4th year Journalism student, who was also the class representative and addressed a few words to her classmates:"I have always been impressed that people who don't even know us bet on our Education and trust in our responsibility and desire to change the world; that they support the Alumni Scholarships program for me, for each one of us. I think of them and my heart swells, recognizing their generosity. May we all be as magnanimous.

José López Guzmán, professor of the School of Pharmacy and Nutrition and sponsor of the graduating class, then spoke. "I congratulate you for having been the representation of the best of our University, of those students who have felt and answered affirmatively to that call to be in fullness: you have tried (and I emphasize the word "tried") to be true to yourselves, responsible in your studies, involved with the society in which you live, friends of your classmates, and loyal to your professors".

The 91 alumni graduates come from 6 countries (Hungary, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico and Ecuador); 82 are from Spain.