Cardinal Covenant
Scholarships ensure income not a barrier to college
Sophomore Pamela Arnold always knew she would go to college. For her, an advanced degree meant a ticket to a better life.
“Every single day my mom would tell me ‘You need to go to school. You need to do well. You need to take care of yourself better than I’ve been able to do,’ ” says the chemical engineering major from Owensboro, Ky.
When Arnold learned she qualified as a Cardinal Covenant student at UofL, she and her parents were ecstatic. The program provides full scholarships to Kentucky’s most economically disadvantaged students—those whose families live at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line. For a family of four, this equals $31,800 or less per year (2008 figures).
"Without [Cardinal Covenant], I don't think I'd be able to afford to go to school full time," she says. "It would be very, very difficult without it."
The J.B. Speed School of Engineering student enters her sophomore year this fall. She is interested in the intersection between medicine and engineering and plans to pursue a Ph.D., with the goal of working in industry.
In fall 2007 UofL welcomed its first 169 Cardinal Covenant students. About half are from Jefferson County; the other half come from every corner of the state, from Ashland to Paducah. Another 100 students are expected to enter the program as freshmen this fall.
President James Ramsey announced the creation of the program in 2007.
“Cardinal Covenant is our promise that family income is no longer a barrier to Kentucky students’ ability to earn a college degree,” Ramsey says. “This program, which was the first of its kind in Kentucky, helps students break the cycle of poverty and gives them hope for the future.”
Eligible students receive scholarships to pay for tuition, room, board and books for five years from admittance, as long as they meet all program rules.
Comprehensive program for success
But Cardinal Covenant is more than just a promise of a debt-free education, explains Mike Abboud, associate director for financial aid.
“It is a comprehensive program focused on ensuring student success,” he says.
Cardinal Covenant students are assigned academic advisers who provide guidance and encouragement, as they adjust to the rigors of college. The students also are encouraged to participate in REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement), which provides study sessions, tutoring, study-skills improvement classes and peer mentors.
Cardinal Covenant students are encouraged to live on campus, which places them in the midst of the UofL community and helps them focus on their studies. They are encouraged to work on campus 10–12 hours per week in Federal Work-Study jobs. This provides them with spending money and, more importantly, they work side-by-side with UofL faculty and staff.
Dale Billingsley, vice provost for undergraduate affairs, says the Cardinal Covenant students are “pretty much a cross section.”
“The group ranges from very high achievers and academic scholarship winners to kids who have the minimum requirements to get in to UofL,” he says. “The only difference between these students and the rest of the class is that they lack the resources to come here on their own.”
Average total family income for Cardinal Covenant participants in 2007–2008 was less than $17,500. Despite financial obstacles, their retention rates between the fall and spring semester was 92 percent—the same as the freshman class overall—and their GPA averages were in line with the rest of the class.
To qualify for the program, students must be Kentucky residents; have a family income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level; meet regular UofL admissions standards; be accepted as a new degree-seeking freshman; complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 15 each year; meet Pell Grant eligibility requirements; meet all required Office of Admission and Financial Aid Office deadlines; enroll full time (at least 12 hours); maintain satisfactory grades; and graduate within five years.
The Cardinal Covenant Terms of Agreement states that UofL will process federal, state and institutional funds for a student based on eligibility but will not replace funds lost due to failure to meet required standards. This gives the students a strong incentive to maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.
The cost of Cardinal Covenant
The direct cost of a University of Louisville education—including tuition, room, board and books—was $13,462 for the 2007–2008 academic year. Cardinal Covenant—which is funded by tax-deductible gifts from individuals—pays for direct costs that are not covered by federal, state or other scholarship support. Total direct costs for the 169 first-year Cardinal Covenant students totaled more than $2.5 million. Sixty percent was paid for by state and federal grants and scholarships; another 24 percent was funded by university scholarships and other aid. The remaining 16 percent was covered by Cardinal Covenant—totaling $443,000.
To fully fund one student, an estimated $30,000 is needed in donations ($6,000 a year for five years). With the popularity of this program and the cost of maintaining it over each participant’s four to five years at UofL, the total amount in annual private support needed for Cardinal Covenant is estimated to grow to $2.5 million by 2010.
How to help
Gifts from alumni and supporters are critical to the university’s ability to offer Cardinal Covenant scholarships. Gifts are tax deductible and will support qualifying students.
Gifts can be made online. Or checks made payable to the UofL Foundation Inc. may be mailed to the Development Office, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292 (write “Cardinal Covenant” in the memo line).
For questions about how to make multi-year pledges, how to create an endowed scholarship that lasts forever, or creative ways of giving such as planned gifts, please contact the Annual Giving Office at 502-852-2369.
Cardinal Covenant students come from throughout Kentucky. 
